A few weeks ago (while trying to get organized), I found my old Garmin. It's one of the older versions, but it still works. Of course, I immediately became entranced in figuring out how to get the thing working (instead of cleaning out some boxes of junk - I can be such a good avoider of mundane tasks). Despite the fact that the Garmin was twice the size of my wrist and basically looked like some kind of James Bond gadget, I decided to use it to pace my runs.
I discovered that I do not like it one bit.
The Garmin completely sucked the joy of running right out of me. I mean seriously - do I really need to know how slowly I'm running up a hill or how erratic my pace can really be? I don't think so. I found myself checking my pace about every other minute. What I should've been doing - which I've done all my life - is to rely on how I feel. Do I feel like I could hold this pace all day or do I feel like I might pass out?And most importantly - am I enjoying this experience?
Before the Garmin, the only time I even thought about about my pace was a) during a track workout or b) in a race. And these days (considering what my knees have been through), I don't give my pace much thought.
I just run because I like it - and I can (thankfully) do it again.
This morning I put the Garmin back in the box I found it in. I laced up my running shoes and headed out on a run. I took in the gorgeous blue sky and felt the strong breeze on my face. Yup - I enjoyed that experience.
