After a long track and field career that concluded with making an Olympic team, I became fascinated with one thing. That one thing was how much some runners depended on there watch and pace calculator. If they did not know where they were at, they almost could not even run.
You see different websites with different calculators to help you figure out how fast you need to run each mile to be on pace to run the time you want to run. Here is a good question though? How do you know you are not capable of running much faster?
Pace Calculators Take Away The Drive to Push Further
The number of times I have seen runners settle into a beautiful comfortable place because they are on “pace.” That is the only thing that matters just being on pace, but what if you have way more in the tank? Why not push the pace instead of glancing at your watch frequently to know where you are?
The point of running is to push yourself! It’s just you vs. the clock and the time never lies to you. The pace calculator was made so people could figure out what they needed to do during long races to hit their goals. The issue is that it removes your internal clock.
You should be able to figure out how fast you are going just from experiencing your runs. The reason this does not happen anymore is that we have to be distracted now. If you take away the music, the watch, and the pace calculator what are you left with? It’s just you and your feet reaching the goal one step at a time.
Focus On The Run Not the Pace Calculator or The Clock
Once you become aware of your running again, you can focus on your mindset and pushing your body. As I said earlier when you run it is you against the clock but ask any of the best runners or track and field athletes what happens when you focus on the clock. You never succeed when focusing on the clock. The clock showing a fast time is a result, not a symptom.
You don’t run fast by focusing on the clock and hoping it shows a fast time. You run fast by focusing on one step at a time and making sure that you don’t fall off.
The clock and pace calculator chasing can play with your head. if you feel great and are ahead of pace, the initial reaction will be to slow it down, instead of keeping pushing it.
What If You Need a Custom Pace?
A lot of people never consider how generic the pace calculator is. Some people start races slower and finish with a bang. While there are others that do the opposite and need to start faster because they will die towards the end.
Either way does not mean that you cannot run fast. Some people will die at the end no matter what pace is set, so you have to run much faster then what the pace calculator has set to hit your goals.
The point of all of this is that using a pace calculator gives a generic result for someone who is unique. You are not made by punching a few digits into a screen and getting some generic answers. You are an individual person that needs a unique solution to succeed.
The Runner Pace Calculator Challenge
For the next week, try going on every run without a watch timing the run, and give up on the pace calculator. See how you feel from doing this? Think of it as a mini-experiment. If you try it out and it does not make running more enjoyable, then you can always go back.
The problem is most runners don’t even know what this is like. Too many years of depending on these devices and pace calculators have left people not remembering the good old days. It is kind of like what life was like before cell phones or social media, you know it was better, but it is hard to go back.
The Blind Fold Gets Rid of The Pace Calculator
The video below does the best job of explaining what your running can become when you get rid of the crutches. You have allowed technology to tell you what you can and can’t do. From this point forward when you feel good, you go hard. When you don’t feel right you don’t go as hard. You listen to your body because it always knows what is best.
Dealing With Running Injuries
9INE POINT Health is the best place to start your search for a health care provider to help you stay healthy. The key to success as an athlete is staying healthy. Whether you use a pace calculator or not, you can’t get better if you always have to take time off.
9INE POINT Health lets you search for providers by type and skill. For example, you can look for a Physical Therapist that also knows Graston Technique. It does not matter what kind of provider you need, 9INE POINT Health can help you find them and help you to sort through their skills.
If you are unsure where to start your journey, 9INE POINT Health will ask you questions and help you figure out the best starting place. All you have to do is answer a few questions. From there 9INE POINT Health will connect you with the type of provider best suited for your needs. It does not matter if you are injured or just sore from pushing yourself without a pace calculator.
The platform makes it easy to compare health providers as they are all given a 9INE POINT Number. Once you are shown the best local options, how do you know which is the best? Reading bios and reviews is just not enough because you need more than that.
KHO Health was acquired by was acquire by 9INE POINT in the summer of 2019 and is now referred to as 9INE POINT Health.
