Since I started running, I never run without music. This started as a sport discman, graduated to an ipod mini, then my touch 2G, and now my iPhone 3G. Since I started using the touch over 4 years ago, I've also never run without some sort of tracking program. I used Nike+ with the touch and graduated to full-GPS tracking once I switched to my iPhone. My current program of choice is joglog. It allows you to create interval workouts, change music to pace, set music to intervals, and has a whole variety of verbal cues you can set for your runs. I loved getting feedback every 7 or 8 min regarding my pace and distance. I could hear myself getting faster and a cue that I was running slower than I could was good incentive to pick up the pace a bit.
And then I turned the notifications off.
I'm not sure why. I currently have my target distance set at 6 miles w/ only one "halfway point" cue. I don't necessarily run faster or slower, and I certainly haven't figured out a more "internal" sense of pace, but for some reason I needed to turn off the pace/distance voice in my head. I think part of it is that I've become more comfortable with the distances I run and don't feel the need for the cheery "30% done!" The other part of it is that I know with the warm conditions I'm better just getting out the door and running happily than running competitively. I still check my stats and upload them to Daily Mile at the end of my workouts, but I no longer feel the need for the constant updates.
This may change if I get back into speed work, or distance training, or anything that requires me to pay attention to pace. But for now, I'm enjoying just running and seeing "how I did" at the end of the run.
How about you? Were you a gadget junkie who slowly backed off at some point? Did you go back?
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