WB083: Running Naked
No, I did not go running without my clothes.
Instead of running with my Apple smartwatch, which tracks running metrics like distance and pace, I have started running with a basic digital watch that tells the time and the duration of my run.
After my run, I write down two things in my diary: the duration and the route I took.
For the past two years or so, I have been running regularly alongside eating more home-cooked food to keep my health in check.
My Apple smartwatch has been a permanent companion during these runs, which at the beginning were around 5km and have gradually increased to 10km.
The smartwatch is a good example of how technology can be a positive enabler, in this case for people young and old looking to achieve a simple goal of regularly exercising.
It is a frictionless experience to measure and record the pace, distance and duration of an activity like running or walking, along with your heart rate. With the help of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, you can also easily retrieve a map of the route you took.
Another benefit of the smartwatch is its psychological impact.
Numbers do not lie, and you're sure to be extra motivated to get off the sofa and exercise when you're reminded by your smartwatch that it's been a while since your last run or walk. There's also the natural inclination to try and better your previous workout.
Just as technology can act as an enabler, it can also easily become detrimental when one becomes a slave to technology.
Case in point, during my runs I started developing a habit of constantly checking my running pace and aligning that with how my body felt. On days when my pace was off and I did not feel good physically, worries about the remainder of the run and whether I could recover weighed on my mind.
It's taken me a while, but I've come to the realisation that this distraction was becoming counter-productive. At the end of the day, what matters most is listening to how your body actually feels, rather than relying on a smartwatch to do this.
This realisation explains my latest experiment to "run naked" and use my non-smartwatch only to record how long my runs are. Two "naked runs" in, and I have thankfully not felt any smartwatch "withdrawal symptoms".
Running aside, I have also been relying on my Apple smartwatch to keep track of my lap counts when I swim. Reason being, I easily forget what lap I'm on when I track counts mentally - probably a sign of weak concentration. While the Apple smartwatch has taken the load of this task off my mind, I finish my swims feeling a little dissatisfied that I am engaging my mind less.
Recently, I learned a pretty neat mental method to keep track of your lap count: based on the lap you're swimming, recollect what you did in that birth year. For example, when you're on lap five, what did you do when you were five years' old? And so on.
This method works quite well, strangely enough. It also makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I relive happy memories from my childhood.
--Ends
