How Can I Run Faster?

Why You Should Run Gadget-Free

No watch? No tunes? Leave behind your gadgets and gain a new respect for your efforts
By Jen A. Miller runnersworld
 

Tech Timeout

Why You Should Run Gadget-Free // woman kneeling © Thinkstock

Image: Thinkstock

I recently ran a half-marathon technologically blind. No Garmin GPS I watch telling me my pace or position, I no heart-rate monitor blinking away, no MP3 player blasting Bruce Springsteen. The racecourse didn't have any clocks, either, and some of the mile markers were missing, so I had no precise idea how far along I was, or how fast I was running. (Search: What's your perfect pace?) I wasn't doing the race with a time goal in mind, so I thought to myself, Why not just wing it?

I PR'ed by nearly four minutes.

Sure, gadgets help you quantify the effort you put into training. But occasionally blocking out all that technological noise can help you recalibrate, bringing you back to the joy of mind-clearing running. Freed from the stress of constant feedback, you may even find yourself going faster and performing better. Here's how to pause and reflect.

Free: Training Guides to Help You Run Your Butt Off!

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