Running Naked: 4 Reasons to Run without Your Gadgets
If you were to ask me what my must-have, can’t-live-without running gear is, my Garmin and iPod would be at the very top of that list. (Along with being fully clothed. I’m unladylike, but not that unladylike.) I feel lost and naked without them. God forbid I can’t track my exact mileage and pace in Daily Mile or have to listen to the thoughts in my own head instead of the voices of 50 Cent, Kanye West and Jay-Z.
But that’s exactly what I did yesterday. I ran 6 miles naked. No technology. No gadgets. Just me.
Why on Earth would I leave my favorite things behind, you might ask? A few reasons sparked yesterday’s experiment:
- It had been raining all afternoon and was still drizzling when I left my house to run. I thought I’d save myself the hassle of wrapping my iPod in plastic wrap so I could just get out there and get it done.
- As you know from my 2012 race goals, I’m training for the ESi Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman. No iPods are allowed during the race. Just like I’d never wear something new or try fuel I’ve never tested for the first time during a race, I also need to practice running without my music to get me prepared for the headphone-free half-marathon that caps off the race.
- The state of my Garmin is currently very tragic. She’s on her last leg. Literally. My sad attempt to salvage her final days involves red duct tape. Getting her all wet and having her come detached (again) mid-run just didn’t sound appealing yesterday.
Lo and behold, I survived my run just fine without all my gadgets. Imagine that! We need that kind of freeing experience every now and then. Here’s why:
4 reasons to consider going for a technology-free run:
- You need a day off from all the pressure you put on yourself. Running with a watch allows you to compete with yourself physically and mentally every single workout. It’s easy to get so caught up with our mile splits or the time on the clock that we forget to appreciate our small victories – like the fact we’re out there doing something good for ourselves – whether we have a spectacular or lousy workout. It’s simple to find ourselves so focused on our time and pace that we forget to just remember why we like to run in the first place. Going for a run and letting how your body feels guide you is something I don’t do nearly enough.
- You can better focus on your surroundings to truly enjoy the mile you’re in. I was amazed yesterday by how much I typically miss on my usual running route because I’m listening to music or glancing at my watch. Without any distractions, I noticed a patch of sunflowers growing on the side of the road. I heard the sound of beautiful church bells singing their chorus. I chatted with a fellow runner I passed who provided encouragement and support. I heard the sound of my own breathing and how my feet hit the pavement so I could adjust my form or speed as needed. I was more focused in the moment, and as a result, experienced some wonderful little moments along the way.
Image credit: southern-proper.tumblr.com - You can multi-task. When I’m listening to music on a run, I’m either thinking about how I feel or singing along with the songs in my head. Rarely can I also hear myself think. It’s amazing what you can get done when you shut off the noise and just have time with yourself to think. I created a to-do list, wrote half of this post in my head and prepared for the rest of the week. It’s free quiet time in the middle of a normally hectic day.
- You’ll have less to charge and chafe. If you’re anything like me, there are too many days when I wake up to realize I forgot to charge all my gadgets prior to my morning run. Or, even worse, despite gobs of Aquaphor and Body Glide, I still get nasty chafe marks when it is rainy or I’m covered in sweat. Just last Saturday, I got a nice scrape on my arm from where my iPod rubbed back and forth for 14 miles. Lovely. (I’ll spare you the pictures.) Running without your gadgets gives you 1 less thing to worry about charging, and 1 less area to worry about getting chaffed. It’s the simple things, right?
On my next run, I’ll probably be sporting my iPod and Garmin. I’m in no way a convert of naked running. But we need it every now and then. To remember why we do what we do … Undistracted. Focused. Free.
Do you run with gadgets? What do you like most about running naked – free from all technology? Better yet, have you ever run a nude 5K? Seriously.
Comments
Hey…this is Laura McLauchlin, Fran’s buddy Matt’s wife, I saw your link on FB and have been reading. Thanks for the inspiration. I am a runner too and was planning on running my first marathon in December for my 35th birthday. Unfortunately an overzealous Crossfit workout last week landed me in the hospital with full blown rhabdomyolysis, so I think I may be putting my marathon plans on hold!!
When I started at the University of Florida, at freshman orientation the administration encouraged us not to wear a walkman (back in the day!) while running. This was primarily for safety reasons (the theory was you could better hear a serial killer or car if you weren’t wearing anything). Ever since, I have never trained with any devices. Matt and I both run without a Garmin and train old school, which means Matt drives the route to figure the distance and we use our timex to monitor mile splits. We are dinosaurs!
Hi Laura! Thanks so much for reading my blog! I appreciate your support and am so glad you’re enjoying it! I HATE to hear about your injury. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through that. You’re smart to focus on getting healthy and then slowly getting back to running once you’re fully healed. There will be plenty of races waiting for you when you’re on the mend 🙂
I love your old school training! I bet you feel freer than most of us without a watch or music. I almost included reason #5 on the list above as being more aware to prevent dangerous situations. I’m glad that you included that here as an important reminder for everyone! Thanks again for reading! When you’re all better and we’re in town, we’ll have to go for a run together. xo
I don’t have a Garmin so I am pretty gadgetless on a regular, but I must be truthful and admit – I have Garmin envy.
Abby, I think you should get one right before MCM as a reward for your hard season of training! 🙂
I love to leave my iphone behind every now and then (well, I keep the phone and leave my earphones behind, I run on the trails so much I feel better having a phone with me). I never use it when I’m running with other people (I think it’s rude), and I don’t use it in races even when it’s allowed. I feel like you miss out on some of the experience of a race when you’re just tuned into your own thing.
On the other hand, I always wear my garmin (unless like today the battery is dead). I really just use it so that I know my distance though, I still pretty anal about that. I don’t worry about my time too much anymore, unless I am doing a fast run or workout.
Debbie,
I’ve definitely become dependent on my music during races. I always only wear one ear-bud though so I can still hear what is happening around me. Maybe I should start small with a 5K sans-music and see how that goes 🙂 Thanks for sharing your thoughts and tips.
Undistracted.Focused.Free. And may I add “Free to be Social”? I remember when races were all “headphone free” – largely due to sight impaired runners and I miss those days – there were lots of people talking you through miles 20-26 – now just a bunch of folks mute with headphones. While waxing nostalgia – remember when you could say “on your left” and the runner could hear you and move right? I am guilty of training with a nano – gotta keep it light weight … but I stay off the beaten path when I do. And when I see someone else without headphones, I compliment them with a “looking good” or “run here often” – it always results in a smile …
Hi Nicole. You’re right. Running without headphones definitely makes talking to fellow runners easier. On Tuesday when I went gadget-free, I talked to a guy I probably never would have had a convo with because I wasn’t listening to music. He was so nice and encouraging. That silent connection between runners is awesome, and freeing ourselves up from our tech gear to enjoy it is definitely a plus. I run with a nano too, although I’m considering trying out my new iPhone. I recently got an arm band for it but I haven’t used it yet. I also use a Nathan hand-held (on the same arm as my music) so I’m a little concerned about the weight and my arm aching after long distances … but we’ll see. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences, and for checking out my blog! Here’s to running “free to be social.” 🙂
I’m pretty much dependent on my Garmin, but I ditched the iPod long ago when I switched to early morning runs (4:30 AM-ish) in the dark. Gotta be aware of your surroundings. I’ve since went back to daylight runs, but I run by the sound of my feet and the voices in my head now…And I also do not use music, either, in my last 3 half-marathons. It takes some getting used to, but I don’t even miss the music.
I am always amazed by the mental toughness of those of you who can run without music. Awesome! Maybe I’ll have to try MORE runs without my music this season!!! You also bring up a good point that no one should listen to music while running in the dark, and hopefully those who are running in the dark can find someone to join them to be safer. It is critical to always be alert and aware of your surroundings!
I pretty much never run with my Garmin these days because I’m pregnant and don’t care about pace. When I was training with my running group, I also never ran with an iPod on group runs. It would have been rude! But running by myself? Yeah, I need my 50 Cent too! 🙂
Pregnant runners rock! I’m so amazed by all of you! You’re setting a great example for your new baby before it’s even born! Do you think you’ll be a stroller jogger? That amazes me too! When stroller joggers pass me running faster than I am without a stroller, I’m always in awe. Definitely can’t listen to music while doing that! Thanks for sharing what works for you!
I just love how your posts can also be applied to other life situations. Love reason #3, especially for life in general. We all need to work in some quiet time into the hustle of life. I love #2 too because I’ve experienced it on one of my morning walks. Pandora refused to come on, so I was forced to walk without music. But it was great because I actually smelled the flowers, listened to the birds chirp, and just really took the time to ACTUALLY breathe. May sound so small and unimportant, but I think it has the ability to change your entire day!
Thanks so much Tidy-Up Gal! Glad this post connected with you. Be present in the moment we’re in, right?
haha! I saw another picture (I think from Peach Tree) with your Garmin taped up and I thought that you had put red tape on it to go with the Red White and Blue theme 🙂
LOL! Isn’t it sad!?! I thought it was pretty coincidental that the duct tape we had in our garage happened to be red (for the Peachtree). I think I’m going to have to break down and buy a new Garmin. Also thinking about getting a heart rate monitor to start training with. Do you train with a heart rate monitor?