QT: Don’t Become Too Dependent on Your Running Tech (Best Of-ish)

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This post was originally part of Episode 553 released in May of 2018 and is more or less copied and pasted from that post. The audio, however, is a new take on the topic.

Let’s be real for a minute: most of us REALLY like our running tech.

Cell phones. Computers. Tablets. Fitbits. Garmins. Heart rate monitors.

Technology, in my view, is awesome.

I mean, shoot, without technology I’d probably have to get a real job!

As great and as helpful as our technology may in fact be, is there a chance that we are a bit overdependent upon it?

Perhaps…

The Problem With Depending (Too Much) on Technology

When technology works like it is designed, all is well.

But when it malfunctions?

And therein lies the problem.

When your running tech fails you during a run, how do you respond?

Do you keep on keeping on? Or do you have a bit of a panic attack because you no longer have the data or feedback upon which you’ve come to rely?

Ways Your Running Tech Can Fail You

Without question, the most common way that your technology will let you down is by running out of charge.

Your Garmin isn’t worth much when the battery dies, you know?

Neither is your phone.

Or your air pods.

Another way that your tech can let you down is if there is too much interference to get an accurate signal.

This is much more common in big city races, where tall buildings can block the satellite signal and you wind up with some crazy readings.

Water and technology rarely mix well, so an unexpected cloud burst or a really sweaty run can cause a technology failure as well.

And you never know when you literally run so fast that your watch literally self-destructs along the trail!

Yes. My Garmin Literally Fell Apart on a Run!

A Naked Run, Perhaps?

Look, I’m not going to say you should shun all running-related technology.

I’m not willing to do it; I’m not going to ask you to do it.

But what I’m going to suggest is that you think about, maybe, going for a naked run on occasion.

If you take away all of your technological inputs, you’ll have no choice but to listen to your body and (hopefully) enjoy your run in a different way than you’re used to.

And then the next time your technology fails you during a run, hopefully you’ll be a little less likely to freak out because running without your tech won’t be a completely foreign concept.

Are you too reliant on your running tech? And is that even a bad thing? #runchat Click To Tweet

How Reliant are You on Technology During Your Runs?

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