2024-04-26 16:18:23
For years I didn’t need more than shoes, trousers and a jacket for my jogging session. For years, friends were amazed when I told them that I didn’t track my runs. For years I claimed that, as an amateur with no ambitions, it was enough for me to just set off and find out how long I had been out when I returned.
Then December 2023 approached, and my husband told me that this year he didn’t want to stick to our agreement not to give presents, but instead wanted to put something under the Christmas tree for me, but he would like “something technical”. He made various suggestions. When he mentioned a watch for the third time that would definitely be something for me, I generously agreed. I had recently seen more and more people casually holding their wrist to the EC device in the supermarket and found it practical.
On Christmas Day I unpacked the clock – and my heart jumped with joy for the first time: I was able to choose Snoopy, the friendliest dog since cartoons, to design the display. And I synced the watch with my phone. Call me ignorant, but I was flabbergasted when I realized that my playlist, which I hadn’t accessed in many years, was now on the watch. I once put it on for long car journeys that I had to make on a regular basis. This story has been going on for ten years and I haven’t accessed the playlist since. Then I can run with music, I thought to myself. Until now I had only ever listened to my panting.
No useless gimmicks
Two days later, I put the watch on for the first time and laced up my running shoes. In front of the front door, I first tapped the icon with the note on the display and then spontaneously tapped the one with the runner.
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Since this December 27th. I’m running – and I’m only slightly exaggerating – in a completely new dimension. There are two reasons for this. The first: Why did I never think of listening to music while jogging before? At least for now, I’m still so happy about rediscovering songs that I loved 15 years ago or more that every single run makes me feel exhilarated. The music also helps me find the rhythm of my steps much faster (I highly recommend Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” for the first three minutes), and it’s easier for me to maintain the pace when I’m no longer feeling fresh.
The second reason is the announcements that the watch makes to me. After every kilometer she tells me how fast I ran it. And that motivates me to a degree that I couldn’t imagine. In my arrogance, I used to think that these were useless gimmicks. But the measurements inspire me in many ways: If I actually don’t feel like it anymore, I don’t stop until the watch tells me that the next kilometer has been completed. If I feel like I haven’t had a good day and then after the first kilometer I hear a time that’s pretty decent, I’m motivated to keep going. On the other hand, if I run slower than I think, I don’t want to put up with it – and I’m happy when I’ve run the next kilometer faster.
In fact, I’ve enjoyed running more since Christmas. Why did I avoid French reggae for so long? I’m improving – and I’m noticing it now. And even the fireworks that the watch display shows me when I set a new best time contribute to my satisfaction account. I now wonder whether I am also subject to such misjudgments in other areas of my life. If so: next Christmas will definitely come.
#longer #running #tracker