How to “Track” Your Runs Without a Fitness Watch or App

When you’re new to running or getting back into it, the last thing you need is another barrier. Shoes, appropriate clothing, sweat-resistant sunscreen: these items are hard to live without. But those running watches that everyone seems to have? You won’t need it on the first day. You don’t even need a phone.

It’s strange that fitness has become almost synonymous with fitness tracking : how many steps do you take? How many calories do you burn? How many minutes per mile was your pace when you went for a run this morning? What was your heart rate?

But you don’t need to know all of this. You can simply go for a run and the results will be written into the very fibers of your muscles. Your heart and lungs know how hard they have worked, and they are in the process of adapting so they can serve you better next time. This process does not require you to look at the numbers on the screen even once. So do you need a Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Watch or something similar? Absolutely not.

What do running watches do and how can you do without them?

I’ve worked with a variety of devices and applications over the years, and right now I’m preparing to review a series of working applications – you can look for those articles in the coming weeks. But my little secret is that I prefer to do most of my running without a watch or even a phone app.

Since dusting off my running shoes this spring about six weeks ago, I’ve been running several times a week without a watch. I have a vague idea of ​​time and mileage, but no exact numbers. There are no thoughts in my brain other than “don’t drive too fast” and “I’ll turn around when I get to the main road.” So here’s the data I’m not getting from my running watch, and how to get by without it:

Distance

The watch tells you how far you have walked. Want to run 3 miles? Turn around when your watch shows 1.5. You can also total your miles at the end of the week.

How to get by : Pre-measure the route. You can use Google Maps (right click and select “measure distance” or just plan a walking route through the regular interface). For a nicer interface, use an app like Footpath . The free version allows you to measure routes but not save them; Honestly, for our purposes, it’s enough to create a route and then take a screenshot. If you’re going to pay for a route planning app, you can also get Strava, but more on that later.

You can plan your route before you set out, and then when you complete the route, you’ll know you’ve covered the required distance. It can be helpful to have a few routes on hand for the general distances you prefer to run. For example, my local park has a 5 mile loop and I know exactly where to jog in my area if I want to run 2 miles.

To track your distance day by day, you can keep a note on your phone or add it to your training log.

Time

The watch tells you how long you’ve been running.

How to get by without : In the past, you’ve used a silent clock to keep track of time, or even just looked at your watch before leaving the house and then again when you return. If the watch wearer knows that their run was 32 minutes and five seconds, you don’t have to worry about such little things and can be happy to know that you ran for about half an hour.

If you really want to know the time, you can also use the stopwatch on your phone to keep track of the time. You can also just estimate your mileage: This three-mile route will take about 30 minutes if you run at a 10:00 pace.

Step

The watch tells you : how many minutes it took you to run each mile; and also, at what pace are you walking now ?

How to do without : Act by touch. If you’re a beginner, the exact pace doesn’t matter; Go for easy runs at a speed that feels easy to you. Do faster intervals at a pace that feels challenging but doesn’t choke you. The exact numbers are not important.

If you are an experienced runner, use that experience! How do you feel when you run 10-minute miles? 8 minute miles? Run at a level of effort that suits your programmed mileage, and from time to time you can race or time the course to recalibrate.

Heart rate

The watch tells you : your current heart rate and possibly the “zone” you are in.

How to Get Around : Honestly, if you’re a beginner, don’t use pulse at all. Heart rate can be a useful indicator if you have a good understanding of what your personal heart rate is at different levels of effort. But most watches and apps calculate your heart rate using a flawed formula that often sets zones too high or too low.

As a beginner, the only thing that really matters is that you do easy runs at an easy pace and not at breakneck speeds that end up being unsustainable. So here too, stick to perceived effort. Do you feel like you could go on with this almost forever? Like you can talk on the phone while only slightly panting? This is the famous “zone 2”. You see, you don’t need a heart rate monitor after all.

If you’re an experienced runner, you’ll probably get more value from pace data than heart rate data anyway, but you can always use a chest strap connected to your phone if you need numbers.

Coaching, sometimes

Not all watches have this feature, and even among people who have running watches, not everyone uses this feature. But yes, some watches and some apps provide a running plan, telling you how many miles and at what pace to run each day. They may also offer you runs with a coach who tells you in your ear when to speed up and slow down.

Without a watch, you figure it out on your own. But you can also find a plan online that isn’t tied to any specific app.Hal Higdon says I’ll run 3 miles on Tuesday? Well then I’ll go out on Tuesday and run (about, roughly) 3 miles.

How do I train without a running watch?

Putting it all together, here’s what it looks like to me. First of all, I got into the running habit this year by establishing a regular morning walk (30 minutes, or about 1.5 miles). Over the course of a week, I started adding some running to my walk, slowing down when I got out of breath or started to itch uncontrollably , and after about two weeks I was running almost the entire 1.5 miles in relative comfort. The next week I began to gradually increase my mileage – every morning I drove 2 miles instead of 1.5.

It worked great as a gentle return to running, and honestly? I don’t think I would do this if I wore a watch. It would have been demoralizing to see that my “running” pace was much slower than what I had recorded last year. But once I got into the habit, it became easy to add mileage.

Now I have several routes in mind in the surrounding area. I put on a sun visor and headphones when I go out with the kids to wait for the bus, and as soon as they leave, I turn around and head out on one of my 3-mile (usually) routes.

I record my mileage in a notepad. Three miles five times a week is 15 miles. If I miss a morning run or want to add more time on my feet, I’ll add another run in the evening or on a weekend day. I usually head to the nearest park where I know the mileage of my favorite trails and roads. If I want to try a new route, I pick an album that’s about as long as I’d like it to be (many are around 45 minutes, which is ideal) and write down which song comes up halfway through the route. When I hear this song, I turn around. In the books, it’s a 45-minute run—about four miles or so.

Can I use my phone instead of a running watch?

Are you sure you can! If you’re looking at the list above and thinking, “Oh, I wish I had that data,” look no further! There are plenty of running apps that can track your distance, duration, and pace in real time, even speaking through your headphones, so you know your time on each mile.

Pros of applications to run on your phone:

• There is no need to buy special equipment like a watch.

• The numbers are available any time you want to take out your phone and look at them.

• You probably still take your phone with you to listen to music.

• You’ll get a map of your run after the fact (thanks to your phone’s GPS).

• The app will track your mileage over time.

Disadvantages of running applications on the phone:

• You might not want to see all those numbers, especially if the thought of a “bad” average pace makes you rush your warm-up or skip your walking breaks.

• GPS tracking on phones is not as accurate as tracking on watches.

• GPS tracking tends to drain your phone’s battery faster than if you weren’t using GPS.

• No heart rate tracking if you want it (unless you use a chest strap and connect it to your phone via Bluetooth ).

I love the recommendations I get from launching apps if I’m doing a specific workout—like the one I recently tried that included 0.6-, 0.5-, and 0.35-mile segments. There was no way I was going to keep track of this manually, but the sweet voice in my ear told me exactly when to start and stop each interval, and prompted me to speed up or slow down if I was falling behind the pace.

If you later decide to purchase a running watch, it will have the same features as the phone apps, but with better battery life and an easier way to view the numbers.

What are the best running apps to use if you don’t have a phone?

Classic – Strava. In fact, if the community aspect of a running app or watch is most important to you, you’ll definitely want to connect to Strava. People who record their runs on a Garmin or other device often upload the data to Strava to have everything in one place. But you can also “record” your run directly from the Strava app, without the need for additional devices. Just remember that social features may eventually reveal your location, so take a look at your privacy settings to make sure you’re not sharing more than you intend.

Other popular running apps include MapMyRun , Runkeeper , Adidas Running (formerly Runtastic), and Nike Run Club . There are also some general fitness apps that can track running data, such as Polar Beat and Intervals Pro .

How to track your mileage when running without a watch?

Measure or estimate the length of each run, ideally using a tool like Google Maps or Footpath. (We used to sometimes drive a route and use the odometer.)

Keep track of your mileage over time by making notes in a calendar (paper or digital), notepad (paper or digital), or any other way you can keep track of your running count.

How do you pace yourself when you’re running without a watch?

Paying attention to your body. At an easy or “zone 2” pace, you want to feel like you’re breathing easily and can keep going forever. Faster paces may feel more challenging, but they will still be consistent enough that you can complete the entire intended distance without collapsing in a heap at the end. Over time, you will learn what each appropriate tempo feels like.

During guided runs offered by many running apps, a coach or narrator will help you determine the right level of effort. They may ask you to score a 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 or describe in words how your body should feel when you move at a given pace.

Do I need a watch to run a marathon?

You won’t make it to the marathon starting line without some decent running experience under your belt. And these days, when you regularly run for as long as it takes to build a base and then train for a marathon… you’ve probably already succumbed to the temptation to buy a running watch.

But this is by no means necessary . You can train by mapping out routes in advance, timing your pace based on how you feel, and recording your weekly mileage in a notebook. This is how almost everyone trained until running watches became more affordable about 10-15 years ago. Race organizers keep track of your time (there’s usually a chip in your bib) and post mile markers along the course to let you know where you are.

On race day, you probably don’t want to use a running app; this will drain the battery and you will be there for a long time. Instead, you can monitor your pace by wearing a simple stopwatch and comparing your time at each mile marker to your pre-calculated split time. Sounds complicated? It’s not like that – just get one of these temporary tattoos that have them all designed for you.

What is the best running watch for a beginner?

Once you learn to run, you may eventually decide it’s time to buy a watch. Luckily, we have a guide to the best watches for runners . If I had to pick just one, the Garmin Forerunner series is a great place to start, and the Forerunner 165 is the latest model at a reasonable price.

Fitness watches worth paying attention to:

• Garmin Forerunner 165 , $249.99.

• Fitbit Charge 6 , $159.95.

• Apple Watch SE, 2nd generation , $189.00

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