I had never really been a watch person. I didn’t need to know how high up or down or how fast or far I went. I just wanted to know how long I had been running. I had raced as a triathlete while at university and we often used our pace in training, however, as I moved into trail and mountain running, my coach was more interested in time on my feet. He encouraged me to feel my heart rate, listen to my breath, follow the lactic acid in my body and to learn about where were my own limitations.
When I started racing competitively on the international circuit, I always would turn up to a race early. Sometimes even six weeks early. I like to know the course like the back of my hand. That way I know how far it is from any point to the finish or the next aid station or those beautiful flowers to be inspired by when the times got tough. I like to share my energy with the mountain and build emotions along the way. I like to meet the locals and be immersed in the culture.
I would wear just a simple watch to tell me the time, so I knew when it was going to get dark or when finally the sun was coming back up. I was driven by my own internal motivation and so I didn’t need a watch to tell me at which heart rate zone or distance as I was travelling. But when I became pregnant I knew things were going change. And once little Skylar arrived, things really did change, all of a sudden!
I was so tired mentally and physically. This was the hardest ‘race’ I had ever lined up for! I realised I was going to have to find some external motivation to get me going. I did classes like kickboxing, toning and yoga, but I wanted to be able to go out on my own, with some encouragement.
And that is when I found Polar watches. I immediately loved the FitSpark (guided workouts that are optimized to match your recovery, fitness level, and training history) and Serene (a guided breathing exercise that helps you relax your body and calm down your mind) options. The Polar Vantage gives you a comprehensive view on your training sessions and measure the strain in your body, so it can remind you to have recovery days to prevent injuries and overtraining.
I was really impressed by the technology, but also the ease of what the watch could tell you. And it’s made so personal, just giving you some friendly direction and points to your training, so you don’t feel like a robot is telling you what to do. When all you need is just a little help, it’s right there with you. I have really enjoyed getting back in touch with not only technology but also another way to train without the need of going to an external class.
I still believe that it is important to run by feel and to be really in tune to your own body. I might not use the watch in every single training because sometimes I like to totally disconnect, but I can see and feel so many benefits and rewards to using the watch daily.
