In a recent interview with Chris Derrick, I was struck by his thoughts on heart rate monitoring during training. When asked about whether he tracks his heart rate, Derrick responded, “We don’t; it’s all by feel. Jerry [Schumacher, his coach] doesn’t like relying so much on data. We do monitor our response to altitude through testing, but he doesn’t want us to be restricted by numbers. He wants us to feel it, and sometimes you just need to run hard.”
This quote resonated with me because, as someone who’s been meaning to write about the latest in wearable fitness tech, I’ve been looking at gadgets like the Stryd wearable power meter. This device claims to be the running equivalent of a cycling power meter, measuring your stride in three dimensions—vertical, lateral, forward, and braking force—to give an external measure of your effort, no matter the terrain or conditions. Another device, made by Kenzen, monitors hydration, lactate, and glucose levels through a disposable patch that analyzes sweat.
Both of these devices seem fascinating, yet I keep putting off writing about them. It’s partly because I don’t have enough information to fully verify their claims, but there’s another reason: I’m hesitant to turn running into a data-heavy, regimented activity. While tracking data undoubtedly provides insights, it also takes away from the raw, intuitive aspect of running.
In another interview with Janet Bawcom, a Kenyan-born athlete, she discussed her experience training in Kenya and how different it is from the more structured approach often seen in the U.S. She said, “People here are much more relaxed about their training—no one really seems to have it mapped out to the microsecond. I’m just doing all my workouts on dirt roads, and I know that if I’m keeping up with the right people in my group, I’ll be fine on race day.”
Bawcom’s approach to training highlights an important point: sometimes, the focus on perfect conditions and meticulous tracking can detract from the joy of running. In places like Kapsabet, where she’s currently training, the lack of a track doesn’t stop her from pushing herself during workouts. The key is to focus on the effort, not necessarily the numbers.
As someone who loves data, I can relate to this idea. I used to keep detailed logs of my training, tracking every mile, heart rate, and other metrics. But eventually, I realized that focusing too much on the data made me more analytical, which changed the way I approached both training and racing, often not for the better. Now, I don’t keep a log at all because it started to affect the joy I get from running. For others, however, data can provide structure and motivation that they may otherwise lack.
There’s no right or wrong answer here. It all depends on how you relate to data in your running journey. For some, it’s a tool to enhance performance, while for others, it can become a barrier. The key is to find a balance—one that lets you enjoy the process of running while still gaining useful insights when needed.
