Workout without metrics.
Last night I went running with no iPod and no heart rate monitor. (iPod’s batteries died, and the HRM thinks my max heart rate in a kickbox workout was 5. Probably a battery problem, but it would have to be sent to the company for repair/replacement, and that service costs more than I spent on the thing in the first place.)
In any case, I wasn’t particularly motivated to go out in the first place, but the chocolate chip pancakes I threw together for dinner tipped me over to the “squeeze in a workout” side of the balance. I went out for one of my high intensity runs, just to get it all over with somewhat quickly.
I was surprised to find that going without my accoutrements actually improved the workout (because it was a HIIT run.) I didn’t rely on music to give me cues about when I should sprint or on the timer for when I should stop – and I didn’t fall back on the music’s rhythm to guide my exertion. I think that the sprintervals (haha, my own term) I did last night had more intensity and lasted longer.
It did help that I didn’t have to think about switching the hand my iPod was in (yes, I carry it, no armband here) and it was much easier to pump my arms without the headphone cords to get tangled up in.
I’m excited that I actually defied my own will and got the damned workout, but I’m also stoked that doing it in the face of adversity taught me something new. And to be honest, I’m totally knackered from the run, so I did succeed in pushing myself past my limits.
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