I'm addicted to my GPS watch, obsessing about the paces it shows on the run. Most of the time, my GPS watch is a helpful training tool. But sometimes, it holds me back. 

This week, I had a workout consisting of several long intervals at a tempo pace. I kept pushing off this workout, worried that I couldn't hit the prescribed paces on the hilly course of my neighborhood. Finally, I stripped off my GPS watch and headed out the door. It was liberating! I planned to run easy, by after warming up, I felt energized. I decided to go for the tempo workout using different cues instead of GPS watch paces. My tempo pace is the point where I can maintain 2-2 rhythm breathing. I had my phone and headphones, so I used music songs as an interval. A fifteen-minute effort I assumed to be about five songs. 

I nailed the workout using my breathing and music cues. Sure, I have no "exact" record of the pace, distance, and time. But I know that I ran at a tempo effort for around the right amount of time. At a minimum, I got in a hard effort despite days of delay. Who knows, maybe I did the workout harder than prescribed and picked up some extra fitness. In the end, the run was energizing, and I earned my rest that night.