Running Unplugged
What I Discovered When I Left My Fitness Tech at Home
This piece was written when Second Act Shift was focused on digital wellness. I'm expanding the lens now, but the core idea still fits: designing your life with intention rather than just reacting to it.
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If you go for a run and don't track your health data, does it count as a run?
This question has been on my mind lately as I've watched our relationship with movement transform from a natural human activity into a data collection opportunity.
The Watch-Free Experiment
Last month, I went on vacation with my family and left my smartwatch at home. It wasn't an accident—it was an experiment. I wanted to try a week without perpetually counting my steps, calories, and other metrics that have become the constant companions of my regular exercise.
For three mornings, I ran along a beach with nothing but the sound of waves. No watch. No phone. No playlist preciously crafted to maintain my pace. The only metrics available were delightfully analog: how many times I ran the length of the beach and how hungry I felt afterward.
What Happens When We Stop Counting?
Something profound happened in this tech-free space: I rediscovered running as pure joy rather than data collection.
Without my usual metrics, I took more notice of the things I'd been missing—the rhythm of my breathing, the sun on my face, the way my mood lifted regardless of my pace.
I found myself running longer than I normally would, not because I was tracking a new personal record, but because I was simply enjoying the experience. There was no anxiety about pace, no disappointment about calorie burn, no judgment about performance. Just movement for movement's sake.
Our Complicated Relationship with Fitness Data
Don't get me wrong—I'm not anti-technology. Fitness trackers can be incredibly useful tools for certain goals. They've helped millions of people get moving and stay accountable.
But somewhere along the way, many of us (myself included) crossed a threshold where the measurement became more important than the experience being measured. We began to define the value of our movement by the data it generated rather than how it made us feel.
I've had clients tell me they felt like their walk "didn't count" because they forgot their phone. I've watched friends delay starting a run until their GPS signal connected. I've felt my own disappointment when my watch battery died mid-workout, as if the movement suddenly lost its worth.
The Benefits That Can't Be Quantified
The most valuable benefits of movement—mental clarity, emotional regulation, joy—defy quantification. Sometimes, the most meaningful progress happens in the spaces between the metrics.
Those beach runs took me back to my childhood, when I ran around for hours just for fun. I didn't need algorithms to tell me I'd reached my step count. I knew I was done when I was tired, satisfied, or hungry—or when my mom called me in for dinner.
There's wisdom in that approach that we've lost in our quest to optimize everything.
A Simple Challenge
If you're curious, I invite you to choose one workout and leave your fitness trackers at home. Set an intention based on sensations rather than metrics. Notice, say, three things about your environment you typically don't see.
Some questions to consider during your untracked movement:
How does your body feel when you're not checking your pace?
What do you notice about your surroundings when you're not looking at your wrist?
Does your mind wander differently without the regular feedback of metrics?
How do you know when you're "done" without your usual targets?
I'd love to hear how this experiment goes for you. Drop a comment below or reply to this email with your experience. And on that note, it's time for me to get outside and hit the trails. 🏃
I provide 1:1 coaching for professionals seeking career or life transitions, often with an emphasis on a reduced tech diet. If you’re looking for guidance on your journey, let's connect.