What Does It Mean to 'Run by Feel'?
- Apr 11
- 4 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
When Emily Sisson set the American Women's Marathon record at the Chicago Marathon in 2022 (2:18:29), she did it without looking at her watch.
When Brigid Kosgei set the World Women's Marathon record (also at the Chicago Marathon) in 2019 (2:14:04), she wasn't even wearing a watch.
When Sifan Hassan broken the European Women's marathon record (2:13:44) and won the Chicago Marathon (brb you guys, gonna go break a record at the Chicago Marathon 😆) in 2023, she did it while rocking a wicked watch tan... and no watch.
Not to discount literally breaking records, one of the most common questions I heard in the days after each of these races was, "and how did they do that without checking the pace on their watch?"
Because they were running based on feel.
(Yes, they weren't completely oblivious to their pacing; there are timing clocks every 5k, the frontrunner will be following a lead car that displays an elapsed time clock, and Emily Sisson had 2 pacers running with her in Chicago).
STILL, though! How many of YOU are comfortable running a race, or a workout, or heck, any run, without being able to check your pace on your watch to make sure you're "on track"? Maybe some of you, sure. But by and large, we recreational runners are woefully bad at the skills of "running by feel".
What Does It Really Mean to Run by Feel?
With all the tech we have access to these days—GPS watches, heart rate monitors, apps galore—it’s easy to forget that the most powerful training tool is the one you were born with: your own body.
Running by feel doesn’t mean tossing your watch in the garbage or ignoring training zones. It just means learning to listen—really listen—to how your body is doing on any given day, and using that feedback to guide your effort. It’s a skill anyone can build (yep, even if you love your data!) and it’s one of the best ways to train sustainably and confidently over the long haul.
Let’s break it down.
So, what is running by feel?
At its core, running by feel means tuning in to your effort—how your breathing feels, what your legs are saying, how much energy you’ve got left—and using that info to adjust on the fly.
It’s not about ignoring pace altogether. It’s about learning what different efforts feel like in your body, so you’re not overly reliant on the numbers. Because pace can lie. Effort? Not so much.
Why bother? The real-life benefits of running by feel:
You avoid overtraining. Ever forced yourself to hit a pace on dead legs, only to end up feeling wrecked for days? Listening to your body lets you back off when needed, before you cross the line into injury.
You train more consistently. Effort-based training helps you stay in the right zone even when conditions (or life!) aren't perfect. You stop chasing perfection and start building fitness that sticks.
You build confidence. Learning to trust your body is huge. It takes the pressure off and helps you feel more in control. No more mid-run freakouts over a “too-slow” pace.
You race smarter. On race day, the clock doesn’t know or care if it’s hot, hilly, or windy—but your body does. If you’ve practiced adjusting your effort, you’ll be ready to make smart decisions in the moment and race your strongest on any course.
Wait—can anyone actually do this?
Yes. 1000 times yes. You don’t need to be a pro or run for decades. You just need to start paying attention. If you’re used to always looking at your watch, it might feel awkward at first. That’s okay! This is a skill, and like any skill, it gets easier the more you practice.
How to Get Started
Practice on easy days. These are perfect opportunities to check in with your breath, form, and general vibe. Notice what a true easy effort feels like—then stick with it.
Pair RPE with your workouts. Look at the effort targets, then feel them in your body. Over time, you’ll start to recognize what “half marathon pace” or “threshold effort” feels like, not just what it says on the screen.
Be patient with yourself. You don’t need to nail this overnight (and you won't!). The goal isn’t to ignore your watch forever—it’s to build another layer of awareness that helps you make better training decisions, and that takes time, practice, and constant refinement... just like any other skill!
Running by feel isn’t about guessing. It’s about developing your own internal compass—one that doesn’t go haywire when the wind kicks up or your GPS glitches out.
It’s about getting curious, staying present, and learning to trust yourself a little more.
And that’s a pretty powerful place to train from!
Stay tuned for the next part in our "Running by Feel" series where we go over RPE and the "Talk Test"!
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