In his piece, Jerry Dunn goes back to the question he is often asked: why he doesn’t wear a running watch. He believes this choice has nothing to do with an “old-school” attitude or a lack of interest in distance or pace. His answer is more direct: after more than fifty years, he has learned to trust his body more than his wrist.
Jerry Dunn places this trust in the long term: it would have been built “mile by mile”, over the course of marathons, ultras, cross-country adventures, successes and setbacks, as well as days when his body became his only “coach”. He says he gradually stopped asking a device how he felt, turning instead towards himself.
The author then cites a historical example that reinforces his point: Miguel Induráin is said to have run without heart-rate monitors, without power sensors, and without apps to remind him when to eat. Induráin would have carried ham sandwiches wrapped in aluminium foil, bananas, rice pudding, and “years of experience”. If he forgot before a climb, he would “pay the price”.
Back to his own practice, Jerry Dunn describes a gradual reduction in his gadgets: no GPS watch, no earbuds, no music, no podcasts, no pace alerts. He then prioritises what he observes while running: his breathing, his steps, and a “silent rhythm”. For him, he relies on an “internal compass”: Power, Rhythm, Flow, Grace.
Finally, he defends a broader idea: technology can help athletes, but it shouldn’t become a master. He contrasts observing the body with the urge to measure everything, citing GPS, heart rate, nutrition science and power sensors. In his view, “the body never lies”, and the challenge is to become quiet enough to hear what it says.
