Why Going Watchless Might Be the Best Thing for Your Triathlon Training!

What racing Ironman Louisville in 2014 without a watch taught me about pacing, mindset, and performance!

I’ll never forget Ironman Louisville 2014. It was a brutal day—temps in the 90s, humidity hovering near 100%. I was racing as a professional, with every detail planned down to the second. That is… until someone stole my watch in T1.

No backup. No heart rate. No power. No pace. Just me, my body, and 140.6 miles of Southern LOOWWELLLLVILLE heat.

I’ll be honest: I panicked. For about a minute.
But then something clicked.

I stopped worrying about what the numbers would’ve said and started tuning in to what my body was telling me. That race turned out to be one of the best of my career. I finished 4th overall pro. I continued on, while others collapsed in the heat and claimed myself a finish on that pro podium.

That experience flipped a switch for me—and I’ve carried the lesson into coaching ever since.

Here’s why I believe every serious triathlete should go watchless once in a while, especially if you’re driven by data:

1. You Learn to Listen to Your Body

Your watch can’t tell you how your stomach feels, how the wind is affecting your effort, or when your stride starts to break down. Going watchless develops internal pacing and body awareness—skills you’ll rely on when tech fails or conditions change.

2. It Builds Grit and Trust

No feedback means no immediate validation. That can be uncomfortable—and that’s the point. You have to trust your training and make decisions based on feel. That kind of self-reliance? It’s what separates racers from reactors.

3. You Find the Flow

Without the constant glance at your wrist, you get into the workout. You notice your form, your breath, the rhythm of your movement. It’s meditative. Efficient. And often, more effective than you expect.

4. It Lowers the Pressure

Not every session needs to be “proven” by the data. Watchless days remind you that consistency—not perfection—is what drives long-term progress. You show up, you move, you learn. That’s enough.

5. You Reconnect with the Joy

Remember when you first started training—how freeing it felt to just run, swim, or ride? No numbers. No expectations. Just movement. Going watchless brings that feeling back and helps you fall in love with the process again.

6. It Sharpens Your Race-Day Adaptability

When tech glitches on race day—and it will—you’ll be the one who doesn’t panic. You’ll adjust, stay focused, and race by feel. That’s a massive edge when conditions get tough, and pacing becomes a moving target.

I’m not anti-data. I use it every day with my FLYT Performance athletes. But if you’re only ever training by the numbers, you’re missing a key piece of the performance puzzle.

So take a day this week—maybe a recovery run, an open water swim, or a solo ride—and go watchless. Let your body lead. You might be surprised by how strong, smart, and intuitive it already is.

And who knows?
It might just lead you to your next breakthrough race.