Is Anyone Else Not Particularly Into Gear?

Yes.

Massive and unnecessary complexity has overwhelmed everyday life. Gear is one example. Vaporfly baloney. Many self-cooling gels. FIve thousand channels of sh1t on the TV to choose from. Another obvious example, tech. My computer performed better in 2005 than the current one. The internet was not filled with bots and encrusted with needless java script probes. The latency of any request has increased greatly and the plain lack of functionality and reliability of all platforms is astounding - Win10 seizes your computer while it performs uncommanded updates. XP never did that and there were fewer blue screens of death.

The same principle obtains as you say in everyday life, in every sphere e.g.

Fishing rods.

Tesla manufacturing.

Online education.

The market for simple, efficient products that enrich life instead of being dysfunctional, demanding stressors is out there and growing.

Gear (new gear) is primarily driven by a desire for corporations to make more money. They develop new and different products, market the heck out of them, all hoping that consumers will believe they need these things and thus will buy them.

I gravitated toward running because of its simplicity. You can run with no gear at all, no shoes, naked. You can have a running competition, a race, with just two or more people and nothing else.. You can't do that with many other sports (ok, maybe a big fight, or a mass swim race).

I think as you get older you learn to value the experience much more than the gear. You know that you once felt great and enjoyed doing something using old gear 10, 20 or more years ago. You know that you could still use that gear and still enjoy your experience. Plus you have accumulated gear and thus are not necessarily shopping around for new gear.

I have some old shoes (adidas Shimanto's, and others from 25 years ago) that I still pull out and run in. They feel hard, heavy and stiff compared to the latest models, but I still enjoy my runs in them.

It is hard to buy success. Put Kipchoge in almost any pair of shoes, or in no shoes at all, and he will likely be right up there.

Just my $0.02.... but it sounds like you're old and high tech watches would simply act as a reminder to quantify just how much slower you've gotten over the years.

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I am in my prime years where I am rapidly improving my abilities. It's a thrill to quantify and watch my progression over the time.

However, if I was old, I am sure I would hate having a watch.

I don't get it. How do you manage a 5 mile jog without Run Gum, an assortment of gels, a fancy hydration pack, knee-high compression socks, Jaybird bluetooth earbuds, etc...

Yeah definitely. I think everyone would benefit from not using Strava and comparing themselves with others.

The only running related gear you mentioned was "GPS stuff." It is the same piece of gear as your 1994 anachronistic chronometer. It's commonly called a watch. Some watches only tell you the time. Some tell you the date. Some have an altimeter. Some tell you your location. It's the same gear with some added functions.

And your fishing? You admit to using gear. Old gear, but gear.

So, what are you exactly trying to convey here?

You say you're not this and not that but your title and post are illogical which makes me think your conclusion about yourself may be too.

Amen on cycling. The “need” for gear turned me away... but, egads, no GPS???

Maybe your gear is literally to high. You should lower it and get a pair of Nike Downshifters. This is a witty pun by the way. I'm a popular comedian on this site.

GPS is definitely helpful as motivation for newbies. But once youre in the habit of running regularly theres no need to measure every single run.

Oh look I did another 5 mile jog. How exciting.

Justmytake1 wrote:

Just my $0.02.... but it sounds like you're old and high tech watches would simply act as a reminder to quantify just how much slower you've gotten over the years.

I'm on the other end of the spectrum. I am in my prime years where I am rapidly improving my abilities. It's a thrill to quantify and watch my progression over the time.

However, if I was old, I am sure I would hate having a watch.

I'm not old, but I agree with the original poster. When I run I just use an ordinary Casio watch which cost me £6. GPS is not necessary.

I had a diary which I wrote down my progress in which is easy to flip through now and you can put a lot more useful detail into each entry Vs Strava (exactly how you are feeling, what you've eaten that day, how well you slept, the weather during the workout, how you paced the session etc).

However it doesn't let you show off to your mates as easily... ?

I agree! I don't have a GPS, or a Strava, or anything hi-tech for running or cycling. Ok, my bike has a "bike computer" to measure speed and distance but that's it. I use a Timex Expedition watch but have had the Ironman one as well. It starts, it stops, works fine. Sometimes simpler is better.

Oh, and another thing. Today the Peachtree was won in 28:45. In 1982 Jon Sinclair won it in 28:06 under similar hot and humid conditions. I'm sure that Jon didn't have a GPS, Strava, or internet to help him in his training.

shoes etc are all made at the same Chinese ghetto factory in Frisco anyways you know

I love the gear.

I not only have the stuff, i get spares when i run across a deal or a teammate has one they want to unload, etc.

So, I not only have the ones i use, i have drawers with backups. Just in case.

I tend to collect back-ups for my running shoes, too.

Good thing running is such an inexpensive sport.

No.

You are the only runner on the planet like this. Disregarding the fact that running is the most basic and purest of human actions and sports, you truly are an exception.

I'm a minimalist. Less is more, but I love my GPS watch. Adds value for me.

I don't really pay attention to it very much while running, but it's very nice to know the distance on a trail at times. If you are on a new mountain trail and want to do eight miles (total out and back), how else will you know other than studying maps, etc. Also, it's very nice to know pace at times, and other times it's nice to look back an analyze a run. All of those things are valuable to me.

First you say, "I don't mind other people enjoying their gear"

But then you say, " I wouldn't mind if we decided collectively to lose them."

So you both don't mind and do mind?