Nithyam Nachappa
If you love running like I do, chances are your smartwatch has become your training partner. Whether it’s an Apple Watch, Garmin, Coros, or any fitness app, you've probably obsessed over your pace, personal bests, heart rate, VO2 max, and sleep scores. You’ve likely even opened Strava just to compare: am I doing enough? Am I fast enough?
Because somewhere along the way, we started believing that performance = speed.
And if you're not fast, you're not fit.
Especially when training for the mountains.
But here’s the truth:
Speed isn’t everything. Data isn’t everything. And your watch isn’t your coach. (Read that again)
When Metrics Start to Own You
These powerful little devices strapped to our wrists churn out more data than most hospital monitors. And we let them dictate how we feel about our runs, our recovery, and ourselves.
Even I did.
My training, my runs, my recovery... it was all tied to what my watch told me.
Until I hit a point where I asked:
What if I stopped listening to the numbers... and started listening to myself?
So, I ditched it.
A Month Without My Watch
Just my old Casio. No pace. No HR zones. No distance.
- I was on my own journey. No comparison.
- I looked forward to my next run, because the previous one felt amazing
- I pushed when my body felt good, not when the watch told me to.
- I focused more on breath, form, and foot strike.
And I didn’t stop tracking completely. I used a stopwatch in my Casio.
Why? Because my coach sets runs by time, not distance.
That’s all I needed to know, when to start and when to stop.
The Only Metric Mountain Training Needs
Especially in the Indian trekking scene, a lot of people think speed = fitness.
They obsess over time and pace to prove they're “fit enough for the mountains.” (guilty of judging people on this basis)
But in reality:
Pace won’t build your mountain legs. Time on feet will.
It’s not about how fast you run. It’s about how long you can move with joy, ease, and consistency.
If you’re training for the mountains, forget about speed and stats.
Here’s what really matters:
-Clock the time you spend on your feet.
-Progress by ~10–15% per week to build stamina.
-You should be able to hold a conversation while running.
-Skip the HR monitor unless you're using a chest strap. Wrist-based readings? Inaccurate.
-Listen to your body. It knows more than your Garmin does.
Because backpacking and trekking aren’t races. You’re not competing. You’re showing up, day after day, for the long haul. And what you need is a strong aerobic base, not PRs.
Real Training Looks Like This (Keep the basics right)
-Runs where in the end you feel like you’ve never run.
-Strength & mobility that keeps you injury-free.
-Hikes. Long Walks. Playing a sport. Yoga. and whatever keeps you moving
-A stopwatch, to know when to stop the run.
-10-15% increased time on feet every week (provided the body is adapted to the previous load)
-Optimal recovery and rest days
-Good amount of carbs and protein pre and post activity.
Let Go of the Pressure
If you’re training for the outdoors, it’s okay to go slow.
It’s okay to run for time, not distance.
It’s okay to not post it on Strava.
Forget the data for a bit.
And start listening to your legs, your lungs, your body.
They’ve been telling you what you need all along.
Note from the author:
This article is written for those who are training for Himalayan treks and not for races or competitive events. If you're prepping for a multi-day trek, you don’t need a fancy fitness watch or to obsess over pace, distance, or VO2 max. Tracking time on your feet and how your body feels is enough.
That said, I personally use a high-performance watch because I train for trail running and mountain races. For me, features like elevation gain/loss, altitude tracking, navigation, distance and fuelling alerts support my performance on race days. That’s a different context.
So if you're just training for treks, keep it simple, don’t let data get in the way of your joy.
