Smart separation

Going through a break-up. Not a ‘never interact again’ type. More of a ‘need space’ and ‘will see occasionally’ sort. It’s not easy.

But it is for the best. And it’s my fault. I was the needy one. Always checking in, obsessed in a way, never allowing time to separate us. So enforced separation from the smart watch was needed.

It all started brightly.

The new Samsung Gear S7 – a tool to aid in the evolution of running, a way to track exertion, distance and time. It was a piece of equipment. Shiny and new, full of neat features to be sure – even when not serving as a running aid. There was the many faces available, very cool. Music on the wrist, handy. Weather at a glance. Step count with no need to track to an app first, it is right there with a twist of the bezel. Plus, there are options to track heart rate, check all your email and myriad of others never used. Without doubt, some tween more advanced than I, could start a war with the damn thing.

However, the most insidious feature is the ordinariness of it all. It slowly creeps up and takes over. There is no barging in, it is slow and methodical in the way the technology takes over and becomes, it feels, necessary to be always present.

Even in yoga, where it shouldn’t really intrude. Now, yoga is much more about the physical than the mental for me (no, omms in my practice) but I do appreciate the opportunity to tune out the world. My preference is to find that mindfulness before the class begins – so arrive early, do some legs up the wall, series of light stretches and then relax.

Now, the clock intruded innocently – how many steps, if any, are logged during a slow-flow class. A simple question. But with the timepiece already in the space, what would be the harm in using the stopwatch function to time the legs up the wall. And that led to glances to see how much longer class would extend and that meant the solitude sought was truly shattered.

It really was the damn step counter that led to the ruination of the experience. Fixated would not be too strong a word. Continuous checking of the total for the day, tapping to see how it compares to the weekly average. Up or down, need to know right now and the enjoyment of the stroll be damned. Turns out, no, I don’t need to know a real-time step count.

Here’s the oddest part: the smart watch was bought as a training aid for running and that is the spell I’m least possessed with.

Start the run, it tracks time and route for duration. At end, it uploads to Map My Run so progress is recorded and available for review. Shows splits and pace. All of which is studied later.

During the actual workout, the odd glance down to see time or distance but there’s no fidgeting to alter which info is being shown – no being gripped with need to know pace per km or what my heart rate is during the climb of a hill. It mostly just tells time.

So far, the trial separation seems to be working as it makes the time together more satisfying. It hasn’t been easy. Head out the door for a stroll and the fingers still glide towards the bezel to check out the step count, except this watch is not for counting. At yoga, there was the renewed experience of just appreciating the practice and not fretting about time. And on runs, it is there and doing the job it was intended for.

From now on, except when required, the watch will look smart but not be smart. Oh, with one other exception – on the golf course, as there’s this great app that measures distance from ball to green. Not all tech is dumb.