Running without the number

An original personal reflection about a recreational run.

For one run, I left my watch at home. Usually I returned with a collection of numbers and began comparing them before I had taken off my shoes. This time I could only say how the run had felt.

I noticed that I hurried on the open section and slowed beside the houses, where I had to watch for people coming out of gates. The route seemed less like a test with one answer. I could describe effort, interruptions and the pleasure of reaching the long downhill stretch without first defending the finishing time.

I missed the watch too. A record can help me judge whether a plan is working, and memory is convenient when it wants to overlook a difficult week. Going without measurement had not made measurement worthless.

When I wore the watch again, I waited before looking at the result. I wanted an account of the run in my own words before the number offered to write it for me.

What does the writer explain about the effect of leaving the watch at home?