This should be a no-brainer.

Let me say that up front - I am aware this probably sounds somewhat ridiculous.

It should not be difficult for me to put something in place that makes a challenging task more manageable.

But for some reason I tend to make things more difficult on myself.

Some people take the easy way out…I take the hard way out.

I will often learn my lesson, though, and if there’s an easier way to do something eventually I’ll come around to it.

Spell check is a good neutral example. It’s a good tool that I didn’t use for a while because it kind of felt like cheating but I have slowly adapted to let it make my life easier.

There are other examples, some of which make me look pretty silly, that I’ll keep to myself.

All of this is to say that I have been resistant to the idea of using my watch to help set my pace on race day.

I use it for intervals, I use it on long runs with tempo…but for some reason it feels like cutting a corner in the race.

But this weekend I’m going to give it a go on my 18-mile long run and see if I think it’s something I’d like to use during the marathon.

I have no good reason for not using it. (Well, other than the fact that I don’t know if I want the watch buzzing at me for hours if things go sideways.)

I have many good reasons for using it.

As recently as Monday evening I went for a run with some members of the running club and just ran without thinking about my pace and all of a sudden I’m running 10 minute miles. Which is fine - 10 minute miles are in my wheelhouse for a 6 mile run.

But a marathon is not a 6 mile run.

On marathon day I get excited. I go by feel…and my feel is excitement…and I end up going too fast to maintain. I did it last year in New York - I was feeling great and was somewhere in the 10 - to - 10:30 range for most of the first 15 miles of the race. Which, good for me, 15 miles is not nothing.

But I was considerably wiped out for those last 10-plus miles.

So I’m setting the pace on the watch for 11:00 - 11:30 minutes per mile.

If that feels good over the course of 18 miles, I’ll do the same thing for 26 miles a couple of weeks later.

Maybe it’s not necessary.

It’s almost like the cone that dogs wear after surgery.

There’s no guarantee they’re going to nibble where they shouldn’t, but the cone helps prevent them from doing damage if they do.

And, truth be told, if recent history is any indication…I’m a nibbler.