The Pace Coach Earbuds

Rowan has trained for the school's biggest cross-country race for three months. She trusts her new pace-coach earbuds completely. The tiny device tracks her speed and heartbeat. A calm voice then tells her whether to speed up or slow down. Her coach, Ellis, bought a set for the whole team last spring.

罗文为学校最重要的越野赛训练了三个月。她完全信任自己新买的配速教练耳机。这个小小的设备会记录她的速度和心跳，然后一个平静的声音会告诉她该加速还是减速。她的教练埃利斯去年春天给全队都买了一副。

On race day, the course includes a long hill that the earbuds have never measured before. As Rowan climbs, the voice keeps saying, "Slow down, you're going too fast." But her legs feel steady and strong. She trusts the device more than her own body, so she eases off the pace.

比赛那天，赛道上有一段很长的山坡，耳机以前从来没有测量过。罗文往上爬的时候，那个声音一直在说：“慢一点，你跑得太快了。”可是她的双腿感觉稳健有力。她更相信设备，而不是自己的身体，于是放慢了速度。

By the top of the hill, three runners have passed her, including her teammate Nessa. Rowan checks her watch and realizes something is wrong. The earbuds are comparing her uphill pace to her usual flat-ground speed. That makes every hill feel too fast to the system.

到了坡顶，已经有三个人超过了她，其中包括她的队友内莎。罗文看了看手表，发现不对劲。耳机是拿她上坡的速度和她平时在平地上的速度比较。这样一来，系统就会觉得每一段坡都跑得太快。

She has a choice to make before the final mile. If she keeps trusting the earbuds, she will probably finish near the back of the pack. Instead, she pulls one earbud out and focuses on how her body actually feels.

最后一英里之前，她得做个选择。如果她继续相信耳机，很可能会落到队伍的最后面。于是她拔掉一只耳机，专心感受自己身体真正的状态。

Her legs are tired, but not dangerously so, and her breathing is steady. She pushes her pace back up, matching her stride to the runners just ahead of her. One by one, she passes two of the racers who beat her on the hill.

她的腿很累，但没有累到危险的程度，呼吸也很平稳。她把速度重新提了起来，让自己的步伐跟上前面的选手。她一个接一个地超过了在坡上赶超她的两个人。

Nessa is waiting at the finish line, bent over and catching her breath. "Your device kept slowing you down too, right?" Rowan asks. Nessa nods and laughs between breaths. That evening, Rowan tells Ellis the earbuds need better hill data. He agrees to send the company a message.

内莎在终点线等着，弯着腰喘气。“你的设备也一直让你慢下来，对吧？”罗文问。内莎一边喘气一边点头，笑了起来。那天晚上，罗文对埃利斯说，这副耳机需要更好的上坡数据。他答应给公司发一条消息。