What, if any, are the actual disadvantages of running without a HR monitor (optical, chest strap, whatever) to check on my heart rate?

Is it not viable to simply run by the "feeling"? If I feel my heart pounding and my lungs straining, I am close to some limit. I wouldn't push harder than I actually could, regardless of what the monitor says. Conversely, if I feel comfy and relaxed, or only moderately strained, I can always push harder.

What does the above approach lack? What are the risks/dangers in following it? Do I really need to track my heart rate with a monitor? And what exactly do I gain by using a HR monitor?

To give some context to the question, let's assume I am a serious hobbyist runner. I can do a half marathon in about 2 hrs without much preparation. Some weeks I run 0 km, some weeks about 35 km (1 x 25km + 2 x 5km), or something in between. The overall goal is to get much better - as much as possible, but there are no hard goals (attain pace of x, do marathon in y minutes, etc).

What, if any, are the actual disadvantages of running without a HR monitor (optical, chest strap, whatever) to check on my heart rate?

Is it not viable to simply run by the "feeling"? If I feel my heart pounding and my lungs straining, I am close to some limit. I wouldn't push harder than I actually could, regardless of what the monitor said. Conversely, if I feel comfy and relaxed, or only moderately strained, I can always push harder.

What does the above approach lack? What are the risks/dangers in following it? Do I really need to track my heart rate with a monitor? And what exactly do I gain by using a HR monitor?

To give some context to the question, let's assume I am a semi-serious hobbyist runner. I can do a half marathon in about 2 hrs without much preparation. Some weeks I run 0 km, some weeks about 35 km (1 x 25km + 2 x 5km), or something in between. The overall goal is to get much better - as much as possible, but there are no hard goals (attain pace of x, do marathon in y minutes, etc).

What, if any, are the actual disadvantages of running without a HR monitor (optical, chest strap, whatever) to check on my heart rate?

Is it not viable to simply run by the "feeling"? If I feel my heart pounding and my lungs straining, I am close to some limit. I wouldn't push harder than I actually could, regardless of what the monitor says. Conversely, if I feel comfy and relaxed, or only moderately strained, I can always push harder.

What does the above approach lack? What are the risks/dangers in following it? Do I really need to track my heart rate with a monitor? And what, exactly, do I gain (in terms of "needs", not "wants") by using a HR monitor?

To give some context to the question, let's assume I am a serious hobbyist runner. I can do a half marathon in about 2 hrs without much preparation. Some weeks I run 0 km, some weeks 35 km (25 + 5 x 2). The overall goal is to get better, but there are no hard goals (attain pace of x, do marathon in y minutes, etc).

What, if any, are the actual disadvantages of running without a HR monitor (optical, chest strap, whatever) to check on my heart rate?

Is it not viable to simply run by the "feeling"? If I feel my heart pounding and my lungs straining, I am close to some limit. I wouldn't push harder than I actually could, regardless of what the monitor says. Conversely, if I feel comfy and relaxed, or only moderately strained, I can always push harder.

What does the above approach lack? What are the risks/dangers in following it? Do I really need to track my heart rate with a monitor? And what exactly do I gain by using a HR monitor?

To give some context to the question, let's assume I am a serious hobbyist runner. I can do a half marathon in about 2 hrs without much preparation. Some weeks I run 0 km, some weeks about 35 km (1 x 25km + 2 x 5km), or something in between. The overall goal is to get much better - as much as possible, but there are no hard goals (attain pace of x, do marathon in y minutes, etc).