Running Without a Watch

This past fall I returned to the sport of running. Over the previous three years I had been running on and off with varying intensity. When I began again this time around I decided to make a significant change to my training: I stopped wearing a watch. This allows me to determine my pace by how well I feel, not how fast I think I should be going. It also forces me to pay attention to my body as I go on runs. When I had worked my way up to 7 and 8 mile runs, I decided to put the watch back on only to discover that my pace was right where I wanted it to be. I hadn't lost anything by training without a watch. Psychologically, it was the change I needed to get excited about the sport again. I now recommend this tactic to anyone who is afraid of being discouraged by the pace of their runs. Thoughts?