A B757-200 CAPT DEPARTED WITH THE IRS'S IN QUICK ALIGN MODE. AS A RESULT OF NO HDG OR NAV INFO; THE FLT RETURNED TO DEP ARPT FOR OVERWT LNDG.

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JUST BEFORE TKOF; I DECIDED TO DO A QUICK ALIGN OF THE IRS AT RWY 31L. I TAXIED THE ACFT BEFORE THE REALIGN WAS COMPLETE; THUS STOPPING THE PROCESS. I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THIS HAD HAPPENED AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. I TOOK OFF THINKING THE IRS ABNORMALITY WOULD BE SELF-CORRECTING AFTER TKOF. I THEN QUICKLY REALIZED THIS WAS A GROSS ERROR ON MY PART; AS WE HAD ATTITUDE INFO BUT NO HDG OR NAV INFO FROM THE IRS. FORTUNATELY; THE WX WAS EXCELLENT; AND I DECIDED I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO RETURN TO ZZZ. I LANDED A FEW MINS LATER (OVERWT) ON RWY 31L. I MADE A SMOOTH TOUCHDOWN; AND I USED MOST OF THE RWY TO STOP WITH ALMOST NO BRAKING. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. MAINT DETERMINED THAT THEY WANTED TO DO THE LNDG INSPECTION AT THE HANGAR; THUS TAKING THE ACFT OTS. WE CHANGED EQUIP AND LEFT; ARRIVING 4 HRS LATE. THERE NEVER WAS ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE IRS SYS. OPERATOR ERROR (MINE) ACCOUNTED FOR THE ENTIRE PROB. I COULD HAVE DELAYED THE TKOF; AS MY FO ADVISED ME TO DO; GOT BACK IN LINE; AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO ALIGN THE IRS. IT MAYBE WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A 20 MIN DELAY. I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE RUSHED JUST BEFORE TKOF; IGNORED THE ADVICE OF MY FO; WAS SOMEWHAT COMPLACENT BECAUSE THE WX WAS PERFECT; AND EXERCISED OVERALL POOR JUDGEMENT.