When I started running 18 months ago, it was on the treadmill at the gym and I absolutely required music to keep me entertained while staring down at gym rats (treadmills are on a second floor balcony over looking the ground level – which made it delightfully easy to people watch). My ipod was chuck-full of dance, current pop and country, and some random Jewish rabbi beats thrown in (Matiyshu – “Thunder”). Looking back on the first few months of running at the gym with music, it was not a pleasure trip; undoubtedly due more to the fact that I grew restless on the treadmill. I can only take so much running without scenery before my brain demands a squirrel or evil cat in a cornfield. Regardless, once I switched to running outside I never took my ipod with me and have run in silence ever since.
While I was cleaning out my car the other day (something had to die in there – it smells too wretched for anything to still be alive) I found my ipod and erased all my old songs and completely revamped my selections with 130 new songs. More excited than I ought to be out the situation, I wanted to try out my new music on my run this morning so I headed out today with music for the first time.
It was awesome.
I enjoyed Sugarland on the first loop, Mumford & Sons on the down hill, Rihanna on some flat stretches, and Chase & Status (feat. Liam Bailey) “Blind Faith” which has to be the best up hill song if I ever heard one. My usual 5.15 route felt significantly easier and I was positive that I was just freaking flying – though I checked my Garmin after the run and it pegged me at the same speed I usually complete the route in (unrelated note: my Garmin must be broken).
I kept the music low enough to hear if any oncoming SUVs were barreling towards me (they were suspiciously absent today) and I loved lip syncing along with the songs at with no one around. The only issue I had was the absence of an appropriate armband, so I had to settle with putting the ipod on the inside of my pants – which of course resulted in the ipod slipping down further into my pants over and over again until I eventually just held the damn thing. The run ended going uphill with my fastest speed during the route and I felt fantastic.
I ran with music for the early part of my running "career", but over the past couple years now I've switched over. Mostly, it was when I was giving barefoot running a try and I wanted to be focused on proper form and not ripping my foot open. Now (wearing shoes) it's primarily because I like hearing cars coming and to be able to fully focus if there is any pain in my body. Plus, sometimes for me time seems to go by faster when I'm not listening to music. Instead of thinking, "I'm on song 3, so that's about 10 minutes", I'm completely oblivious unless I look at my Garmin.
ReplyDeleteSpike runs his runs 2 miles with music 2 miles no music, he says it motivates him on the 2 miles off to get to the 2 miles on. Personally I don't really listen to music much any more, sometimes I'll put one ear bud in but I usually end up getting tired of it after awhile. During races I bring it and only put in on during the middle miles where I need to zone out and dig deep but shut it off for the beginning and end so I can soak it all in.
ReplyDeleteI'm terrible. I only run with music. I know people are all up in arms about how dangerous it is, but I need some bangin' beats to get me through my runs, especially the long ones.
ReplyDeleteI used to not ever run w/o music, including races, and then I started doing most of my runs on a route that I considered a bit more dangerous, so I left it behind, got used to that, and now I never run with it. (Except the extremely rare occasion I'm on a treadmill, then it's a MUST!)
ReplyDeleteI like racing w/o it, and being able to appreciate the moment, but damn, when I got to mile 22 of Shamrock and met the wall head on, I sure wish I'd been able to crank up some Blink 182 and try to wake myself back up.
I was planning to bring my shuffle with me in my next marathon to "Use in Case of Crashing", but this post makes me want to take give it a try tomorrow when I'm out logging some garbage miles.
Brandon - I feel you on the "counting" songs aspect of running with music. I was constantly calculating my distance by averaging the length of Beyonce songs I've gone through.
ReplyDeleteMorgan - I like Spike's idea, but I'll probably follow along your lines more with getting tired of music after awhile. My ipod and I have a ongoing fling with running apparently.
Kori - No judging about always listening to music, as long as it's not Joe Jonas.
Brian - I'm sorry, as soon as you mentioned the Shamrock Marathon and hitting the wall, I hit my head against a hard wall to block out my own memory of that race.
I tend to run without music just because I listen to it before I run. But if you wanted, I would think running with music on those days when you just don't feel like running would be a good compromise :) That way it's more like your personal trainer than a burden.
ReplyDeleteHow can you title this edition "Sound of Silence" and not have one single Simon & Garfunkle song on your IPOD playlist?
ReplyDeleteActually, that's a great idea Brett, I could use it on the 4 a.m. weekday mornings when I'm struggling to get out of bed and save the silence for weekend runs. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMarty - You have no idea if "Sound of Silence" is not on my ipod. It used to be the Alabaster Runner's ringtone, but then he (ironically) was never able to hear it.
Sorry! It's the one time since I've started going music-less where things went so wrong that I really, really felt like I needed my ipod.
ReplyDeleteAlso, a Segway would have been awesome.