Should I Wear Headphones For My Race??
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jacob42.2
- Bill Crothers
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Should I Wear Headphones For My Race??
Well, should I...what are the pro's and con's?? For all distances.
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ultraslacker
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Personally, I don't think I'd wear headphones to any race of any distance (of course, I haven't done a marathon yet so can't speak for THAT distance).
Many races ban them due to safety issues. For example, someone could be coming up behind you and asking you to move, but you might not hear them.
Plus for me a huge part of the racing experience is the other people! I want to be able to talk to them, give and receive words of encouragement, etc. I also want to hear the music, the spectators, the volunteers, and the general atmosphere of the race. I think a lot would be missing if I were to drown it out with music.
but that's just me. :)
Many races ban them due to safety issues. For example, someone could be coming up behind you and asking you to move, but you might not hear them.
Plus for me a huge part of the racing experience is the other people! I want to be able to talk to them, give and receive words of encouragement, etc. I also want to hear the music, the spectators, the volunteers, and the general atmosphere of the race. I think a lot would be missing if I were to drown it out with music.
but that's just me. :)
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First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do. ~Epictetus
Safety really isn't an issue if the music is not too loud. But it's true that some races do ban them for that reason.
My personal opinion: I love music. I train with music for most of my solo runs now. It's essential on the treadmill
. But in races I've never wanted to use headphones. I like to drink in the whole experience-- and some of the races I've done have music stations along the way (including one race that has live bands every kilometer. gotta love that!)
I think that if you really find you run better with music, you should race with it. Be careful, though, and be safe.
My personal opinion: I love music. I train with music for most of my solo runs now. It's essential on the treadmill
. But in races I've never wanted to use headphones. I like to drink in the whole experience-- and some of the races I've done have music stations along the way (including one race that has live bands every kilometer. gotta love that!)
I think that if you really find you run better with music, you should race with it. Be careful, though, and be safe.
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Personally I think it depends on several factors.
For shorter races where the pack may never thin out, or where speeds are a little higher, I think headphones can be unsafe. For longer races (marathon) I find over the course of four hours I could use some outside motivation which I get from music.
For very large races I think safety again comes into consideration.
Finally, it depends what I'm trying to get out of the race. If it's a big "event" race like Chicago or NY, I would want to be able to soak in my environment. If it's a race I'm doing solely for the PB, I'd be willing to use music to take away the pain.
For shorter races where the pack may never thin out, or where speeds are a little higher, I think headphones can be unsafe. For longer races (marathon) I find over the course of four hours I could use some outside motivation which I get from music.
For very large races I think safety again comes into consideration.
Finally, it depends what I'm trying to get out of the race. If it's a big "event" race like Chicago or NY, I would want to be able to soak in my environment. If it's a race I'm doing solely for the PB, I'd be willing to use music to take away the pain.
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QuickChick
- Lynn Williams
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Re: Should I Wear Headphones For My Race??
jacob42.2 wrote:Well, should I...what are the pro's and con's?? For all distances.
YES!!!
But don't turn your player up so loudly that it becomes a safety hazard. That point is very true.
Music can be a huge motivator. I know it definitely speeds me up, and it can help me zone out when I'm not feeling good. At 39K in Ottawa, I was practically singing to myself to keep my mind focused on the race and off my aching quads! And in a shorter race, it would be easy to have a playlist of all your most rockin' tunes that can get you pumped up.
If it helps you, don't hesitate.
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lovethehills
- Bill Crothers
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It's a completely personal thing.
Example: My Boyfriend can't imagine running without his music. I, on the other hand, cannot STAND running with earphones. (However that may change when I take on a full marathon) I need to be aware of my surroundings, taking everything in.
As everyone else has stated, you need to be smart about it. As long as your music isn't blaring and doesn't lull you into your own world, I think it's ok. You've got to be aware of whats going on.... someone trying to pass you, someone falling, whatever it could be.
If it motivates you and is what gets you to the finish line, then go for it! Just be smart.
Example: My Boyfriend can't imagine running without his music. I, on the other hand, cannot STAND running with earphones. (However that may change when I take on a full marathon) I need to be aware of my surroundings, taking everything in.
As everyone else has stated, you need to be smart about it. As long as your music isn't blaring and doesn't lull you into your own world, I think it's ok. You've got to be aware of whats going on.... someone trying to pass you, someone falling, whatever it could be.
If it motivates you and is what gets you to the finish line, then go for it! Just be smart.
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I leave 'em off for 5 or 10K races or when I'm doing long training runs with a group. But I always have music available in case I get separated from the gang. There's no question tunes helped get me through the last 10K of Around the Bay. I tend to use it off and on, especially if there's live music or a hot DJ at water stations along a route. Don't want to miss that. I always unplug for start/finish. You want to hear the crowd and let that energy pull u along. Nothing like it.
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Dstew wrote:
For a race, no. The reason is that it may encourage dissociated thinking that can lead to a loss of focus. I want to experience everything in a race so would not like the distraction.
Yep..my thoughts exactly...in a race I like to be focused 100% on the task at hand and music would only distract me...for me it's better to welcome the pain that comes in race, like a relative who comes to visit and won't go home, rather than using music to try and pretend it's not there...
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21 marathons since 2001......up next, CND Army half-marathon in Sept. and Toronto Waterfront marathon in Oct.
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