Saturday, September 24, 2011

with or without you??

Do I want to run my next half marathon with or without music?  I usually have music in while I run.  I know I know you shouldn't run with music it is dangerous.  I only run with one ear bud in so I can hear what is happening around me.  I have ran without music a few times and I like it, but I like listening to music too.  I sometimes like the fact that I can tune into the song and not think about how much I want to be at the finish line. :)  But on the same note, sometimes I spend more time trying to keep my ear bud in my ear...or I can't hear the music because I have so much sweat pouring down my head that I think it has short circuited the headphones.



Runner's World wrote an article about the pros and cons of running with music. 
Studies find that music reduces your perception of how hard you are running by about 10 percent. An external stimulus such as music can actually block some of the internal stimuli trying to reach the brain—such as fatigue-related messages from muscles and organs. When these messages are blocked, this reduces a runner's perception of effort, so you feel like you can run farther, faster.

Great if I go music less I will feel like I am pulling two trucks instead of the normal one truck.  I might have to rethink my running sans music.  I think I may try a few more runs without music to see if I want to attempt the Heritage Half without music. 

Do you run with our without music?  How far have you ran without music?

3 comments:

Kristin said...

I always prefer to run with music (or some kind of audio for slower long runs). I have done a half marathon without, but that's the furthest and it was years ago. There is a 15k I do where headphones are banned and I know that there is a negative effect in the last few miles as I get tired. If I'd had music this year I believe I could have kept up a faster pace instead of slowing at the end...at least I wouldn't have heard myself breathing hard. Good luck in your run!

One Good Earbud said...

One earbud running is the way to go.

Terzah said...

I use music at key points in any race (the last part of a half, the last six-eight miles of a marathon, the whole 5K 'cause that has to be fast, varying lengths on the 10K depending on how I feel). It gives me a jolt when I need it and gives me something to look forward to, and not having it at the beginning of a long one keeps my pace conservative.

Kudos to you for doing one earbud. I can't do that. It makes me feel lopsided. I figure races are usually a pretty safe venue for headphones since the courses are policed. Maybe that makes me a risk taker, but I like to hear ALL of my music with my whole head. :^)