Fitting Debate: Running with Music

By Cool J in Minneapolis

LL and I have discussed running with headphones multiple times in the past (HERE and HERE) My personal stance has usually been that music is great when you're doing your long training runs alone (with a consideration first for safety), but I would never wear them on race day.

My personal stance temporarily changed with the Marathon-to-Marathon in Iowa last spring.

I brought my nano for that marathon, as it seemed like a necessity. There were only 200 runners, and very few spectators, so I needed the distraction. I "saved" the music until the halfway point, and then was temporarily revived by the fun tunes I had planned when I finally turned it on. But alas, the battery must have been running out during the first half, because it died on me after only a few miles with tunes! So frustrating.

Since that experience, I have usually avoided the hassle of the nano. However, I still respected its amazing power to pump you up on a run!

So last weekend, I decided to wear my headphones for the "Run for the Health of it" half marathon in Kalamazoo, Michigan. I put together a new playlist (Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, anyone? Maybe some #thatPOWER with some Beibs...) and I made sure the battery was fully charged this time.

The national anthem was sung, and then I turned on my tunes to start the race.

At first, it really helped. I looked forward to each song, and they kept me going and feeling strong. The miles clicked by: 8:10, 8:03, 8:11, 8:13, 8:14, 8:34, 8:22, 8:15...then we hit a BIG hill: 8:57. Then I had to stop and use the bathroom...9:40 minute mile! 

After that break, the nano kept coming unclipped from my shorts. I lost an earbud. Then I dropped the nano again...Ugh. So frustrating. The last three miles hovered around 8:40, and then I was done. 1:51:54. Such a poor finish after such a strong start!

Though I can't blame (or thank?) the music for how I ran, trying out the headphones from this half did help me make my final music decision for Newport. 

I will NOT be wearing my headphones for the Newport marathon. 

During the half, I was definitely in my own world. I didn't chat with other runners. I was disconnected from the whole experience, which I feel like is not the point of a race. I missed out on all the bands along the course. I missed out on all the cheers, and I missed out on all the camaraderie of the other runners. I spent extra time and effort messing around with my headphones, when I should have been focusing on my race.  

I learned my lesson via experience. Though I love running to music, I think it's not the Right Fit for me on race day. At least not ever again on race day!