Headphones during a race...do you use them?

[Violet Parr]

I know they are discouraged, but does anyone still use them for at least part of a race? Curious!

VP

 

[Violet Parr]

Nevermind! I found a thread with lots of good answers to this question!

 

[preciouspups]

I used mine last year and so did a lot of other people..

 

[LSLS]

I can't run without music. Never had an issue at all.

 

[Nole95]

I usually use them at some point in every race.

When running my last couple of marathons with pace groups, I have started off without them. However, once I got past the halfway point, I needed some distraction to concentrate on the rest of the race. At Disney, I always turn off the music when running through the parks or the areas with good crowd support.

For half marathons, I usually use them off and on. Depends on the crowd support and where I am on the course.

 

[Ariel484]

At Disney, no - I haven't needed them so far and I really want to "take it all in" while I'm doing a Disney race. At "at home" races, yes, pretty much every time!

 

[BuckeyeBama]

Unless running with friends, I want my music. Even when a race tells runners that they are not allowed, I wear my music. I have never been kicked off a course for it and never had a safety issue.

 

[camaker]

I never use headphones during a race. I focus on the race itself and my surroundings. I don't want to sound too judgmental but I think a lot of the in-race problems that I've run into with inconsiderate behavior during races could be chalked up to runners in their headphone bubble zoning out and not paying attention to their surroundings. It's certainly not all runners, but if you isolate yourself with headphones you need to make more of an effort to stay aware of those around you.

I do use them on every training run, though.

 

[Violet Parr]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll probably want them off for a good bit of the race (crowd support, in the parks, etc) There are just points in my long runs where music is what gets me through walls, and I know my 15yo (running her first race with me) feels the same way. I do want to take it all in, but it is good to know that I can take them and use them (cautiously and with heightened awareness) if I really need help busting through. I suspect that we'll be fine without from the start to after running past the Poly, but I think that 8-11 mile stretch might be tougher.

VP

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I never use headphones during a race. I focus on the race itself and my surroundings. I don't want to sound too judgmental but I think a lot of the in-race problems that I've run into with inconsiderate behavior during races could be chalked up to runners in their headphone bubble zoning out and not paying attention to their surroundings. It's certainly not all runners, but if you isolate yourself with headphones you need to make more of an effort to stay aware of those around you.

I do use them on every training run, though.

I am in that bubble whether I am wearing headphones or not. The bubble comes from inside, not outside.

 

[mslezalie]

During a race I never use headphones. I like being aware of my surroundings. I also agree with what Camaker said. There has been few times where a runner would just switch to a walk without signaling and I would almost run into them.

 

[1lilspark]

I've only used music during a race twice CAstaway Cay 5k and a local 5k

 

[Anisum]

At Disney I generally don't need them. During most races I bring them because they're light weight and since mine have cords I just tuck them into my bra strap if I'm not using them. In Disney even when I bring them to the start I'm so excited about the run and taking in the atmosphere that I've never used them. I'd rather take them to be prepared personally.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

I ran without headphones during my first race and it was fine. However, I have used headphones for every single race since then. I find that having music helps me psychologically when I need a boost. For instance when I ran the 2012 Wine & Dine 1/2 at WDW, I had a specific selection from The Dark Knight set to come on around mile 8, which I had read was a bit of a challenge. The energy boost helped carry me through it.

However, because of the safety concerns, I always keep the volume fairly low so I can hear course announcements, CMs, other runners, spectators, etc.

 

[Z-Knight]

I recently ran a half marathon where I could not get the sound to work and gave up at the beginning. I spent the first half having to hear conversations around me and it was distracting. I then fiddled with the music and got it working for the second half - ended up running 10 minutes faster in the 2nd half than the first. I think the sound motivated me.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I love running with music. I'm a believer in the Psychobiological Model of endurance. One of the amplifiers of performance is self-selected music with a high beats per minute. Research has shown that having music can decrease the perception of effort and thus raise your level of performance. I gave a brief statement on this idea in my journal.

 

[Z-Knight]

I love running with music. I'm a believer in the Psychobiological Model of endurance. One of the amplifiers of performance is self-selected music with a high beats per minute. Research has shown that having music can decrease the perception of effort and thus raise your level of performance. I gave a brief statement on this idea in my journal.

So, do you think the Mozart flute concerto in G Major woud be sufficient to increase my pace or do I need some sort of Metallica sonata?

nah, I think I just need to get FREAKING HEALED!!!!! WHAAAAA! I needed to yell, sorry.

 

[Anisum]

However, because of the safety concerns, I always keep the volume fairly low so I can hear course announcements, CMs, other runners, spectators, etc.

This is absolutely a solid point. I, and many I know run with one headphone in. That doesn't work for every kind of course but I don't think I ever run with both in.

 

[DopeyBadger]

So, do you think the Mozart flute concerto in G Major woud be sufficient to increase my pace or do I need some sort of Metallica sonata?

Very possible either would fit within the frame work of the research. If you enjoy them (then self-selected?)? And are they a high beats per minute song? If yes to both, then it fits what they researched. However, I can't remember whether they studied self-selected slower songs so I wouldn't have a frame of reference to say that it wouldn't work either.

 

[camaker]

So, do you think the Mozart flute concerto in G Major woud be sufficient to increase my pace or do I need some sort of Metallica sonata?

The concerto would certainly motivate me to increase my pace just so I could be done and listen to something else!!