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MP3 player or not on race day?
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I just genuinely don't understand the need in a race.
I've raced up to 2h40 in duration (I haven't run marathons, so I'm not a snobby speed merchant, before anyone jumps to conclusions) and never has it crossed my mind 'you know what, a nice tune, that's what I'm missing now'.
I can understand if you drag yourself out of the door on a cold, rainy sunday morning and run 15-20 miles along the towpath in a block of hard training and it becomes a bit of a chore, that you then put your mp3 player on for a training run, although I haven't done that yet myself.
Happens in races as well. My last 10k was one very long chorus loop of Too Shy by Kajagoogoo. Aaarrrghh!!!
LMAO! How cooool!
Hush hush, eye to eye....
It's no different to driving a car and listening to the radio - you are not distracted by the music in your car so why would you be distracted by your music on a run.
If I run without music, which is only when the battery has run out or there's a problem with my headphones, I feel like I can't get into a pace, my mind wanders and I'd say I'm more likely to be distracted by my thoughts than by music. Like I said before, the hearing of cars etc are not affected by my music as I only have my right head phone in and the music is not blaring.
It is just wrong to say events should ban all mp3s/ipods, you sign an agreement when you enter a race saying any accident that happens during the event are your own fault and not the fault of the organiser(s), so they should be covered for any incident and as for people getting knocked over by cars, I have witnessed speeding runners dash across a busy road during a race when everyone is on one side of the road and he/she wants to be on the other side before anyone else.
One of our local races was dropped because the company which insured it (not a race which could be insured through the usual club routes / affiliations) put the premiums up so much due to claims being put in for a completely different sport which also had insurance and disclaimers etc etc......
We may all sign a disclaimer when we race but there is always a way round the law and if people get hurt they get desperate.....
Hi guys / gals,
I live in Aberdeen and our local city race (Bakerhughes 10k) has banned the use of mp3's and i-pods for safety reasons. The race details explain this ...but they do not follow it through, the amount of people on race day plugged in was incredible.
But nobody who was wearing one, was spoken to about it...... saying that whats more dangerous is the ignorant runner mentioned earlier in the thread who cuts in between gaps that are not there,pulling in front and forcing you to check your stride.... why do they do that?.
One of my work colleagues has been unfortunate enough to come a cropper twice with daft runners just stopping in front of him suddenly and crouching down to tie their laces!!! he went straight over the top of them.... the first time he actually injured his ankle and although finished the race,his time was ruined.The second time he was so angry he had a errr altercation
with the guy in question.... safe to say i think the guy will not do it again!
If you are going to stop then move to the side first!
SAD.P
Sorry i started ranting away there!!! & wandered off the thread all together.
anyway i wear my i-pod whilst training but as of yet, i haven't worn one in any of the races ive done..... i could of in the two marathons ive done just to make it more interesting in the hard bits!
anyway
nit nite
sad.p
Surely the point is that we run. After all, those of us who turn up on Sunday morning for the GSR (including me!) will be achieving far more in those 2 hours or less (hopefully!) than those people still lying in bed. So we should support each other for what we do - not how we do it! Yes, people can be awkward, unaware and inconsiderate but this happens in all walks of life. So I say with or without iPod, plodders or speeders, well done for turning up and running! Do whatever works for you.
(I do wear an iPod by the way, it helps me to keep going, to go faster, or slow down and to just enjoy the experience more!)
Always a hot topic.
I'm similar to Imski, I try to use my ipod on long training runs where motivation is less than during racing. However I'm close to where that lady was killed last month in Basingstoke, and although the road had pavements I suspect she was hit by a car that ignored the red crossing lights. Perhaps the motorist was distracted by his car stereo.
I run a lot on pavementless country lanes and despite what the pro-music lobby say even with only one earpiece in, then perceptions and location of sound is greatly diminished with half an ipod plugged in. How do I know? First time this debate raged I ran with (a) no ipod, (b) half and half, (c) both ears in. Even with just one plugged in, sensitivity to hearing is greatly diminished (as in you may hear a distant car but can't accurately guage where it is). I suggest others try it. Don't get me wrong I love running to music and offroad runs are nearly always done wired up. However the idea that music is soooo important you can't be without it begs the question of how you cope in other walks of life?
I train with an ipod but would never race with one. Even when I am looking to run fast in a training run I would leave my ipod at home. I dont think you can concentrate properly for a best effort with music blasting in your ears and messing on with the wires every now and then. Nice easy training runs thats all I would use it for.
I think in a race it would hinder rather than help me.
could people use them in the Olympics or World Champs or other Big Marathon -?
could have a step by step race plan motivational coach podcast to run to - will it ever happen?
I feel very strongly about this issue as I love music and love running, so please bear with me.
As a music enthusiast I LOVE running to music. Since I took running up again in January this year I've often trained with my MP3. It helps me get in the zone, takes my mind off pain, lets me listen to music my girlfriend doesn't share my passion for and is a true motivator. A good Drum & Bass classic for a fast pace, some Kraftwerk or other electronica for some aerobic motivation, something slower for the LSR... don't get me started.
Since January I have completed in only 8 organised events ranging from small scale (120 competitors) to massive (28,000 competitors) and distances have ranged from 5k to half marathon. I never used my MP3 during these events, i relied on my own internal mp3 (mentioned by someone else above)- which automatically changes the BPM to my pace, remixes to my taste and lets me hear instructions. I chose not to take my trusted MP3 with me as I thought it was inconsiderate to other runners. This decision was informed by a similar thread to this one.
In big scale runs like The Great Manchester Run, City of Manchester 10k and The Cardiff Half Marathon I have found Iplodders (faster and slower than me) to be a right pain in the arse. Sorry many of you are, not intentionally of course. You leap into other peoples courses, you change direction without being aware that someone is near you, you are a pain in the ares.
Let's make no crass comparisons with deaf runners - they often wear hearing aids and run with a buddie (also mentioned above). In some events I have seen deaf runners with "Deaf Runner" pinned to their vest. Should runners with headphones be marked also? I'm sure that folk who have tripped over an earphoned runner could think of something to pin to their vests!
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to race with my MP3, but common sense dictates that it is a risk to yourself and others. Simple, plain and hard to swallow fact.
Plain and hard to swallow a simple fact – it increases risk to you and others.
I'm beginning to debate weather I should even train with my MP3 these days. What it contributes to me getting run over? Yeah, sure, it's my risk, but what about the poor sod who has to live with knocking me over.
Please DON'T race with MP3s, Ipods etc... I know most of you are not intentional causes of danger and race spoilers (like the arrogant wannabies who shove folk out the way in a race) but you are an unintentional and potentially dangerous pain in the arse.
Is there asolution that enables you to race to your music? It would be extremely annoying to me if you played music through the loud speaker of your phone - just like a chav on a bus. But it would be much safer. Go on, annoy me, just don't be dangerous.
Imski - reading back I don't think my post was entirely clear, not helped by me misreading your last line.... I only use my Ipod if I'm entirely offroad which is probably 10% of my runs, for the simple fact that if I'm on the roads (without a pavement) then I put my own safety first as I alluded to earlier. The thought of racing with one is entirely alien to me.
As regards training with one, and your question of how comfortable you have to be with your own thoughts, well as you mentioned in a block of training, sometimes that 6 mile steady recovery can be a chore, I opt (if offorad) to combine that with listening to a new CD (or sometimes an Open Uni CD/Podcast) which I may not have the opportunity to do at home. Don't get me wrong, by far the bulk of my runs are not wired up, indeed my favourite run (saturday early, mix of off road and trail) is best without music: you can appreciate the changing sounds andsights of the seasons without distraction.
Dustin, I'm at a loss to explain why I directed that post at you, apart from the fact that you referred to my post
Like I said initially, if you're grinding out some hard training, some training runs will inevitably be a bit of a chore, and if it's safe to do so I can understand people wiring up.
Quote: "It is just wrong to say events should ban all mp3s/ipods, you sign an agreement when you enter a race saying any accident that happens during the event are your own fault and not the fault of the organiser(s), so they should be covered for any incident and as for people getting knocked over by cars, I have witnessed speeding runners dash across a busy road during a race when everyone is on one side of the road and he/she wants to be on the other side before anyone else."
What happens if you cause another runner to have an accident. Say they end up under a bus? Are you insured for £10million personal liability? Most probably not for in a race. The event organiser has to take on the responsibility for everybody's safety, and even with a disclaimer, the organiser cannot dodge this.
It's already a non-issues in triathlon - No headphones in any race at any point during it. Running will follow.
"No electronic head gear! No Walkmans, portable CD carriers, iPods, or headsets of any kind. This follows the recommendations of USA Track & Field and the Road Runner's Club of America in requesting that you do not use this equipment during the event. Although disobeying this rule will not result in disqualification, you will compromise your safety and that of other runners by wearing this gear. Don't do it!"
Where America goes we will follow. It only takes a couple of claims and the insurance companies will massively hike premium or insist on a 'no headphones' rule if you want cover.
From a personal point of view I've never used one, partly because my player is one of the hard-disc ones which don't really take motion very well, but mostly because when I run I like to get away from it and be with my own thoughts. My experience of them in races is that there are some people who become oblivious to what's going on around them, and if they're one of those people who lines up too near the front for the pace they're going to run then it only makes matters worse as they go backwards through the field. I nearly got wiped out in a race a couple of weeks ago because a slower runner who must have lined up right at the front nearly ran me into a bollard because she had no idea I was there. Yes, it does happen with non-wired-up runners as well of course, but in my experience the proportion is lower.
I do have a question though for those of you who use them - how do you find the pace of the music affects your running? Do you find you subconsciously speed up when a fast track comes on or slow down during a ballad? Do you have to have different play lists for different paces? I think this is actually one of the things that put me off using music – the thought that I might upset my pacing simply because it doesn’t match the music I’m listening to.
Non-runner- i am totally with you on this. The few races that i have done without my ipod i have hated every minute of. I focus too much on my breathing and feel more and more out of breath. With music i can run fast for miles and enjoy it.
I am doing my first half marathon on Sunday and am now thinking maybe i should run without i-pod, but as i am running alone i know i will hate it and probably perform badly.
I too wish i didn't need it... But i do!!