Sound vs Silence

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  • Personally, I don't run with an MP3 player  for a couple of  reasons ( all already stated above - just getting my two penneth in ) - I run alone and often in remote locations and would feel too vunerable without clearly hearing what is going on around me. I find it too difficult to find tunes that fit in with the natural cadence of my running and I can't settle into a rhythm if I've got music on. I mainly run off road and through the countryside and enjoy the sight and sounds of nature. I find running in silence clears my head and allows me to think problems and issues through - during the day I'm bombared with noise and its so calming and refreshing just to hear birds singing or water flowing ( I know that sound a bit New Age and all that, but its true ). So even on a long, dark, cold boring mid-winter slog around the streets when all the trails are out of bounds, I still find something to look at, listen to or to think about.

    However, I can appreciate why people like exercising to music - I was spinning the other day and I'd forgotten how motivating and uplifting the music can be - really helps you to go up a gear. But the context is completely different and on balance, I'd definitely remain a music free runner.

  • On my long runs I listen to music and on the shorter ones I don't simple as that really.
  • the funny thing is that the same people who moan about ipods and taking the sport seriously are quite happy for fun runners to run around dressed as a giant  apples rhinos etc.. I think you would have more problem talking to them, and they'd bump into you, and are they really taking our sport seriously? They walk most of the time.
  • I don't moan about how others dress or run or listen to music, it's up to them. I just think it's a sad commentary on our commercialised noisy world that people can't or choose not to enjoy the activity just as it is. To me it's the same as having a mobile on all day no matter where you are - I choose not to allow people to call me when I'm sitting on the loo, if someone really needs to reach me they will call again when I'm out of there and have my phone on, but there are others who seem quite happy to chat in their cubicle. Personal choice.
  • I think you may find yourself pretty mistaken there, mattyf
  • Ultra- Ironwolf, music has been around for a long time - primitive man made music and it has been part of human culture ever since  - its in our nature and not a recent invention that has come about as a result of commercialisation of the world.  Enjoyment can be found from more than one source at the same time.  May not be your cup of tea but its hardly sad.

    Taking calls onthe toilet  though, thats just wrong!

  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    "Taking calls onthe toilet  though, thats just wrong!"

    Unless you have a pay-as-you-go mobile, of course.

  • Surely the only reason that it's become more common for people to run with MP3 players over the last few years is that so many people were sidelined from running in the 70s and early 80s, not through shin splints and the like, but from neck, shoulder and back pain caused by trying to run with a ghetto blaster or an eight track on their shoulder?!?!!?! image

    Vive la difference!

  • i love my mp3 player.. keeps me going when i get tired running.. i could manage without it but wouldn't be as much fun.. and i love music so i get to do two things i love at once.. its the only downtime i have to listen to some good tunes!
  • Personally I love to listen to music when I am running unless I need to work out some problems in my head. The music helps me keep my pace steady as well. However, for safety sake, if I am in an area that isn't well populated, I tend to turn it off

  • This thread is a pointless exercise as there are too many issues that cause disagreement

    1.    Music for entertainment - matter of opinion so no consensus will be reached

    2.    Music being dangerous -

                a)    assumes that all runners/cyclists/pedestrians have the same awareness around them to start with.  Clearly some people are not capable of running safely without music (by being careless) and other people are perfectly capable of running safely with music on.

               b)    it clearly depends on the location - running on a path where you'll be the only person for miles you're unlikely to cause an accident and muggers etc. tend to focus on areas where they'll find people.  If you're running in a built up area, busy cycle path or a road with no pavement then clearly it's more important to have full awareness

    3.    Music being rude at races - if someone is able to maximise their performance using music then surely it would be unfair to prevent them from using it - how about banning pace measurement devices, only allowing one type of shoes etc?!

    Just my opinions:  Personally I've just started using music as an aid for marathon training after a 15 mile run without left me focussing on how tired I was and how close I was to the end for the last 5 miles or so...  First impressions are that it seems to help even on shorter runs!

  • With regards to number 3

    Under interantional rules outside influences (including personal music systems) are not allowed in races, not even a GPS.

    I might be being a bit of a pedant here image as I know that doesn't effect most of us

  • how come crowd support doesn't come under outside influences?  To me this doesn't make any sense - this is surely the greatest influence of all, particularly in international races? 

    Maybe the crowd should be made to sit in silence, or possibly listen to the commentry on their radio image

    Interesting point though! 

  • The last thing you need is to be coming down the home staraight aiming to duck under 2 hours for a I/2 marathon and getting DQD because your 4 yearold shouted "Go on Daddy"

    image

  • Just because some one is wearing an earpeice it doesn't mean that they are listening to anything. I find it hard to see my watch when running which is why I tend to rely on pressing a button that speaks to me giving my mileage, pace and time the musiv is a bonus and I don't always use it as I have said before. If ipods are banned at a race this would put me at a disadvantage as I would find it harder to pace myself. I am not compelling others to listen to music so why should I have my freedom of choice restricted because others wish to impose their preference?
  • Maybe we should have a test at races. Get a marshall to shout out to the ipod runners, if the runner can hear the question, then they are fine, if not - they get their reward.

    The question could be - 'do you want to avoid the crocodile pit ?'

    Anyone with a safe volume will be fine, but those who are oblivious to marshalls, and ignoring the rules will be penalised. Maybe by losing a leg. image
  • on the point of hearing marshalls, 80% off communication is body lanuage and are hard of hearing people allowed run? non english speakers?  dyslexics (like myself,  i struggle with left and right) or even people running very fast. 

    i have been in and marshalled races that have needed verbal instructions i.e first left, second right ect.  This is not satictifactory and is a sign of a poorly oganised and a potentially very dangerous race.

  • what implications for the future. Currently we are listening to music whilst we are running, in the future we could be in debating running whilst people are watching tiny TVs.....more in the future we could be in a virutal world not just listening to music but watching it live all whilst running our local 10K.....the mind boggles image.
  • If someone could run a 10k whilst watching a tiny TV I'd be really impressed!
  • MuttleyMuttley ✭✭✭

    A race in which marshals give verbal instructions is poorly organized and dangerous?

    That can't be right.

  • Split decision here as to whether sound is better than silence. 

    Yes....Love to run with music when running on my on own. Keeps me company and takes away the boredom.

     No....When running in a group, think music is so anti-social.  Seams to defeat the object of running in a group in the first place.

  • Surely the marshalls stand there and point and gesture too? They're not statues!

     Having said that, to play devil's advocate, I sometimes find the gestures too vague (normally when my brain's shut down in the last few miles) and rely on their spoken communication...So it's obviously a good job I don't race with an ipod image

    I agree with Lil Miss Squirrel - We should bring back ghetto blasters and combine running and weights!

    This argument is silly because it has too many variables and I'm highly sceptical about how Nike and RW can glean any 'facts' from this discussion....But it passes the time when I should be working image 

  • I made the point earlier that I thought music should be banned at races because I'd travelled all the way to stand in the rain to support my friend and she didn't hear me because of her iPod image.  But that was a 10K race.  I take John's point above that it's a whole other story when running long distances in preparation for a marathon or during the marathon itself.  Respect to those runners who run that distance without the distraction of music, but a mile is a mile is a mile - I admire everyone who runs 26 miles, with or without music.
  • Can't do it. I have tried but I like to hear what's around me and earphones just really irritate me when I'm running. Anyway I could never hear the gasps of admiration as I speed past people at my breathtakingly sedate plod.!! imageimage
  • I'm a relatively newby runner and I started out with an ipod shuffle, I thought I'd need the music to stop me getting bored but having ran yesterday without it I actually ran much better and felt in control.  When I have my ipod on I can't hear my breathing (Which was the main reason I wore one initially because listening to me panting put me off) and the speed of the song made me run faster or slower. As an inexperienced runner I fthink this made me go too fast too soon and hence I was getting really tired too quick and feeling despondant because I felt so out of breath all the time.

    My run yesterday without the music was more controlled and to my own rhythm which resulted in me running non-stop for 45 minutes over 5½ miles.

    I think I'll use the ipod for shorter faster training sessions and go au naturel for the distances from now on........also you can't hear the birds with Madonna in your ears!!!

  • I like the sound of cougies idea. Does croc wrestling count as very cross Training?
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