Running with Music — Yes or No?
Many people debate the use of music during training runs. One school of thought is that some races do not allow participants to wear headphones or ear buds during a race for safety, so it is good if you train without music. Most races do not allow you to run with your music on where others can hear it. If you train every day with music, you might miss it during a race.
Music can help you increase your pace and cadence. That is another reason why some races do not allow you to wear headphones during a race. Personally, I run with one earbud in my ear with music playing low for most of my training runs. I have trained without music for a variety of reasons, and this worked well for me when I forgot to get my music player out of my gear bag before my marathon. I checked a bag with extra clothes and my music player in the bag, so it was not accessible to me for the race. I found that I was just fine running 26.2 miles without my music. I enjoyed the experience and talked to other runners. I enjoyed the sounds of the city and the spectators.
My suggestion is that you run with and without music to find your pace both ways. I listen to very peppy music with at least 160 beats per minute and up to 180 beats per minute. I know if I listen to three songs I will have completed a mile. It’s a good way for me to just fall into a rhythm and run. If I am on a city street or sidewalk, I do not listen to music. I pay attention to the traffic around me. I also do not listen to music when I am on a trail run for safety purposes. If I am running with a friend, I also do not run with music. With this approach, I am not dependent on music for my racing performance.
