Should I listen to music when I run?

Posted In: Running May 10th, 2014 divider 2 Comments »

If only I had a dime every time I heard that, I’d have a few dimes!

You can probably guess my answer by now. No, I don’t think you should listen to music while you run but let me explain myself.

First of all, I look at running as connecting with yourself and the outdoors. It’s much harder to do while you’re pumping your jams. And it gets hard to listen to your breathing while enjoying the chirping of birds.

I try to stay inside my body when I run so I can be aware of what I’m doing and to see if anything is tight or not feeling optimal. It’s hard to do while you’re being affected by an outside stimulus. Just sayin’!

Also, most people that run wear their music on their arms, affecting their biomechanics in the process. Regardless of the size of your device, realize it will affect your symmetry at some point. It’s best to put it on your belt to minimize it and make sure your earphones don’t pull one way or another.

Whether you realize it or not, humans are slaves to rhythm. When you have music as the background to running you’re gonna follow that beat. Ever notice when a fast jam comes on, you go faster? Well you do. As you know, the cadence (foot turnover) is constant in ChiRunning so it’s hard to ignore, especially when you’re just starting.

Also, when you need music when you run, it’s a bad dependence. What if you forget your mp3 player? You can’t run then? Get used to enjoying running without it princess!

Any other questions you would like me to tackle? Just reply with a comment below or drop me a line!