Running with Music or Without: Exploring the Pros and Cons

Running with or without music? – Santiago Garcia

Running with music or running without music, that is the question! There is a debate in the world of running regarding this issue. There are several arguments in favor and there are many others against, but beyond the freedom to do what works best for you, there are stricter data so that each broker knows what he gains and what he loses when making a decision.

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The theme is often associated with people who run solo. If you train in a group or run with another person, it is very rare that you take a device to listen. Out of respect for others, running around listening to tunes without headphones should be avoided on any occasion. I still understand that there are different personalities and styles, coexistence indicates that running with music is only an option while wearing headphones.

And if you are with other people, it is polite not to be with headphones. But let’s get straight to the point: Is running alone and listening to music good or bad?

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Training to the rhythm of our favorite songs provides the pleasure that music in general gives us in any order of life. This pleasure reduces stress, anguish and, in the case of running, negative thoughts caused by the fatigue of training.

A playlist with our favorite songs can increase motivation during training (Getty)

For some people, music is the difference between being able to complete a job or quit halfway through. Those who cannot complete a background because they are not listening to a melody should train their mental strength, not run away from the problem. But if what is sought is to combine the pleasure of running with that of our favorite songs, then for many it is the ideal plan, a true space for enjoyment. That is not debatable.

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Pleasure, like entertainment, is always good. Some runners perform better when running to music, but rely on it to maintain that performance. For some, the advantage is avoiding conversations with strangers or listening to things we don’t want to hear.

Songs, if chosen very specifically, can also offer motivation and energy. Just as many choose certain melodies to go to the gym, some runners have their playlist full of energy to run with enthusiasm and complete the kilometers that correspond to the training session of the day.

Some, very sophisticated, put together a list of songs for the races, so that certain themes or melodies coincide with different motifs of the competition. If it works, it works. So there is no contraindication to run with music? Yes, it has its cons that we will clarify below.

When running in a group it is always preferable to do it without headphones (Getty)

A good playlist also serves to isolate yourself from the world. Not listening to disturbing noises or other people’s voices is a very pleasant plan if you want to fall asleep or get out of the world, but if you run outdoors this can mean not listening to a bicycle, a car, a voice that warns us of something or any situation where you need a quick reaction that we can only have if we are listening.

Running with music can be dangerous. A middle point is to use only one earphone or use them with a very low volume, to have the outside sound and the music at the same time.

In the races the situation is worse. Many competitions prohibit the use of headphones due to the risk that this entails. In a trail race they should not be used directly, because both we and other runners may need some kind of help and you need to listen. Even for the simple fact of passing by a path requires a warning that is always made with your back to the one who must run to give way.

Listening to music while running isolates us from the environment and that can be dangerous when we are not alert to sounds from outside (Getty)

Something similar happens in the street, so it is not good to use music. Connecting with thoughts and the exterior can be overwhelming, but it is what corresponds in a competition. Have you ever seen a professional runner racing with music? Of course not, but some, the least, make their workouts lighter listening to her. That could also be a parameter.

Safety isn’t the only problem with running to music. Music conditions the mood and that can also affect the pace of training. It is not that it always happens, but it can happen that it takes us slower or faster, but not at the corresponding rate. We can even believe that we are going at a rhythm because of the music and actually go at a different speed.

If it’s about running with music, you never have to indulge in a playlist that you don’t like, randomly chosen without criteria. For other runners, the type of musical genre or song does not change anything at all, neither the rhythm, nor the mood, nor anything, they just enjoy it. Everyone should know what their case is. The most important thing is to know what is gained and what is lost in each case.

*Santiago García is a marathon runner, author of the books “Run to live, live to run” and “Run again”. He completed the Six World Marathon Majors twice. On Instagram: @sangarciacorre.

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2023-07-01 08:36:40
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