I’m creating a playlist to sustain me during the New York marathon Nov.2, in case my fairytale of going from injury to start line actually comes true. If it does, I know I’ll want some serious distraction tucked into my pocket.
And I’m looking for your suggestions.
The debate over running with headphones has waxed and waned over the years.
Some purists can’t imagine obscuring their fine-tuned attention to gait and breathing. However, I do NOT want to listen to my labored breathing or to continually assess the discomfort in my body. On the other hand, I want to hear that truck coming up behind me or someone yelling at me because there’s a pit of writhing snakes on the trail ahead so I keep my music volume low.
There's no doubt the number of injuries that pedestrians and runners have suffered has gone up in recent years due to inattention to their surroundings.
New York doctor Ron Geraci refuses to wear earbuds, citing one study that found the number of pedestrian injuries has tripled in recent years.
The US Track and Field governing body used to ban headphones at their sanctioned races. That changed in 2008 and now only applies to those competing for awards, medals or prize money. You can correctly surmise that this does not apply to me.
Many race organizers still dislike and discourage the use of headphones because they consider it a safety hazard.
Well, I consider walkers who are strolling four-a-breast yakking among themselves in the front sections of a race also a safety hazard. Being oblivious is not the sole domain of earbud zombies.
Music distracts people from pain and fatigue, elevates mood, increases endurance, reduces perceived effort and may even promote metabolic efficiency. So says an article in Scientific American on the psychology of effective workout music.
I can still clearly remember the first time, several years ago, when I bought my first iPod to use music as motivation for my running.
When those first notes of The Champs’ Tequila streamed between my ears, I did a delighted jump in the air.
Ever since then, I’ve been hooked on listening to music and podcasts of interviews, radio shows, plays and lectures to pull me along, like a sting tied to an invisible goal post up the road, reeling me in like a fish on a line.
Over the years I’ve created specialty playlists as the soundtrack of my running – all-girl bands for the Victoria Goddess Run and cheesy music by Elvis, the Beach Boys and the Ventures for running while on a Hawaiin holiday.
Tempo, genre or vibe, lyrics, and memories triggered by a song all make for a good playlist.
Sites like jog.fm suggest songs according to the number of beats per minute, ie. 160 bpm recommended for a 5:36 kilometre. You can preview songs and buy them through links on the site.
It’s not as if I can’t run without music. I typically don’t plug in until at least halfway through a race, enjoying the ambience and crowds before needing a music’s tempo to lift my feet higher or to drive me up a hill when fatigue is trying to flatten me.
So if you have a favourite song that references New York, and is not Billy Joel, send them my way to [email protected] and help inspire me as I take to the streets of the Big Apple.
- - - - - -
If you're on Twitter, I tweet as @Victoriarunner where I share news and commentary about running
