Running with headphones: Good idea or bad idea?

On my daily commute, runners can be spotted for miles on Lakeshore Drive and through the streets of Downtown Chicago. Jealous of the cardio activity because I personally want to get out and run, I notice that some runners have headphones and others don’t.

Most workouts now and days don’t start until the hottest new album kicks off in some communities. In the other communities, running with music is considered a distraction. I personally don’t think it’s a bad or good thing but i’ll let you leverage between the two.

Turn the headphones off!

Your pace may suffer with music. If you want to be a competitor in upcoming races there may be rules that hinder you from using tech in your next run. Relying on your music to keep you going will be little to no use if you can’t use your tech in a competition. On top of that you have to have the perfect playlist! I personally don’t have an epic soundtrack built for running sprints or long distances.  Normally on runs I’m jamming to Led Zeppelin‘s, Immigrant Song and the song after that may be Toni Braxton, Just be a man about it. The pace just isn’t consistent.

Safety might be an issue as well. I live in Chicago where the winds are high and the traffic is loud. A lot of these headphones cancel out surrounding noise. This can cause an accident if you’re not paying attention to your surroundings. Most people are not out running alone. You have to take into consideration faster runners, bike riders, and random dogs that like to chase you.

MixTip: If you want to use headphones try using them in a controlled environment i.e. treadmill or a track that has lanes to avoid unexpected traffic.

Turn the headphones on!

I don’t always feel like running. I find it hard to believe that most people do. To get the motivational juices going I like to jam to my favorite beat. Nothing gets me going like some fast tempo house music. The beat sets the pace for me getting me to my runners high. I feel when my playlist is on beat, so is my workout and my mindset. 

Music hypes me up. When I’m feeling the beat, you might catch me singing and dancing on my run. Yes, my posture will be out of whack but at this point, I am invincible with an endless amount of energy. My music sets the tone (no pun intended). For my sprints I’m listening to Dragonforce, Through the fire and flames.

MixTip: If you want to maintain a high pace, pick songs that tempo goes beyond 120 beats per minute. 

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