I can only run with music when I'm at the gym, otherwise I get too bored with no way to measure how far I've come along (no the clock doesn't help).

Outside I don't listen to music. My own breath helps me keep my rhythm and I enjoy hearing the sounds of the outdoors. If I listen to music, I feel dangerously disconnected from my surroundings and it often interferes with pace as well.

I know I'll catch some "you know what" for this but I still use my headphones when they say not to. I didn't when I first started racing but noticed how many others were doing so as well. I perform so much better and stay motivated when I would normally lag a bit. I keep the volume low enough so that I can hear the person behind me and their steps to help with safety concerns. I do wonder what other people say about it though...

I used to be like that as well, but a few months ago I stopped listening to my ipod on jogs. I run outside, so I needed to do that not only for safety reasons (I run in a city), but also because I find myself much more relaxed and focused on my run.

I agree wit fitsugar. You may find you like it even more without music

I am the opposite, I run without music. I find it much easier to focus on my form and the speed at which I am running. I don't think you'll start lagging or anything like that. If you have ran the distance before, you know the right speed at which to run and how much to push yourself.

Like fit said, practice running without music to get an idea of how it's like. I find the lack of headphones to be liberating, since it's one less thing to worry about.

I would so encourage you to do it! It's a little disconcerting at first, I would agree with this, but I think you can also take it as a chance to connect with yourself -- your body, your sensations, your feelings... We are always surrounded by so much stimulation! So I guess you can see it as a challenge (which is already pretty good!), or you can decide to see it as an opportunity to pay attention to your running and learn more!

Honestly, I really the "no headphones" rule and don't really understand it. If safety is the concern just keep your music to an acceptable level. That said, I sometimes get lost in daydreams or my own little pep talks to myself and forget I have headphones in at all. On race day, I would guess your motivation and inner coach are going to pretty high anyway, so you may not notice as much as you think you will.

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

I always train with music and audiobooks . I could not IMAGINE doing a 20 miler without anything.

I never, never race with anything ... first, it's 'only' a 10K (yes, I will catch flack for this, but I doubt it will take you much more than an hour, if that). second, you will miss out on some of the race if you have headphones on. I ran the first 20 miles of last Saturday's marathon with someone I just met .. talking about races, work, living around D.C., etc.

TRY running without headphones --- I think you'll be pleasently suprised come race day !

ARG ---- delete please, Fit. eeps.

Whenever I run outside, I tend to turn off my music during the middle leg of my run and just really focus on my step, my breathing, etc. I use the music to begin with, and maybe I'll sprint to a song at the end for intervals or something, but otherwise, once I get started, I take them off. I also found that if I'm running say, 3 miles on a treadmill for my workout, i'll run with music in for the first, run without music for the second mile, and run with music for the 3rd. it always feels like it's going faster with that little break in there, but i'm sure that's just psychological

in the "no headphones" races i've run the usually don't enforce the no-headphone policy... or they only insist you take them off for the start, and then you can put them on during the race.

I totally agree with what runningesq has written.... races have such a fun, welcoming atmosphere that you really will be missing out if stick with your headphones. Not only might you miss out on talking to some interesting people, you might also miss the many spectators cheering you on! In my experience hearing a total stranger say "keep going, you're doing great" has been more motivating than even my favorite songs. Also, all the races I have been in have had some sort of live band or DJ at different points throughout the course... lots of music to keep you going!

I've just started running, I'm not a natural runner at all, but I'm finally up to a mile on the treadmill! Trust me, for this girl, that is nothing short of a miracle! But there is no way I can get on that treadmill without my iPod! Dropkick Murphy's got me running! There's a river by my house with a trail along it, and although I take my iPod with me when I got walking or running there, I don't usually listen to music, I like the chill out and enjoy the scenery outside!

I, too run with music, but during races I don't even realize that I don't have my ipod. They are so fun and exciting that you won't miss the music. You are surrounded by people and you will be really focused.

I, too run with music, but during races I don't even realize that I don't have my ipod. They are so fun and exciting that you won't miss the music. You are surrounded by people and you will be really focused.

I had the same dilemma, in that every time I run by myself, I feel like I have to have music, or it's just not as enjoyable. But, one thing I found is that having a running partner (or two) makes all the difference. Also, I've found that I really don't miss music during races. There are usually lots of things to look at (spectators, the scenery, other runners) and the excitement of running in a crowd prevents me from getting bored. If you've never done a 10k before, then chances are that you'll be so excited to do the race that you won't miss your headphones.

This is kind of geeky, but when I first started running I had a natural sprinter inclination to take off like a murderer was chasing me, not a great strategy for building up to a marathon. So I listened to Marine Corps cadences to help me establish pacing. They are pretty catchy and I sometimes still use them when I'm feeling off and need to get a good running rhythm going. Plus it gives me nice thoughts of Jake Gyllenhaal in Jarhead, yum!

But also if you find a chatting pal the miles go by pretty quickly.

You know, I ran XC in high school, and I always listened to music at practices, except during trackwork, where I wouldn't be able to hear the coaches whistle. If we were found racing with headphones, we would get DQed - at first the transition was really weird, but you miss so much of the race with your headphones on. It's a very different experience - all our races were quiet, except for grunting and spitting in the pack and the sound of two hundred pairs of feet. And it was weird, for a while. But honestly, I need that to feel like I'm competing. With music it's easy to fall back into my usual pace and routine, and there's something about the rawness of competition that's just really important to the whole experience. A couple of times, I had the opportunity to use headphones but I didn't - it just felt kind of, I don't know, disrespectful to the course.
A race isn't just another 10k run, it's a competition, and your mind needs to be on catching the girl in front of you and not on AC/DC. You'll be so pumped with adrenaline as soon as the gun goes off and you hear all the feet rumbling around you that you won't even need the music. Long distance running is not about your legs, but about your head, and there is more strategy involved than just getting from A to B in a race - you really need to be mentally present - and I think the experience of racing is way more valuable than a workout playlist.

I hate not working out without music. Sometimes when I forget my headphones I sing to myself (in my head - don't want to look crazy). I would try and practice without music beforehand and maybe try to find another way to pace yourself.

http://littlemissjay.wordpress.com/

for the treadmill you need headphones - it's boring.

for a race you can be motivated by the excitement of the day! i promise you'll be missing out on the atmosphere if you're plugged into your ipod.

I, too, just recently stopped listening to music on my outside runs. It's so amazing how much more peaceful and calming they've become.

I think you should stagger your runs so that at least once a week you're not listening to music.

Listen to your breathing, repeat a running mantra over in your head, listen to the wind, the sound of your feet hitting the ground, the birds, the creatures moving around the ground near you. It's all so beautiful and so lost when it's drowned out by Fergie.

Then as the race gets closer, do more and more runs without music.

Come race day, you will find you really don't need your music to get you through it. Like others have said, it's such a neat atmosphere to be among so many others and if you drown it all out with music you miss that feeling of participation.

Plus, it's so fun to hear people on the sidewalks cheering you on and giving you motivation.

I NEED music.

I never run with music. I like being able to just zen-out during a run. I use the time to think, to just clear my mind and enjoy moving my body.

I agree with one the the anonymous posters above who says that even though you think you can hear everything with the volume on low, you're actually missing a lot. Just running on the roads I can't tell you how many times I've avoided a near accident simply by hearing the slightest sound. Stuff happens fast on the run and it's good to have as much advance warning of obstacles as you can. Also, it's just pleasant to hear the sounds of the world around you.

I agree that on race day the energy of the crowd and the excitement of competition will keep you from being bored. In a race I try to be very aware of the other runners--especially if it's a crowded course. For me, wearing headphones would get in the way of that.

how do you all handle the headphones cord? everytime I try to listen to music while i'm running I just get all distracted by the cord bouncing against me, or moving my arm a certain way and ripping my headphones out. it is a huge inconvenience for me.

if my ipod had bluetooth, i would totally get wireless headphones.

Tidal, I used to run the wire down the back of my shirt.

But running sans-music has been so enjoyable lately I don't do that anymore.

If you're used to running with music, you won't do your best without it. There are plenty of fish in the sea, so sign up for a 10k that DOES allow headphones to support them! Not all of us with headphones are oblivious to our surroundings, and it's ludicrous and offensive to suggest otherwise.

EastVillageAmy - I LOVE that idea! Where do you find recordings of Marine Corps cadences? I want!

I had this same problem when I ran my first 10K last year. Runnning without music is very tough for me and I found that when I got tired or bored and needed the distraction it helped to count my steps, almost like a cadence. Count up to 10, 20, whatever then repeat. During a lot of races they have bands or music (mine was a 10K at Disney and they had music playing throughout a lot of the race)... I'll admit I was completely frustrated when I showed up without my Shuffle and saw a bunch of people with theirs! You can probably get away with bringing it!

You might be able to get away with it --- and you may not. Grandma's Marathon DQ'd people with headphones last year ...

sign up and take your headphones. there'll be too many people for the organizers to patrol, and even if they do, the most they'll ask you is to have the earphone in only one ear, so that the other ear can listen to street noise. It's really all about your safety on the street that they ask for the no music, but in reality everyone will have their music. I'm like you w/the music and running, and I've run a couple off no music races too and never had a problem.

You won't even hear the music playing on race day, and like the other ladies have said, you would miss out on the social aspect. Everyone runs better when the aren't singing along to the music (in their head), and focusing on running!

I've never run with music outside. I can't imagine it - I rely so much on my ears to tell me if a car's approaching the upcoming junction...

But music is a definite must on the treadmill. Otherwise it's just too boring! I remember my uni gym's flaky music... how much better I ran with 'Lady Marmalade' pumping from their stereo, than when the usual crickiet match was being shown on the (one) TV... urgh!