Listen To The Music?
I really don't understand why so many runners run with
headphones. Am I missing something? I have never had the desire to have piped in
music dominating my sense of hearing while out running. For me, I think it is
too predictable versus all the mystery that I encounter through my ears when out
running. Not only do I get to feel the crunch of the fallen leaves under my
feet, but I get to hear them also. Not only do I get to see children playing on
a playground when I run by, but I get to hear their joy as they play. Sometimes,
at running events, I will comment to someone coming up from behind and as they
overtake me I will mention, "Ah, thought I heard the sound of synthetic rubber
padding up from behind". It usually gets a chuckle from the runner as they know
their shoes have an unmistakable sound when they strike the pavement.
Maybe I'm just a sensory junkie. Maybe that's why I want to hear and feel what's
going on around me. In my former life as one who would engage in too much wine
and herbs, I was always looking to feel better whether that meant heightening or
hiding from my feelings. Today, my high comes through running as it does for a
lot of runners. I think I take it to a higher degree than some by barefoot
running which gives me extra sensory enjoyment. But, I digress to the sense of
touch. Back to why I don't run with music.
The most logical reason for me not to run with music is that I use my sense of
hearing to confirm my sense of sight. Sight by itself can often delude as well
as hearing alone. They both come in real handy when running in traffic! Or, how
about just casual hearing? Just as I cannot always predict the sensory
interactions of a run, so too I can't predict what I might hear on a run that
otherwise I would not hear. For instance, I would not be able to hear all the
remarks, both negative and positive, regarding barefoot running. I truly enjoy
all kinds of remarks, no matter what their context. I'm just happy to know
people are engaged about the subject and are possibly thinking about or
questioning my actions.
And what about those fellow runners who are headphone-challenged (or enhanced,
depending on your viewpoint) I pass while on a run? There really is not much
time for conversation when passing another runner, but I still like to say hello
and give a wave of the hand, at least. I do both because a lot of times you can
or cannot see the iPOD earpieces hidden in their respective ears. I figure then,
at least, they may look my way and see that I have acknowledged them as a
running citizen.
What do they gain from their music-induced run? Is it merely background sounds
much like what I experience when out running music-less? To be truthful, I am
not always conscious of the sounds around me. Sometimes, I am in my head,
thinking or planning. However, I'd say that I am in the moment and enjoying the
feel, the sights, the sounds of the run to a lot higher degree than when I ran
with shoes. Seems barefoot running heightens the moment for me to where I want
to enjoy each step with all my senses. Music, for me, has too many memories tied
to it to engage myself with present thought. For instance, every time I hear
"Listen to the Music" by the Doobie Brothers I go back to a particular afternoon
in high school, skipping class, and getting totally blitzed while driving
country roads. Not a place I really want to go to in my mind when out on my run.
Others might say, start listening to some newer music that does not have any
memories attached. Well, I don't think so. I am pretty much content with my lack
of musical groove while I run. Sometimes, I will get a song stuck in my head
when I go for a run. That seems to be okay because it doesn't usually stay there
long. There is too much going on around me and it usually distracts me away from
the song-absorption.
Bottom line: I will probably never understand why runners run with music,
blocking out everything else that they hear. I won't know because I will
probably never try it. I don't harshly judge runners for choosing to captivate
their hearing by their iPODS and such. I just don't think it is for me. I like
what I'm hearing when I'm out barefoot running, and I guess that's the main
thing.