Running Music.

Go onto pretty much any running forum on the web and you will find a discussion topic about running with or without music. These discussion boards are not a place for the weak hearted, things can get rather heated fairly quickly.
In this blog I'll tell you when I run with and without music and why. You can also see what I listen to, this ranges from whatever is on my ipod to a specific running music playlist. Hope you enjoy my thoughts on this oft debated topic.

I'll start with my ipod playlist and go from there.
The playlist consists of 19 songs of various genres, some are in because of the beat, some for fun, some for lyrical motivation and others for the memories they invoke.

1. Ready to go- Republica
2. Boom!- System of A Down
3. All Sparks- Editors
4. Surfin' Bird- The Trashmen
5. My Doorbell- The White Stripes
6. Take Your Mama- Scissor Sisters
7. Throw away your Televison- Red Hot Chilli Peppers
8. The Bartender and the Thief- Stereophonics
9. What we do (for love)- De La Soul feat. Slick Rick
10. The New Style- Beastie Boys
11. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor- Arctic Monkeys
12. Living for the Weekend- Hard-Fi
13. Lollipop- Mika
14. Electric Feel- MGMT
15. In this City- Iglu and Hartly
16. Golden Touch- Razorlight
17. Sunday Shining- Finley Quaye
18. Love it when you call- The Feeling
19. Hard to Beat- Hard-Fi

"Ready to Go" sets just the right tempo for pulling up your socks and you step out the door and take those first few strides. "Hard to Beat" gives just the right boost as the legs begin to tire and you push the last half mile or so with a bit more effort.

I listen to music when I'm on the treadmill, when out running on my own and occasionally on the way to races.
For someone who finds it hard to get out and run on my own having the music as company really helps. On longer runs I will use my playlist as it lasts well over an hour, for shorter runs I turn on shuffle and see what I get. This has thrown up some treats such as Cliff Richard followed by Arrested Development. On one occasion my ipod seemed to know exactly what I was running past as David Gray sang about Swans swimming on dark waters (or something similar) just as I was avoiding the giant Swans that own the slipway on the riverside.

In the gym the music is also the same, usually summer euro-dance hits, this is ok for a tune or two but being able to choose from a variety helps relieve the tedium of the treadmill. Usually I'll choose and album and listen to a few songs before switching to another. Mostly I stick to Portishead, The Cranberries, Massive Attack or Morcheeba.

When I am at a club run or during a race I find that being plugged in means I miss out on chatter and atmosphere. I saw an excellent T-shirt slogan during the Loch Ness marathon, it said "run at the speed of chat."  This slogan could be the motto for our running club.

I've seen comments on the forums about people who blocked ambulances or missed out route directions because they couldn't hear what was going on around them. Unfortunately it seems that as in everyday life it is the few who spoil it for the majority. By all means listen to your music but be considerate. I don't wear my ipod in races but in training runs it is never at full volume so I have some awarness of my surroundings.

Apart from the Health and Safety issues of running on roads whilst plugged in (we're all grown ups here, let us get on with it) one of the main reasons I don't listen to music during races is because I'm a chicken.(The earphones just don't stay in my little ears!)

If I'm in a race and the rules say no personal music players then that is enough for me. I'm scared. Scared that I'll get caught after running a pb and disqualified. Now I'm never going to trouble the front of a field but the shame of having an official pull you out of a race in front of everyone, unbearable. I've never seen it happen, but the one time I plug in it will. And anyway, I'm hoping that when it does i'll be the one who gets promoted up the list for being a good boy!

The first post.... My Running History (and how the blog got its name).

When did I start running? Just about 2 years ago.

Why did I start running? The short answer is to get fit.

How did I start? My wife purchased a treadmill and so I thought I'd give it a go.

What did I want to achieve? To run a mile and a half in under 12 mins 12 secs. This was the RAF qualifying time for pre-selection, at this time I was considering enlisting.

 

Those tentative first steps....

It didn't go so well, that first time on the treadmill. Being a man I stepped onto the treadmill and turned it up fast! The last time I had run was approximately 5 years earlier in a previous get fit phase.

Two minutes later I was gasping for air and frantically grabbing for the speed control. "TURN IT DOWN!" my brain was shouting at me. Another 15 minutes later and I'd finished the mile and a half. I fell to the floor desperately trying to cool down and fighting the urge to vomit. What a disaster!

Getting better...

The next stage was joining the local gym. At this stage my target was to run the whole mile and a half without stopping, then I could concentrate on a time target. Over a period of a few weeks I cracked it, managing to complete the distance and time targets. I was surprised at how quickly things had changed.

The Running Club...

I would recommend joining a running club to anyone interested in running, even if you have just started running and are feeling a bit self-concious. My wife and I had our eyes open to a whole new world when we joined ARUNNERS (see link for more info) and have made many new friends.

There are so many people out there running and racing in a huge variety of events, there really is something out there for everyone.

How the blog got its name...

"How not to run a Marathon" could also be called "How to run a Marathon without heeding the advice of the experts." The title sums up my first to attempts at running the 26.2.  I took an unconvential approach to training and injury recovery. The story of which will told in future blogs.

The future of this blog...

Between now and 2011 it will be a retrospective of my races and other running so far, then in the New Year it will (hopefully) become a monthly diary of my running year.