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How Can I Run Faster?
Why You Should Run Gadget-Free
No watch? No tunes? Leave behind your gadgets and gain a new respect for your efforts
By
Stop the Music
Good tunes can get us through a long, boring run, or drown out the chitchat of the people power-walking on the treadmills next to you. But music can also block sensory feedback your body is trying to give you, and be a distraction. For example, when you run with earbuds, you're missing out on the sound of your breathing and your footstrikes—important clues that give you an idea of how hard you're working, says Underhill. "Runners should tune into their bodies more often," she says. "It will help them be more 'present' in their workouts."
Listening to music all the time, every time, means it loses its value, too. "You can become desensitized to its motivating effects," says Ben Greenfield, an exercise physiologist, certified coach, and author of Run With No Pain.
And then there's the issue of rules: In 2007, USA Track & Field banned headphones from its events. Organizers of the ING New York City Marathon "strongly discourage" runners from using their MP3 players or headphones in the race. Same thing for the Boston Marathon, which also flat-out bans them for elite athletes vying for prize money.
How: Compromise.
Greenfield suggests using music strategically. He listens to music only during hard speedwork sessions, for example. Or aim for two weekly runs without the earbuds. If you're setting out on a long run but still need something to help you along the way, take the tunes but use them intermittently. If you tend to run solo because you don't like chatting, find a like-minded quiet partner who will put in the miles without oversharing.
How to Have Fun Without Music
Listening to music all the time, every time, means it loses its value, too. "You can become desensitized to its motivating effects," says Ben Greenfield, an exercise physiologist, certified coach, and author of Run With No Pain.
And then there's the issue of rules: In 2007, USA Track & Field banned headphones from its events. Organizers of the ING New York City Marathon "strongly discourage" runners from using their MP3 players or headphones in the race. Same thing for the Boston Marathon, which also flat-out bans them for elite athletes vying for prize money.
How: Compromise.
Greenfield suggests using music strategically. He listens to music only during hard speedwork sessions, for example. Or aim for two weekly runs without the earbuds. If you're setting out on a long run but still need something to help you along the way, take the tunes but use them intermittently. If you tend to run solo because you don't like chatting, find a like-minded quiet partner who will put in the miles without oversharing.
How to Have Fun Without Music
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