Why do some runners look down on people with headphones?

everybody all the time wrote:

Yeah, I wear headphones when i run. Every single time. It's a blast.

I don't care if anyone likes it or not what i am doing.

I don't believe it makes me any slower or appreciably less safe. But if it does, that is my decision.

If it annoys anyone, well, that's your problem, and not mine.

+1

Because of covid and the need to social distance, more people are running and training solo. As a result, many people need extra motivation because they are now lacking the support from others. Running with music can give these individuals that little extra "oomph" that they would be getting from there teammates/training partners. Also, as a ASCM certified exercise physiologist, I believe that music is a great way to motivate people to be physically active. A person that truly enjoys exercise is much more likely in the long term to lead a physically active lifestyle than that person who exercises "because the doctor told me to". Music makes exercise much more enjoyable for many people.

Also exercise with music helps some individuals to push harder. Music can be an erogenic aid to individuals lacking mental toughness, helping to distract from the feeling of pain associated with physical exertion. Again with solo training, many people also need extra motivation during tough workout efforts when you don't have your teammates chasing you down.

*ACSM*

Yeah, this all holds very true for me.

Perhaps most importantly for me at least, the music fires me up to get started. It is an energizer, a veritable audio testosterone, if you will.

After that, i honestly don't even hear it. I mean, i am aware of the first line of each song, and then it is like a repetitive mantra that fades into the white noise that makes it possible for me to get my mind to a whole other place.

After any song, i could not even tell you what i just listened to (though i know every song on my playlist by heart).

And i do find that it allows me to push harder, as you said. That's not always a good thing, but it does come with the territory.

Only people more annoying than the headphone set are the people who run shirtless.

Cause they're taller

I run 90-140 miles a week with apple earpods and an ipod shuffle, i do serious workouts and my BMI is 18.9 so I'm pretty serious. I even go the extra and run barefoot to build strength. I've won races wearing headphones. I don't need them to run it's not a mental toughness thing I just love music. I listen to a lot of vgm and ost so relaxing on easy runs. ever listen to quatic ambience running along the beach or forrest interlude by david wise running trails? also love running without music just my footsteps.

nobodywantstoseethat wrote:

Only people more annoying than the headphone set are the people who run shirtless.

those people have got it RIGHT

nobodywantstoseethat wrote:Only people more annoying than the headphone set are the people who run shirtless.

No, the people that never should be running shirtless are running shirtless. That's what is annoying.

Nigel_Bikes wrote:

nobodywantstoseethat wrote:Only people more annoying than the headphone set are the people who run shirtless.

No, the people that never should be running shirtless are running shirtless. That's what is annoying.

Oh, Does that annoy you? Can this "hobby jogger" add a pair of Nike carbon plate running shoes to that? On my next "jog"?

Look for me.

I will be wearing my new LRC t-shirt (prominently displayed tied around my waste!

seattle prattle wrote:

Nigel_Bikes wrote:

No, the people that never should be running shirtless are running shirtless. That's what is annoying.

Oh, Does that annoy you? Can this "hobby jogger" add a pair of Nike carbon plate running shoes to that? On my next "jog"?

Look for me.

I will be wearing my new LRC t-shirt (prominently displayed tied around my waste!

Greenlake. 1 January 2021 at high noon. Be there. Take pics. Post here!

Nigel_Bikes wrote:

seattle prattle wrote:

Oh, Does that annoy you? Can this "hobby jogger" add a pair of Nike carbon plate running shoes to that? On my next "jog"?

Look for me.

I will be wearing my new LRC t-shirt (prominently displayed tied around my waste!

Greenlake. 1 January 2021 at high noon. Be there. Take pics. Post here!

they have a live cam on the path, Nigel. Would that suffice?

I wear headphones from time to time and I can beat anyone else posting in this thread in a race over any distance up to 10km on 48 hours notice.

I guarantee it.

Please take your ‘real runner’ fairytales back to your gingerbread house in the forest, dreamers.

i guarantee it wrote:

I wear headphones from time to time and I can beat anyone else posting in this thread in a race over any distance up to 10km on 48 hours notice.

I guarantee it.

Please take your ‘real runner’ fairytales back to your gingerbread house in the forest, dreamers.

what's your PED-free 400m and 800m times?

nobodywantstoseethat wrote:

Only people more annoying than the headphone set are the people who run shirtless.

That reminds me of how I designed my music running setup. I used to wear a strap around my arm to hold the ipod and ran the cord through my sleeve to the headphones so the cord wouldn't flop around while I ran. Went to a 5k race and it was 96°F which DEFINITELY called for being shirtless but meant I wouldn't be able to listen to music without the cord being a distraction. I pondered my decision during my warmup and finally decided to go with a shirt and music. The next day I was thinking about a way to be able to run shirtless and listen to music. I now get a pair of over the ear headphones, wrap the cord around the headphones and plug it into a shuffle. I then clip the shuffle on the headphones and make it virtually cordless.

Now I can run WITH MUSIC and SHIRTLESS!!!!!!!!!

Here is a pic of me running with music but NOT shirtless.

kmaclam wrote:

I look down on them (despite the fact I do at least half my easy runs with music) because I know they're listening to ultra lame sh*t! Steely Dan, Journey, Styx, Bob Seger, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffet....It's been 5 decades since some of that regurgitated pablum choked the airwaves. It's a new century for crying out loud. Are you all spending most of your TV time on Mash, All in the Family & Brady Bunch reruns? Don't get me started, it's Christmas Eve. Bah humbug!

Huh? I'm no longer a competitive runner but a fitness runner after about 3 decades running that left me pretty beat up with a couple of ruptured tendons and now osteoarthritis (60 yrs old). Back in the gym doing bodybuilding (after playing college football I did some bodybuilding for about 10 yrs), and squeaking out 15 or so mpw.

All of my training whether with the weights, running or elliptical is with music. I mean hard core metal like Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Slipknot. This isn't wimpy man's music - this is some serious stuff to power through workouts. After all, I'm an old buck with rapidly declining T levels so the hard core metal stuff helps.

Well, said, bro.

And another thing, when we turn it up really loud, who cares?! We're already half deaf.

Let others worry about that crap, i'm finding enough reason to enjoy it. And i do,

Back in the 80’s Joe Sheeran ran a 2:16 at Chicago while wearing headphones AND carrying in his hand a Sony Walkman.

Bill Rodgers would have never worn a headphone. Enough said!