The iPod experiment...

When I first started running, I carried an MP3 player and eventually upgraded to an iPod. I really was concerned that there was no way I could run without the music. At the time there was (and continues to be) a great debate over wearing headphones while running. Many of the elite runners and purists are adamantly opposed to the idea. Some claim an unfair performance boost while the purists just resist it because it takes away from the 'experience' of running. I thought they were nuts.

Last August we entered the 'Midnight Flight' race in Anderson and its literature was adamant that headphones would not be allowed. I was still a relatively new runner and obeyed the rule, even though I had my doubts about running 6 miles with no company except for my own warped mind. Guess what? I enjoyed it. I enjoyed it so much that I started running without my iPod and haven't used it on a run since August. Until Tuesday.

We had a little iTunes marathon the other day during all the snow and downloaded a bunch of new music. Well, most of it was old music but new to us. Anyway, I decided to dust off the iPod and wear it on Tuesday. I was amazed at how fast I ran. I did it again yesterday and got the same results. Maybe the folks claiming a performance boost are right. I also noticed that it appears at first glance that my heart rate was a little lower than it normally is at the pace I was running. I don't know what that means, but I hope it means that I still have an extra gear I can kick into at my race on Saturday.

I think I will still run in silent mode some, especially on long, slow runs since the music seems to pick my pace up. I am definitely going to go forward with the experiment and see if I can use it to get some tougher runs in, especially as the temps rise (hopefully soon!).