Running to a beat .

[Bazza1234]

I started running 4 years ago - and very soon discovered/learned that I could not run while listening to music. Hence during C25K , I had to divorce Laura The reason for this is that I also leaned to breath rhythmically when I run ( or do anything that requires increased breathing like walking upstairs) , So - breathing rhythmically to the sound of the beat of my feet upon the pavement ( my cadence) meant that any other beat nearby (like music in my ears ) was discordant to me. Those of you who insist that you can only run to music should try something else Running is a bit like dancing - it is rhythmic -- and you can't dance a Walz to the beat of a Foxtrot!!

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

BUT - you can run to the beat of a Waltz or the beat of a Foxtrot provided the cadence is right

[Hidden]

I agree, i find music distracting. Also i want to be connected to my surroundings on every level.

[mrrun Graduate]

Nobody's the same. I couldn't possibly run without music, or live, for that matter.

My music is always pre-planned, never a playlist, always an album and the choice will depend on quite a few factors.

I will never, ever, run to a beat. What if you're tired and the beat is too fast? Music is there to accompany, never to dictate a run.

All that stuff works great for me and it certainly did this morning after 6 when it rained ;). The looks on passing drivers' faces were worth the admission price alone.

[Anniemurph Graduate]

Mostly I run without music nowadays because I like to hear what's going on around me, but I have a couple of playlists lined up for when I need them. One is 'feelgood' motivational stuff which keeps me going at the end of a longer run, and another has stuff on there with a deliberately faster BPM than I would normally run. I use this for interval training or on days when I am trying to push myself, keeping to the beat. I'm pleased to say that I knocked a significant time off my 5k PB the other day using a faster playlist

[Sandyscroll]

I have been an amateur musician for most of my life, and most often a brass player. This means breathing and counting to the music. I've got myself in a right muddle sometimes because I've switched my breathing to the pace of the music instead of my feet. The rate of my breathing will change when going uphill (we have a nice selection of hills here) and the music will sometimes prevent me from concentrating on what I need to be doing. Also I run partly to be with nature, so I like to hear it...

...but...

...If I need a boost or distraction, I can get that from music. If I need momentum, I can get that from music. If I need a pace setter, I can get that from music (I don't have a watch gizmo). And if I want to mask the sound of traffic on some of the busy road routes, music can do that too.

The answer for me is to take it with me, line up appropriate tracks for the route, what I need or how I feel, and just use it when it will be helpful.