During a race, why can’t you listen to music during the run?
I realize I have become a little dependent on music during running. I think it helps lift the spirit and a good tempo can help me push more. I know I would of liked it at my recent race, I would of loved to drown out my panting
I understand not allowing music during the bike, but the run too? Seems a little uptight to me?
I’m somewhat new to triathlons, and it seems this is standard. Is this a USAT rule? Or just general norm?
I never run without music. However, I never feel like I’m missing while racing. There is always so much going on around you, new scenery, an your own effort to focus on.
I’m pretty sure it’s banned for safety reasons. You need to be able to hear what’s going on around you. Sure, it’s not a big deal if you’re the only one wearing headphones, but could you imagine 3000 people on a crammed IM course all oblivious to their surroundings?
The argument is typically that you need to be able to hear instructions and such. I think it is an inaccurate premise. I run thousands of miles with music in one ear while carrying on conversations. No problem.
That way you can clearly hear the guys not wearing headphones yelling “on your left” or “runner up” as they approach at high speed.
This weekend I did have a few sketchy moments Saturday at a 1/2 marathon. It was a race where they ran the 10k & 5k on the same course, but the 10k and 1/2 mary added an out and back section. When the courses merged again, you have the leaders of the 10k and 1/2 mary going at sub 6 pace coming up on 10-12’ pace joggers, most not surprisingly wearing i-pods. Fortunately it was a wide road and not too bad to weave through. The biggest concern was my motorcycle escort not flattening someone. A few blasts of his siren and a LOT of honking solved that. I only nearly laid out on spectator that stepped off a sidewalk not realizing the 1/2 mary course turned right at that intersection.
I could see a descent argument for safety concerns with those wearing them from my observations.
On a related note: I was on a nice easy stroll on the local bike path last night and a slow moving cyclist decided to scream “ON YOUR LEFT” right in my ear. I was on the right side of the trail and actually almost jumped right into them. Scared the sh*t out of me and I wasn’t even wearing headphones.
as i have gotten older and a lot slower I end up running with lots of headphone wearers. I don’t imagine it is some big safety issue, but I find them a pain in the neck sometimes because they can’t sense when someone is near them and they tend to veer into people, or me at least.
I ran splat into the back of this young lady in a trail race last year, I was lapping her and she had the freaking walkman blaring so loud I could hear it and I said “on your left” twice then she moved right into me and splat she had this sweaty middle aged man stuck to the back of her. Sorry sweetie.
I ran splat into the back of this young lady in a trail race last year, I was lapping her and she had the freaking walkman blaring so loud I could hear it and I said “on your left” twice then she moved right into me and splat she had this sweaty middle aged man stuck to the back of her. Sorry sweetie.
You ran into the back of a runner and it was her fault because she didn’t hear you. Hmmm. OK. Did you intend of her to simply get out of your way?
I think mostly it is just for simplicity sake for triathlons because on the bike it is definitely a safety issue and it is easier just to say no headphones for the entire race than to just say it for the bike… In terms of pure running races it has never been an issue… I have always been able to move around slower runners easily and I have never run into anyone…
I ran splat into the back of this young lady in a trail race last year, I was lapping her and she had the freaking walkman blaring so loud I could hear it and I said “on your left” twice then she moved right into me and splat she had this sweaty middle aged man stuck to the back of her. Sorry sweetie.
You ran into the back of a runner and it was her fault because she didn’t hear you. Hmmm. OK. Did you intend of her to simply get out of your way?
no, I was passing her on a somewhat narrow trail and said “on your left” twice and moved to the leftmost part of the trail, she jusy sort of randomly moved over 2 feet because she had no awareness of her surroundings or that someone was passing her.
Let me guess, I was wrong and should have sent her a memo or employed some sort of flare gun or klaxon device?
