From my years of ironman training I learned how to run without headphones / music. Since the Ironman race did not allow portable music during the race I decided that it was better to train without the music so as not to become dependent on music to make it to the end of a run. Years have gone by and I have realized that there are some times that it really is fun to be able to run with music, whether it be a treadmill workout that is dragging or an outside run that just needs a bit more oomph. And it seemed that high-energy music certainly added a bit of speed to the run. This feeling is not just made-up; previous research studies have found that music can enhance a running experience and even reduce pain, and now a new study was published that concluded that listening to music, especially music that goes heavy on bass, can boost feelings of empowerment and control. It seems logical, powerful music translates to powerful run experiences. So, when your version of THPL is lagging a bit and you need a run to get the blood flowing, you might want to consider adding a “double espresso” called music to the run and call it a specially fueled run that taps that hidden power we always have in us but have to find a way to get it out.

Loving life and music on a run

Ciao

Joe