Confessions of a former iPod hating runner (Part I)
Posted January 24th, 2007 at 8:30 AM by Paul Petersen
Section: Running & Training, Motivation, Music, Training Tips
Well, I’ve broken down and done it. I have purchased an mp3 player … and I intend to run with it!
Most of you are probably thinking: “Well, so what? Welcome to the 21st century!” It’s true, I’ve been a bit behind. But there’s more to it than that. I have to confess that I have been one of those people who not only did not have an mp3 player, but actually frowned upon their use while running.
“It’s dangerous, not being able to hear and all,” I would rationalize. I would glower at unsuspecting music-listeners as they ran; assuming that they must be getting in everyone’s way during races as well. Not to mention all those mp3-lovin’ vagabonds blatantly violating the rules in races where audio devices are banned.
Then a few weeks ago my wife challenged me to fully explain my irritation with mp3 players. I opened my mouth, but then . . . I closed it. I had nothing constructive to say. No real reason, other than I didn’t understand listening to music while running. In my own ideals, the wind blowing by my ears should be enough.
To hold ideals is fine, except that I chose to then be prejudiced against those who weren’t like me. Prejudice at any level stems, at least partially, from a lack of understanding and an inability to see outside one’s own perspective (among other issues). It was humbling for me to come to this realization.
At that point I decided to give it a shot, to try the running with music thing; to at least see what it is all about. I went to the local music store and purchased a $15 Coby mp3 player. I figured I would start low on the technology scale and work my way up to an iPod if I really liked it. The player is the size of my thumb and weighs half as much.
“Well, at least it won’t decrease my running economy or lower my V02Max,” I thought to myself with a smirk. Nor did it empty my wallet. I had no idea that mp3 players could be so cheap.
My little Coby player has 128 mb of storage, an equivalent to 60 four-minute songs. This would be a paltry amount for most people, but I’m so cantankerous that I can’t even think of 60 songs that I like. Fortunately, I soon discovered that many of my favorite NPR shows have things called “podcasts” that I could apparently play on the device. Intriguing.
I then found that in order to download most “podcasts”, I needed something called “iTunes” installed on my computer (although not for The Final Sprint’s podcasts which can be downloaded and played on any computer, with or without iTunes! Yea, yea yea – I know – I’m biased – but seriously – they are excellent!).
Fortunately, iTunes installation was idiot-proof, meaning I had no problem loading it on my computer and figuring out how to use it. I proceeded to download podcasts of This American Life, Living on Earth, and Michael Feldman’s Whad’Ya Know?. Sweet!
To balance out my listening and make me feel less boring, I also downloaded a 1992 Toad the Wet Sprocket concert from the Live Music Archive. After all, the early ’90s was back when music was still good, right? Even a curmudgeon like me could appreciate that. (True music lovers should also give TFS’s pump-up iMix’s a try. A different genre of music is used for each week’s iMix and you can download them iTunes).
The mp3’s are now all loaded up and ready to go. I am surprised to find myself eagerly anticipating my run tomorrow; to have Ira Glass and Glen Phillips in my ear rather than the wind. Perhaps I won’t like it, perhaps I will prefer the wind. But perhaps this experiment will introduce a new aspect to my running that I never knew was available. I may find a new wrinkle in enjoying an old, beloved activity.
In both life and in our running, opening ourselves to new experiences and new modes of thought can bring us out of our caves of complacency, prejudice even, and expose us to wonderful new worlds. The lessons I’ve already learned from all this is to seek to understand, to try something new, and to experiment with something I have left alone for many years.
I’ll keep you posted and share the results of my experiment in Part II … here goes nothing!
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Part II - The End of Faith
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- Podcast 114: JAY JOHNSON Univ. of Colorado Middle- Distance Coach (Part 1 of 2)
Tags: apple, audio, audio device, Coby, experiment, ipod, itunes, motivation, mp3, mp3 player, music, NPR, podcast, podcasts, pump up, running to music, running with music, safety, training
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The Final Sprint
I felt the same way you did. Yesterday I ran with my ipod. Oh my. That’s all I can say. Am I supposed to focus on my run or on my tunes? When I focus on my tunes, the run just sort of happens. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but guess what? I’m running with my ipod today too! :)
January 31st, 2007 at 8:53 amThe ipod is not your friend. I hate my ipod. Do you?
ihatemyipod c o m
September 27th, 2007 at 3:06 pm