Survey for RUNNERS: Do you listen to music?

Oh. I started running at age 23..never thought I could! But I was having such a hard time losing the baby weight after my first baby! So my hubby (who is a military guy..) taught me how to run! I shed the weight and I've loved it ever since!

it sure is a DREDmill..but in New England it ends up being a necessity in the winter!! Blahhh!

I see more and more people listening to music as a distraction while running. I've run for a lot of years, and have never needed to listen to music. Having said that though, I do readily admit to having tried it on and off over the past few years, but actually find it more of a nuisance than blessing. But it's just a personal thing.

I have a theory on this topic. I think that if you formally "ran" as a youngster (early high school or younger), that you probably don't listen to music while running, and that if you became a "runner" as an adult, it's the opposite... almost a necessity (or crutch as I like to think of it).

So I'm putting it out there to you "RUNNERS".... do you listen to music while running? Do you NEED to listen to music to get through your run? And the big question.... At what age did you formally start "running"?

**** I'm mainly speaking of running outdoors, not on the Tmill. ****

Thanks for playing along everyone.

I started running as an adult. 30ish?

If I run by myself, unless it is a trail run, I will be listening to something. I f I need to focus on my pace, I'll listen to a podcast so the beat of the music doesn't mess me up. Trail runs are distracting enough without anything else. and if I'm running with another person, then I'll talk to that person and not listen to anything else.

I don't now but I used to run every day (unless below 20 deg or lightning). If running alone I always listened to music. When my girls were younger they would usually come along on their bike or roller blades and then I'd just listen to then prattle on about school and their friends and not need music.

But your theory may be correct because I never ran until I was in my 30's, except the normal outside play as a young child, wich was much more than today (I grew up in 60's / 70's).

I started running 6 years or so ago at age 25. I used to listen to music. Then I got an ipod touch as a gift, but with no arm band. I was too lazy to buy one, so I just stopped listening to music on my runs. Now I prefer it that way. Plus I run a lot at night and I don't like not being able to hear what's going on around me.

I do agree, that on the rare occasion I use a treadmill, I have to have music. I would not get through a treadmill workout without it!

I was not much of a runner in High School, played soccer but was the starting goalie, so didn't need to run as much as everyone else. I jogged to get by (if that makes sense).

Now that I'm down 50 pounds (or close to it), I have taken up "trying" to run, as a way to increase my heart rate, as walking fast doesn't feel like work anymore. I'm trying to jog for time, not distance right now. I would rather jog 30 minutes at a slower speed, then to burn out after 15 minutes trying to run at a marathon pace, to keep my heart rate up.

I do listen to music when I'm running, especially something from Podrunner, as the 150-160 beats per minute tempo helps me focus in on my stride, so I'm not going to fast (or slow). I equate it to a pianist using a metronome. I can honestly say I haven't tried running without music - maybe I should give it a try and see what happens. I'm afraid that hearing my labored breathing may hinder my run, the music is a distraction from the "effort" sound I'm putting out. Again, just starting out with jogging, so it's very much a chore right now (although I like how I feel after a run!)

Yes, I listen to music when I run. I'm 38 now, have been running again for about...oh...4 months.

I went to college on a partial wrestling scholarship, so I obviously ran quite a bit in my younger (which seems like a former, 1989-1992) life. Listened to music then, too. Just instead of an MP3 player, I had to use cassettes/radio on a sony walkman. I actually had a portable CD player to listen to back then...but...well...those never worked very well, every step meant a skip.

I listen to music in my office when I'm working, in my car when I'm driving, in my bathroom when I'm showering, etc. It's no crutch (a description that I find kinda...well.. I dont understand it here), I just like listening to music.

YES! I listen to it through the speaker of my phone though...I stopped using head phones.

It really depends of my mood and where I'm running. If I'm running on the road, never. On a trail or path, sometimes. It just really depends of my mood. In January, I started back running after a 13 year hiatus. Back then, I "formally" started running around 25 and never listened to music while I ran. I rarely run on a dreadmill...it bores me to tears.

Never...I only run outdoors.