Running with Music

...in your head!

by Brad Boughman

Listening to upbeat music before a run is a fun and easy way to gain extra motivation during a run and to make long runs more enjoyable. What gets your blood pumping? My personal favorite is still the Rocky IV Soundtrack. The songs are upbeat and have powerful, inspiring lyrics that play in my head late in my runs when I need it most. As one song goes, “In the warrior’s code, there’s no surrender. Though his body cries stop, his spirit cries…NEVER!” Wow! I’m getting pumped up just writing that!

Find something that moves you and speaks to you. I know some people like to wear headphones during runs. However, I encourage you to not wear headphones while training unless you are running on a treadmill. While you may enjoy listening to music while you run, headphones can be quite dangerous since they limit your ability to hear what is going on in your surroundings. For instance, if you are blaring music into your ears, you might not hear the squealing tires closing in on you or someone coming up behind you. Do not wear headphones.

Instead, enjoy the run by letting your mind run free. Your imagination will run wild on things to think about. In fact, you will find yourself finding solutions to challenges in your life and coming up with new goals to set for yourself. If you are listening to positive, inspiring music, then you will find yourself playing back the tunes in your head late in the run when you are out of things to think about.

Action Items:

• Find a CD that inspires you.

• Listen to it before running. If you run in the mornings, then listen to music in your car on your way home from work the day before. No matter when you run, make sure to listen to music that inspires you.

• Enjoy the extra motivation late in the run!