Compression & Headphones

It’s an ongoing debate. We have talked about compression gear, attempted to get into the science of it when most of us trail runners can barely estimate the distances we run. There has been an endless discussion on the benefit of music which hasn’t gained a combined resonance from the running community. Lots are for it, lots against.

Does compression gear help me improve my gait? Is it a bit of a placebo effect? Does DJ Tiesto make me run faster? Do I feel like Kilian Jornet while running up a mountain and listening to Metallica’s “Harvester of Sorrow”?

My honest opinion is…no.

In trail running, I need to feel the environment, not hear a melody that drowns it. We hear that every other day, don’t we?

I do wear compression gear and do listen to music while running at times. But lately, I have begun to experiment on a few different variations while training with some remarkable reflections.

Music & Headphones

As much as I like to listen to music, I personally feel that it has worked against me in some of my training sessions. I would admit that I do listen to music at points where things begin to hurt. But as a start, here’s why I would prefer not to listen to music while running:

1. To run with headphones I would require a pair of shorts or an accessory to carry my phone. That would entail carrying additional weight, just for a bunch of tunes, unless I am on a long trail run and carrying a hydration pack, I would have to carry my phone anyway.
2. Headphone wires tend to irritate me a little, almost like a mosquito flying around your neck which takes my focus off running.
3. I can’t hear my breathing and it takes me a little longer for my running and breathing to get in sync.
4. Awareness of my surroundings diminishes. We are running in nature, after all. Embrace the crickets, birds, occasional snake and foliage. Plus it is good trail etiquette to know if a fellow runner is coming up behind.
5. Every tune has a different bpm which can affect pace, stride and heart rate. That is quite different from ultra running where the aim is to maintain a fairly steady heart rate bpm.

Compression Gear

I do run my ultras in compression gear. To be specific, I enjoy wearing the Twin Skins where it is a pair of shorts with tights underneath. My reason behind wearing these is not because I feel that they help in my running. It is because they tend to keep my legs and nether regions warm in cold weather, while running in the Alps where temperatures can drop to 4 degrees Celsius easily. If I were to run in South East Asia, I might just pick out a pair of running shorts.

It just feels more natural to move my legs in a normal pair of shorts. While wearing compression gear, I do feel that there is a tourniquet around my veins at times.

While doing my weekly speed training, I recently traded my compression gear for a normal pair of running shorts instead. The results were fascinating. With a pair of shorts, my leg extension and cadence improved and also seemed much more natural. It was an enlightening moment for me.

Reflection

Ultimately, it is up to our personal preference on gear. This is my opinion on how I have recently begun to think a little more on what works and doesn’t work for me.

Going back to the basics of wearing a worn out and torn t shirt and a borrowed pair of shoes to smash out a run is fun. I tried it recently and realised that we make running more complicated than it should be.

Lots to learn and reflect upon this.