The Case for Running Without Headphones
I’ve run two marathons without headphones. I know, it sounds insane. And maybe it was.
But it also made for two very memorable experiences, and I think everyone should practice the art of running without headphones. Here’s why.
Friendship Found — New Jersey Marathon, 2012
It was my first marathon, and I was determined to experience every moment of it. To that end, I decided to start running without listening to music. I had my phone and headphones with me just in case, but within the first mile, a guy who was running near me commented on another runner’s decision to run barefoot.
At the time, Born To Run was trending, and barefoot running was having a moment. Seeing this runner’s calloused feet hitting the pavement blew our minds.
And so began a four-hour friendship. His name was Jim and he was from New Jersey. He’d run several marathons and woke up at the crack of dawn to train alone in the dark. We talked about training plans, marathon tips, our personal lives, everything. The miles flew by and I barely noticed them.
I had a feeling Jim was faster than I was, but he declined my multiple offers to run ahead. He seemed to be enjoying the distraction of conversation too, and I almost felt bad for other runners who seemed to be struggling as we ran by them, chatting away.
By the time we got to the finish line, Jim politely excused himself to sprint to the end. Afterward, we met up for a photo and said our goodbyes.
It was one of those perfect running friendships — fleeting, but also lasting. We never exchanged contact information, but I often think about him and how different my first marathon would have been if I’d been listening to music instead of making a friend.
Enlightened Running — Chicago Marathon (2015)
For my second marathon, I was hopeful that I’d find another friend to keep me company along the way. It was my first big-city marathon, and in a stroke of optimism, I left my headphones and phone in my checked bag at the start/finish line.
Little did I know, it would turn out to be one of the hotter Chicago marathons on record, with temperatures reaching 80 degrees Fahrenheit. And in true big city form, no one was really socializing.
By mile 12, the city was baking and my mind was frying. I was really regretting my choice to not give myself the option of music.
At that point, my thoughts were going in circles. I was getting sick and tired of myself and my thoughts, so I told my brain to beat it. Instead of thinking, I focused on just being a body — a running body — and it was my first experience with something like meditation.
Keeping my mind quiet and my hamster brain reined in, I pushed on at a steady pace while runners around me dropped like flies, most of them opting to walk the last few miles of the race.
Even though that marathon was tortuous, I learned something valuable that day.
I learned that I don’t need constant entertainment to occupy every single moment of every single run. It’s all too easy to skip through music and podcasts seeking something to occupy our minds with.
The harder thing is to fully embrace the moment in all its discomfort and simply let go.
I’m not against running with headphones, but I think it’s healthy to sometimes intentionally forget them.
You never know when your headphones might not be fully charged, or they might unexpectedly malfunction on you in the middle of a race.
What then?
If you don’t know how to run without distraction, it could really throw your race off.
What do you do? What do you think about? Do you even think at all? Do you sing songs in your head? Draft Medium articles?
Just as you practice running in different weather conditions to prepare your body for every eventuality, it’s important to also prepare your mind for the lack of distractions.
And you never know, you might discover something about yourself if you turn off the distractions and just let life happen.
