I'm excited to report that I will be running my first 5K in about 2 weeks (July 14), but I have a dumb question:

Do you run the race with your headphones on so that you can listen to your workout music?

Whenever I go running I go with my ipod and it really helps me move. The few times I wasn't able to take it with me I noticed a serious lag in my step and I just didn't enjoy it quite as much. When you run a race do you listen to music, or does it somehow interfere with what's going on?

I know to be sure to get a good night's sleep and eat a decent breakfast before going, and to stay hydrated of course. Any other beginner's advice is always appreciated though!

I use my headphones when I run a longer race, like a half. But for a short race like a 5K, I enjoy racing with the other runners and getting caught up in the excitement of the race.

It's a personal decision! If it were me, I would bring them and you can start with them and take them off if you want or vice versa - try running without music and if you are lagging, but it on!

Jen

How exciting for you Missy Krissy!!

I would check your particular race details first. Most of the ones I've seen have language like "headphones are discouraged" etc. I've heard of a few banning them. The race I'm running in the fall says you're not allowed to carry a cell phone, which I don't understand at all (maybe it interferes with their chip timing?).

I think mostly they discourage it because they want you to be able to hear directions from race officials if needed. Also, if its a crowded race, you might not hear other runners talking to you - ie: passing on your left, etc.

I wore one earbud for my last race, which made me feel like I was still well aware of what was going on around me. I think if that race had gotten really hard, I would have put my 2nd earbud in for major music motivation

Also, I think it's a really great experience to hear the spectators cheering you on for the first time! Very motivating!

Thanks for responding! I checked the website but there's very little information and it doesn't mention anything about headphones. I don't really know what the norm is for these sorts of things! I guess I'll just bring mine and decide when I get there if I want to use them.

Great question! ANd good luck and congrats on your first 5k! I have not raced since before I was pregnant and even then I was a n00b. But from what I understand from running forums, it is frowned upon. The gist I got is that it puts you in your own world and its not good for being aware of the runners around you. Personally I am a music junkie when I work out!! I cannot move without my headphones! (ear buds now? lol, when I first started working out I had a walkman and the big fuzzy earphones, just to date myself!)

I do not wear music to race, and the first time I did it I was actually scared that I wouldnt be able to do it without music, but the crowd was enough to keep me moving and faster actually. I do better times at races than on my own.

Anyway, if you do chose to leave the music behind I think you'll find that its not as bad as you might think.

Good luck!!

if you are doing a race on a road, it is a liability for the race organizers if they don't tell people not to wear headphones...the idea is that if they don't do that, and someone wears headphones and gets hit by a car, then they would be liable for those injuries...in the one race that I was part of, they told me "off the record" that I could run with my headphones on and not get in trouble but that legally on the registration I had "been warned" so to speak...so if I got run over by a car they wouldn't be liable for that

on the other hand, this was also a race without people cheering us on throughout the length of the race...there was a few people at the start/finish line and that's about all

The biggest mistake most people do is start out too fast--trying to keep up with other runners. Stay back take it easy and run your race--not someone else's. Your music is just fine to take if you want--(unless the organizers prohibit it.)