I started running about a year and a half ago and completed my first half marathon this past August. When I started running, I used the treadmill in our basement. I decided to watch episodes of television that I don’t normally have time to while logging miles. Last January I thought running with other people would keep me motivated, so I joined Itasca Runners. They are a great group of people who get together every Saturday morning to run five miles or more. The first time I went, I was just finishing three on the treadmill, but I figured I had nothing to lose, so I went.
Needless to say, it took a while to get to five miles with the group and even longer to thirteen for a half marathon. The first few times I went running I took my iPod and put a file on it that I titled “Driving Hits.” This is a collection of songs that I like and actually know most of the words that I use to stay focused on long drives (hence the title). As a music therapist, this sounded like a great idea. After all, there’s a ton of research showing that using music can increase stamina, energy, and motivation during exercise. Why not practice what I preach?
Well the marching band geek in me started to take over and I noticed that I changed my beat to match the tempo of each song. I would barely move for the 80s power ballads and fly for the alternative songs. While there is something to be said for interval training, I don’t think this was what they had in mind! I finally broke down and bought a separate smaller iPod for running (and recently transitioned to a Sony Walkman) and played only those songs that matched the pace I wanted to keep up with and had words that motivated me to keep running even when I preferred to. take the shortcut back to Starbucks.
Even with all my education and experience as a music therapist, I wondered how much music helped me run. To test this I started running with other groups. They ran at my general pace and were very chatty on the trails. wow! What a difference! I found that I struggled more with my breathing, was less motivated to push on to the next mile, and was generally miserable by the time I finished. While I enjoyed his company, I found that running did not bring me the same satisfaction that I found running to music. There really is something to be said about a favorite or motivating song coming along at just the right time during a long run!
Here are my recommendations from an experienced music therapist but novice runner for using music in a race:
• Choose songs that make you want to wiggle your toes or get up and dance. You can tell it motivates you.
• Listen to the words. I realized during a ten mile run that a song I like has horrible lyrics to try to get through two hours of running. Nothing says hang in there and cross the finish line like a song about giving up or being down!
• I like to have at least a few songs that I know all the words to. I know it sounds crazy, but I usually don’t know the words to the songs I like. Being able to “sing” while running can really help me stay focused and even help with my breathing. Being a music fan can help my musical brain not turn off the idea of phrasing to breathe.
• Pay attention to the speed of your songs. If you’re like me, the tempo of the song can completely throw off the pace at which you run. If you can’t separate your movements from what you hear, find songs that match your current rhythm. Through practice I have been able to separate the listening and moving parts of my brain, but I still find that a great tune at a faster tempo will give my step a bit of oomph and increase my pace.
Remember these are just my “live and learn” suggestions and ideas that I have found through trial and error along the way and research through music therapy. The best you can do is find your own path and your own selections. Happy racing!
©R. Wellman 2011
