Ditching the Headphones: a tool to run mindfully

Happy New Year! To start 2020, I wanted to suggest a trial of ditching our headphones on the run.

Admittedly, I used to run with headphones nearly 100% of the time. I would listen to everything from music (mostly Bruce Springsteen), to podcasts, to audiobooks. And many of my athletes tell me that they can’t imagine running without their headphones for a variety of reasons. The most common reason I get is that music takes their mind off of the hard task of running, and this is no surprise given that several studies have shown that listening to music helps in decreasing perceived exertion while running.

Here is my challenge to you: Ditch the headphones as an experiment in mindfulness - maybe for one workout, or for one week? Focus solely on the walk or run at hand, and just see what happens…

*Check in with your body

Without headphones, we can more easily ask ourselves for real time feedback on how this workout is going. How am I doing today? Is anything hurting or sore? How does this pace feel? Am I breathing too hard for this pace? 

*Become more open to others

Without headphones, we appear more open to others. Maybe we can give a nod, a hello, and a wave as we pass our fellow walkers and runners out there on the trail. People wearing headphones can give the impression that they are closed off.

*Become more aware of the world around us 

This one is most important, as it is a matter of safety. I like to be able to hear all of the sounds around me when I’m running outside - a car approaching, a dog barking, other footfalls around me. But also, when I started running without headphones, I began to notice the world around me. I could more easily focus on the sound around me - my footfalls on different surfaces: sidewalk, dirt, track, trail; the wind in the trees; my breathing. 

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For me, focusing on the sounds and on how my body is feeling has helped me to clear my mind of thoughts, or has helped me to think clearly about some thoughts, depending on the day. In other words, losing the headphones has helped me to bring a meditative aspect to my running.

Back to my challenge…If ditching the earbuds sounds like an absolute no-go for you at this time, humor me and ditch just one of them. This way, you’ve got at least one ear open. Think of it as a matter of safety, if nothing else. 

But truly, if you try this for one week, you might uncover some interesting data about your running and about how your body is feeling, how you’re adjusting to the training. In addition, you may find running to be quite enjoyable when you are more engaged with the world around you and with the other humans around you.

For help in bringing a mindful approach to your running, join me for a free consult to get started!