Following my new found addiction to Glee I was delighted to find the original version of ‘Don’t Stop Believing’ on my IPod. As I bounded along the pavement I became increasingly grateful to my good friend Nat, for purchasing the 101 Running Songs album for me. There are some absolute classics on there.
A good music selection can motivate and inspire you during the most challenging runs and the importance of choosing music that inspires you has been well documented by various sports psychologists.
Dr Karageorghis of Brunel University has done extensive research on the ability of music to increase sports performance. He has also worked on the music half marathon Run To The Beat, which has been held in London, but which could be rolled out across Europe in the near future. The idea of coordinating live music with group sporting participation is a clever one, a little bit of music can make such a difference and boost to your run.
But what happens when you iPod has run out of battery?
Dr Karageorgshis advocates training to music but with including music free work-outs to ensure desensitization does not occur. Which means on the days you have forgotten your iPod you have no excuse to get out there.
For the days when you do indulge in the music it is important to get the tempo right. Whilst you might love a bit of a Buble style ballad, it is good to choose music similar to the speed you run. You can increase the tempo for more intense workouts or if you are lucky enough to have Nike + trainers and a chip you can let it do the track selection for you.
My more recent runs have definitely been improved by the music and I have found it enables an opportunity to indulge in a guilty pleasure. It allows you to listen to music you may have been a tad embarrassed about anyone overhearing at the gym. S Club 7 or 5ive anyone?
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