Just follow the rules peeps! (Page 2)

IF I get caught speeding, or cheating on my taxes (and I try not to do either) then I expect to suffer the consquences of my actions.  That will impact me, and likely no one else.  The exception to that is when I get into a collision because I am speeding.

Racing with an IPOD is a lot like speeding.  Someone is basically putting their fun ahead of your safety.  Hey I am not saying they are going to run into me, but why would I want to take the chance?

Additionally I can't say that I have EVER, EVER seen a top ranked racer win while wearing one.  (Even in events that don't ban them.)  Now why is that?  Could be they don't want to risk a DQ, or could be they have something they are doing differently than everyone else. 

You rarely ever see any of the pointy end of the field wearing them regardless of whether they win or not.

I like the way someone on the site said it ......... typically those that wear them are those that don't really like running to begin with.  If you enjoy running, you really don't need one ........

 Okay so what if they weren't wearing an ipod, I'd still be out of the race, yea?  I'd be equally as mad either way, but again, I don't expect everyone to think like me, and we can agree to disagree.  I guess I'm one of those types that is of the notion that things happen for a reason, and if that's my fate, so be it, ipod-clad wearing idiot or not.

That's exactly the point.  They are "in the zone" and completely oblivious to what is going on around them.

And as others have said, if you don't respect the game enough to play within the rules, then don't play.

Chilling with an iPod to get into the zone before a race isn't illegal. If you knowingly use one during a race when it's against the rules, that's a different story.  It gives off a certain air of "the rules don't apply to me" and "I lack the attention span or focus to make it through this run without music playing in my ears."

Yes, the technicality of Michael Phelps is that he uses it before the race, of course he doesn't use it when he's swimming, and I guess I didn't think it was worth me going through the extra typing to point that out, since I didn't think anybody would be so silly as to assume I thought that. 

My point of mentioning him isn't about whether or not he races with it, it is about what he uses it "for".  Likewise, people that run with ipods more likely than not use it for the same reasons.  I will totally agree with you that obnoxious people that listen to their ipods at unreasonable levels ruin it for everyone else, but I have a female friend that runs rather slow, and the ipod really helps her to keep her pace... She listens to it at a reasonable level and can hear things around her.  She's the nicest person in the world and wouldn't intentionally hurt anybody, and to put her in the same category as someone that you think is just a rebel and an inconsiderate human being is why i think the stereotype is dumb.

As I mentioned before, yes I follow the rules, but I for one can see the flipside of the coin.  There's nothing wrong with listening to an ipod at a reasonable level that you can hear what's going on around you, and running in a race... other than it being against the rules.

First of all Michael Phelps trains for hours a day without an ipod...using it to get in the zone before a race is not what is being referred to by the previous poster...

Secondly...I think what he is referring to as pathetic is our dependence on a piece of technology...people have ran for thousands of years with no ipod, yet we can't seem to live without it for a few hours...

There was plenty of entertainment out on the course yesterday...male cheerleaders, a mariacchi (sp?) band, dancing dragons, all kinds of music and 2 million screaming fans...

And to add my own pet peeve...DO NOT put your name on the front of your shirt and then wear your ipod...Why should I waste my voice cheering specifically for you when you can't even hear me!

I bet you'd be a lot more mad at someone who hit you in your car while they were drinking vs not drinking.  Either way your car is wrecked.  But in one case it was an accident in the other it was most likely a result of an impaired drive making the decision to get behind the wheel while impaired.

To play devils advocate...isn't the oncourse "entertainment" at these events just as distracting and could also lead to mishaps?  Seems like these things could lead to someone not paying attention just the same as an ipod.

Very true!... but add ipods, cell phones and people text messaging (saw it several times) and you have a recipe for real disaster...not to mention the spectators trying to get strollers across the race course!

1. It's against the rules.

2. It's against the rules because it's a distraction, or can be.

I'm certainly not saying that an iPod is an unfair advantage, though it makes one wonder why people "need" it on race day--I was just making the point that if you're willing to break the rules based on your arbitrary idea of what's impacting the race and what's not, you should be OK with others who break the rules as long as they don't impact the outcome of the race...

Gah, forums...

1.  I follow the rules. 

2. I never said it was ok to not follow the rules.

3. I can see the flip side of the coin, and why people might like to wear an ipod when they race (NOT why they break rules).  Not all of these people are the scum of the earth, and I'd venture to say the majority, as in 99%, will never affect you.  Some might not even know about the rule.

If ipod wearing was such a huge liability, every race would ban them of course.  But they don't.. http://www.portlandmarathon.org/mp3policy.php, and some even encourage it.

I guess I am just one to speak out against stereotyping an entire population of runners just because they don't agree with your ideology.  Just because you don't need an ipod when you race, doesn't make them wrong for wanting it (yes, breaking the rules is wrong, but that's not what I'm talking about, I'm talking about the point of wearing ipods at all).

EDIT:

Being from Dallas, and running the white rock half in december, I wondered about their policy, and I guess great minds think alike. Here's their new policy, and imo exactly how I felt it should work as I said in a previous post in this thread... no presumption of guilt here, and I'm glad our race officials have the same sense that I do.

iPod Policy Relaxed Based on Runner Input
iPods and Headphone Devices No Longer Prohibited
July 4, 2008

Based on runner input, we have updated the guidelines on iPods and other headset devices and will no longer prohibit them. Since our course is a closed course during the term of the event, wearing an iPod WILL NOT result in disqualification in and by itself. If wearing an iPod or headset device results in you not hearing or obeying race instructions, you could be disqualified. We expect all participants to use good judgment and take responsibility for their actions should they wear an iPod or similar device during the race. We do ask that all participants be able to hear last minute instructions both at the start and finish lines, and that the ear buds be removed at these locations.

http://www.runtherock.com/news/2008/0704_ipod_policy.html

Having started this I can agree with all of the above, points being in this case:

1) Chicago had a no Ipod/cell phone rule which many did not follow.  They determine the rules of their race and IMO the number of people/chaos for this race it makes sense.

2) There are people undoubtedly who are not the problem as to why the rules exist and can still race responbily with them.  As is often the case, the few screw it up for the many.

3) Whatever the rule of the race is, comply with it cuz there is a reason! 

Thats all I was trying to say.