Tris and banned iPods?

It's a matter of safety and possibly pacing, but that is a weak argument.  At my last tri a competitor received a 2 minute penalty for an ipod.

Everyone? Ha! Is this one of my kids posting?


It is a safety issue on the run as well. People can get distracted by music, and can get distracted by the device. I've seen people stop dead in the middle of a course to mess with their MP3 player.

At the half I ran in May a girl hit the ground.  When she sat up she was disoriented and her lips seemed pale.  The ambulance picked her up and was trying to get through the runners.  Most people heard and moved aside.  A few people with headphones kept running up the middle of the street until others physically got their attention. 

That may have a little to do with it.  In a medical emergency, the benefit of urgency should be greater than the convenience of the latest Justin Bieber tune. 

 In a medical emergency, the benefit of urgency should be greater than the convenience of the latest Justin Bieber tune. 


CLASSIC!

x2 well said!

They are banned in USATF-sanctioned races (or they were, they keep changing their rules).

The reason USATF bans them is because they ban all audio receiving/sending equipment for participants, because they are considered outside assistance. Sure, what looks like an iPod could be a receiver for a competitor to receive information from someone about strategy and how the field is doing. And it's only fair to ban them for everyone, not just those who might be in front.

I'm guessing that the reasoning behind USAT bans are probably similar, and outside assistance in the nature of field position is probably even more important in a tri with wave starts and multiple legs.

I'm not going to repeat what everyone else said but I will offer an observation...

You won't even MISS the Ipod.  Trust me.  I train with one a lot.  Bike rides and runs...  But I have yet to ever "miss" or "need" an Ipod in a race.  Even in an Ironman.

This user's post has been ignored.

He is a serial bomber on CSI!  I thought that was interesting.

heh.  If I ever listened to Justin Bieber I'd probably appreciate that more.  lol

Hmmm... Because on my half marathons I need them.  I am a very slow runner, so I'm on the course for quite a while. I can't imagine running that far without it. 

You don't need music. I'm quite certain that you possess the capacity to finish your distances without music. You need to want it enough.

I'm also a slow runner.  I use my iPod whenever I train, and for most road races. I don't use it for tri's, since it is banned.  My last half mary (the first was over 12 years ago - I don't think we had MP3/iPod's back then) I did one of the Rock and Roll half's, so I would never be more than a few minutes away from some tunes.  It worked out well - there were a lot of bands on the course, cheerleaders, and community groups, so it really felt like a rolling party,  Even though I was out there for a shade over 2.5 hours, I did not miss the headphones.  Plus I didn't have to deal with the earbuds being all gross and sweaty the way they do after running in training.

yeah, and there are WAY more people on the course...  You can chat them up if you want.  Aid stations every mile...  There is SO much more going on than a solo 6 hr ride or 2 hr run at home.

Plus, who wants to mess with an iPod in transition??

I for one, love ALL types of music, I enjoy listening to music at work, while driving, at concerts...I even enjoy trying to play music....but why on earth would I ruin something as beautiful as a run (at any distance) with music in my ears....I absolutely LOVE the time I spend with my thoughts and the sounds of the outside environment!  I decided to give up training with music when I got more serious about racing (nothing new on race day...), and now I cannot go back! (EXCEPTIONS are treadmills, but I only get on one of those things when there are monsoons out...)  There is just something I can't explain about not having music to "distract" my mind when I am 9 miles into a 12 mile run and everything in me is saying just mail it in....that, to me, is the BEST place to grow in many, many more ways than just physical endurance.  I would encourage anyone who depends on music to get thru training, be it running, swimming, or whatever else to at least attempt going without it for a few days....What you find may surprise you...   EITHER WAY, have fun and stay healthy!!!

I don't remember anymore. They kept changing their minds as to what they wanted to do. I think the race director's discretion is what they decided upon, but it was for non-elite runners, and they still highly discourage the use.

Which is dumb. Make it illegal, or don't. I generally don't care one way or the other, but I certainly understand the external assistance argument.

I am also a convert. I used to use my Ipod for all of my road races & then one day at a HM I left mine at home..I actually enjoyed myself.  Its really not so bad in races because you have so much going on around you.

My girlfriend also got a 2 minute penalty at the Tri we did together.  She was bummed but understood why she got the penalty.  

Years ago, I ran with music but stopped when I got back into marathons and they were still banned back then. 

Last year, just for giggles, I tried one daily run again with my ipod - drove me absolutely bananas - I had to cut the run short to get rid of the thing.

Running without music is sooooo much better - give it a try!!

Cheers, Chris

I've certainly run smaller distances (5k, etc) without it, but never longer.  Maybe I'll try it.  I'm of the opposite point of view, though...I love music, and really enjoy making my playlists and listening to them.  Certain songs just pump me up, and get me through at times when I'm really hurting.  And, being the mom of two small kids, it's really the only time I have to listen to whatever I want (in the car I don't play music with explicit lyrics, like Eminem, for example, but I love to run to him!)

no ipod on bike ride i can understand.
on the run i am all for music. if you are not then i say don't use one.
i don't know about the medical emergency excuse, you must have a louder playing ipod than me-and that's coming from a fireman/emt.

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Edited by trotpntbll 2010-09-28 2:57 PM

Well, I think people run for different reasons, and I don't believe there is a "wrong" reason.  I enjoy running, but don't LOVE it.  I run for many reasons:  to help with my health (bones and heart), to relieve stress, to get alone time, etc.  I am not a runner who loves running purely.  I do enjoy it, and love being outside, but I have many factors behind why I do it.  Does that make sense?

That being said, I agree with you that maybe I need to retrain my mind to be able to get through runs longer than 5k without music. As I wrote earlier, I've never tried it, so maybe it wouldn't be difficult at all.