Running with headphones is not cheating. Get off your high horses
- Two high-profile articles have called out ‘headphone running’ as a reduced form of exercise
- Is it really that big of a deal?
As an avid runner for most of my life, I cannot even begin to count the kilometres I’ve pounded out all over the world. On top of that is pretty much a daily routine of treadmill running at night to wind down from the day.
I’ve completed a bunch of 10km races and even a marathon, and running has become my athletic saviour after injuries have made playing contact sports almost impossible for my body to handle.
But lately I’m feeling attacked, vilified and even targeted: I am one of the many who runs with headphones.
Two recent high-profile pieces, one in GQ and one in The New York Times, have called out headphone running as a form of cheating. They state running au natural is the only way to go, and that with any other way you’re missing out on the full experience: nature, the trees, the birds, deep philosophical ruminations, et cetera.
Really? First off, treadmill running is boring, there is no way around that. I’d never be able to stomach my usual six to eight clicks each night without Spotify in my ears. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t want to either. I look forward to my nightly run because I know not only am I staying in shape, but I get to listen to some great tunes.