Forums >Racing>Oh, by the way... leave your iPod at home
What was the problem actually? I don't get wearing headphones in races but I could care less if someone else does. Headphones make you slower. It's true. I have conducted scientific, peer-reviewed studies that PROVE it. You can too. First, go to a road race. Next, watch the finishers and count how many of the 20 finishers are wearing headphones. Next, count how many of the next 20 finishers are wearing headphones, then the next 20, etc. You will find that the farther back in the pack you get, the higher the concentration of headphone wearers. Therefore, by using swamp aesthetic logic and erlang tables for statistical analysis, this proves that headphones make you slower. If a runner wants to do something in a race to make himself slower, I say to each his own (as long as he lines up behind me.) Also, Eye of the Tiger was a great song.
E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com -----------------------------
Shit...I just HAD to click on that, didn't I...
Well I agree that this sounds like a dangerous situation to be weaing an iPod. Rather than banning iPods though, I would argue that it would make more sense to let the wheelchair participant get a head start rather than have him barrel through the runners, which is dangerous whether they're wearing iPods or not. Anyway, I honestly didn't start this thread to "be antisocial" or even to debate iPod vs no iPod. My rant was because I was very upset that a race would gladly take my money w/o mentioning this policy then spring it on me two days before in an email. Thats a total bs move in my opinion. If races want to ban headphones, that is 100% fine with me. Just let me and the 50% (or whatever) who want to wear them know in advance and we will gladly run in other races. Of course, that might affect turnout.
One day at a time
I would be happy if they could just get people to stop running with their DOGS!
Books I Have Read
Last Race: Portland Maine Half Marathon October 5 2014
"In my earlier, slightly dumber years, I probably drove a dozen times after having a few (read: several) too many beers. These dumber years were generally overseas, and most of those inebriated drives involved a 20 mile trip on the A94 on the way north towards Aberdeen, Scotland. At 90 miles an hour, driving on the wrong side of the road, with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car." LOL... OK I am officially done with this. "Let's keep it friendly. And vaguely based on reality." My sentiments exactly!
Why is it sideways?
I could not possibly care less about this now decaying horse - unless you drop your pod in front of me at a big city marathon - but I can't help but point out the blisteringly obvious problem with the above logic. In my earlier, slightly dumber years, I probably drove a dozen times after having a few (read: several) too many beers. These dumber years were generally overseas, and most of those inebriated drives involved a 20 mile trip on the A94 on the way north towards Aberdeen, Scotland. At 90 miles an hour, driving on the wrong side of the road, with the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car. And yet I never got a ticket. Or caused an accident! So clearly - by your logic - drunk driving is perfectly safe. Right? Or maybe - just maybe now, bear with me - it makes a little more sense to compare my own stupid-but-fortunate experience with drunk driving with the mountain of empirical data that suggests I was just lucky. Or if we really have to cling to lame anecdotal data ... how about I Google "drunk driving deaths" and see if everybody is as lucky as my experience seems to prove? Or hey, here's a crazy thought: maybe your anecdotal experience could be put in context with the dozens or hundreds (thousands?) of injuries and deaths to iPod wearing runners every year. I think every runner knows of at least a couple such stories. And I've never met an iPod wearer - including me - who hasn't had a couple close calls because of self-induced deafness. (And of course, anecdotal evidence matters, right?) You get my point. To be blunt, to argue that its safe - to you, and especially to other runners - is just plain stupid. Its not. You know its not. You'll probably get away with it. Most drunk drivers do, too. But at least they've got the common sense to know that they shouldn't be doing it and not to argue something that is plainly factually ridiculous. No offense intended, BC. I do think some folks are being pretty hard on you. I love my iPod personally and I won't give it up, either. But I'll also admit that if I wear it in a race, I might be being stupid. Which rarely stops me from doing things. So if we have to continue pummeling poor Mr. Ed, let's keep it friendly. And vaguely based on reality.
The Greatest of All Time
Silly lawyers with their "arguments."
rectumdamnnearkilledem
These dumber years were generally overseas, and most of those inebriated drives involved a 20 mile trip on the A94 on the way north towards Aberdeen, Scotland.
Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to
remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.
~ Sarah Kay
Threadjack: when were you there? did lived in Aberdeen for a year...around 92/93. I spent a few weeks there with him. I LOVE that city. I'd about kill for haddock & chips from the New Dolphin, about now...