Reminder: We Live in a City

Admittedly, this could happen anywhere, but an attack of a runner July 5 in Riverside Park in the early morning hours is a reminder that we all need to wary out there.

Headphones or Not?

I'm back in New York after a 4-hour trip from Boston, irritated by a pod-phone wearing driver on I-95 who braked unnecessarily several times (and punctuated by an adorable 2-year-old who has a predilection for puking when she's on long car trips), so put this in perspective:

Jim Gerweck at Running Times, in a recent issue, raised the issue of headphones and wearing them during races (given the popularity of the iPod). His main point: They aren't safe for the runner and those who are surrounding them.

I'm reading the letters to the editor in the November issue of Running Times (not online yet), both pro and con, and it's leading me to think that perhaps the issue isn't being taken seriously enough, despite the USATF "recommendation" banning them in races (a move that may be overturned).

Some races have banned, them, others have not. (Almost all local Brooklyn races, with a couple of notable exceptions, haven't made a statement, and NYRR hasn't taken a serious stand beyond a suggestion that they not be worn.)

It's one thing if you're running in Prospect Park or Central Park and you cut in front of a runner to get a cup of water and you don't hear them calling out a warning. That ranges between irritating and unsafe. It's another thing if you're running on a road where there are cars and you can't hear the horn.

I've been running for 25 years, and my hearing is one of the most important parts of my training, whether it be in a controlled environment (treadmill) or not. So please explain to me: How do you justify putting yourself at risk by running with headphones at a volume that you can't hear other things? And if you are racing and oblivious to other people, how do you put them at risk?

I'm more than happy to turn up the volume on my iPod when, oddly, I need to concentrate (I would have the music loud when studying at college at, today, at times when I really want to zone in, I love having the music in the background, which helps me focus). But I won't wear the iPod while running because a) I like hearing the background and b) I don't think it's safe - -I rely on all my senses while running on the roads. (Even smell, which is why I run near a certain coffee shop in Dumbo early in the AM).

I know my mind is made up, but that's not the point (and never is on this blog): What do you think?

One Dies in NYC Triathlon

The New York Times is reporting one death from this morning's triathlon. Swimmers also apparently were welcomed by jellyfish before having to battled the heat and humidity for the bicycle and running portions of the race.

One part I find interesting is the comment from the race director, Bill Burke, about an athlete's responsibility as they compete in a race. (Note, the context was about people preparing for the race, and not linked to the man's death.)

“Athletes in this event push themselves, but athletes also have to understand that they need to be prudent and understand that on a day like this, they’re probably not going to get a personal record today.”

It's something to keep in mind as you get your long training runs in for the fall marathon, or seek out the summer races.