Why I Don’t Listen To Music When I Run

June 19 | Written By Kelby Dover

Why I Don’t Listen To Music When I Run

“You’re a musician and you don’t listen to music when you run?” Here’s a few reasons:

1. Because I’m an artist and music producer, I’m literally in my studio making and listening to music for a job every day. I’m at my piano, holding my guitar and sitting in front of my studio monitors for the majority of my workday. Getting outside is an escape from my job (music) for me. It’s my moment of turning off the noise. So when I hear music when I’m running, it still feels like I’m working because I’m constantly analyzing what I’m hearing and thinking about it differently than the average person who uses music to hype them up or for entertainment in those moments. It’s the same for background music in the grocery store or in a restaurant in many ways… I’m thinking about how the song or melodies were made and it’s tough for me to enjoy it outside of analyzing it as a fellow creative. I definitely can enjoy music and vibe with my favorite bands playing on the radio, but when I’m running, I want to be in a different world. Running lets me turn it off. So if we run together, don’t bring a speaker :)

2. Running is my time to introspectively think, process and reset. No distractions but putting one foot in front of the other is what resets and regenerates my energy. I’m an introvert very much in the way I find my energy, so being by myself running and pushing myself is a massive boost in my mental health and well-being. No music distractions.

3. I don’t love the feel of earbuds in my ears when I’m being active. I want to feel a little more free and get away from all the tech.

4. I want to enjoy the outdoors and not just “be outdoors.” I want to hear the city if I’m running streets or I want to hear the quiet of the woods if I’m running trails. It’s grounding to just be where you are.

5. I get nervous I won’t hear something important if I have earbuds in. Especially if I’m in the city. People drive crazy and make mistakes, so I want to make sure I’m fully aware of my surroundings. Yes, I know there are earbuds that you can still hear your surroundings in, but the distraction is still there and safety is a big deal to me when running city streets.