Head sets and Pretty Woman. Why do you care?

An annoying comment in Runner's World magazine: "I've been a spectator at several marathons, and it's a bit disheartening to be cheering myself hoarse for a group of runners, only to realize that the entire pack is wearing headphones and can't hear a word I'm shouting."  

My thought: "Well Annoying Person, it IS all about you, and not about the runners who are out there tackling the most difficult physical feat of their lives!"

Why is it that SOME people who don't wear headphones resent people who do?  Particularly runners.  Yes, there are some who have the volume too high and can't safely hear sounds around them.  But trust me, many of us are not guilty of that.  And I would definitely hear someone yelling himself hoarse, cheering me on.  I can even carry on a conversation with my headset and music on.  

Running in and of itself is not the most entertaining pastime.  Typically I'm on the same routes and seeing the same sights, countless times.  Music adds diversion.  It can even give me the ILLUSION that I look good out there.  When Roy Orbison is crooning, "Pretty Woman", I can delude myself that there's a slim chance he's singing about Yours Truly.  Or Billy Joel actually had ME in mind, when he wrote, "Uptown Girl".   Or when the Rascal Flats belt out, "Life is a Highway", I'm ON that highway with them. 

Remember standing on the sidelines at your freshman dance, and your FAVORITE song starts up and you will DIE if someone doesn't ask you to dance RIGHT NOW!  (Back when girls had to be asked.)  That's the feeling.  Only on the roadside, nobody has to ask.  You just start running and in your head, you're that freshman, dancing at that dance.  Research has actually shown that music helps you to run longer and farther.

Some running events ban headphones, probably for liability reasons, or else just to frustrate me.  My beloved Hood to Coast relay is one of those events, sad to say.  Controversy erupted on the message boards.  Some non-music runners smugly see themselves as Purists.  They prefer the "sounds of nature".  For me, the sounds of nature consist of my feet slapping the ground and endless panting.  They also complain that they can't have a conversation with another runner who is "plugged in".  I'd happily pop the ear buds out and talk IF THERE WAS EVER SOMEONE THERE.  99% of the time, I'm by myself!  

Last year I invested in some fairly useless, but permitted, clip-on speaker-things to get me through the Hood to Coast.  Note them clipped onto Lindsay's shirt as she hands the baton to teammate Brent:

As you may guess, the sound quality was lousy.  But they were better than nothing.  

So my question to the non-music runners is this:  Why do you care if I don't do it your way?  I'm not bothered if you like to run music-less.  Do whatever helps you to get out there ... whatever motivates you to stay with the sport that keeps you strong and healthy ... whatever helps you to NOT contribute to the societal costs of obesity, heart disease, or diabetes.  And if you're not willing to run along side me with plenty of chatty conversation to divert my mind off my aching lungs and muscles, then let me KEEP my delusion of being that Pretty Woman as I slog down the sidewalk in my over-sized shoes, running tights, and frizzy hair.    (Dum-dum-dum-dum-dadadadaDUM ...)