Myth Busters!

There are three things that are on my mind today in relation to running. And...since it is Friday the 13th, I thought it fitting to write about those myths that are freaking me out right now. So, can these be confirmed or busted by anyone?

#1. I read an article today about the effect of music on your run. Now, if you're like me, you like to run to music. I love keeping pace with the beat and I can convince myself, especially at the end of a run, to keep going if a good song comes on. So...the article talked about how music could help improve your time, make your workouts more enjoyable, blah, blah, blah. Here's the shocker. A particular song has been shown in studies only to positively effect your mind during a workout for the first 3 times you hear it. Huh?

Okay, begin rant. If I can only listen to a song 3 times before it loses its effectiveness - I'm screwed. Here's how I figure. I have approximately 40 songs on my "Workout" play list that get randomly shuffled. At about 3-4 minutes each, I have no more than 160 minutes or two hours and 40 minutes worth of music to listen to. After I begin (seriously) training to run this thing, I can make it about 3-4 weeks before my melodic motivation is gone. It also seems that I hear the crappier ones more than the super-motivating mind erasing, kick ass songs that really keep me going. I hit skip as quickly as possible and hope for the next song to be better.

So...I am less than convinced that there will be enough super fun, run worthy songs that I either discover or that are released in the next 9 month to cover a 13.1 mile run and all the training time that entails. And, now I find myself scared to listen to Yahoo music at work and I can't get to the Skip button quick enough when a really good song comes on - I don't want to waste one of my 3 listens on work. I think I'll tune into some classic jazz from now on during work time. End rant...for now. I cannot CONFIRM or BUST this myth, but I will be able to soon.

#2. I also read another article for beginner runners that a good sports bra is as or more important as your running shoes when training for and running long distances. Okay - there are so many things concerning about this that I don't have time to address them all, and I don't run long distances (yet) so I'm no expert, but I have a hard time believing that the shoes that cover and protect my feet that will be pounding the pavement/gravel/grass/etc. for hours on end is MORE important than the small cotton contraption that covers the barely "B"s. So for now, I'm calling this myth "BUST"ED!

#3. I also read on this blog I follow, sometimes that there may not be ipods or other devices designed to play music allowed at the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 and Marathon. Really? Someone BUST this myth please. I can't find anything on the website but if this is the truth, please disregard all of my rant on #1 and lend some suggestions on what one might do to pass several hours worth of time while trying to distract oneself from running.