Music for Your Marathon

The group that manages marathons around the country has finally figured it out: music gives athletes a competitive edge. So suddenly impressed is USA Track & Field by this fact that they've taken the unprecedented step of banning portable music players from marathons.

The ban has led to a rumpus on both sides of the issue. Old-schoolers who think music is anathema to a marathon competition, not least because of the performance boost, love the ban. New-schoolers are so devoted to their musical running partner that they're risking disqualification by defying the ban in droves.

Fortunately you remain free to wear earbuds at the gym or running around the local reservoir (for which you want open construction headphones that let you hear cars and such). Depending on your pace, your running tunes should clock in around 160-170 beats per minute and have Energizing characteristics. Build a playlist with your favorites and play it on shuffle so you can't predict the segues -- surprise adds to the energizing effect. A recent addition to my list (which I'm not admitting to my friends lapping up the new Radiohead) is "Hold My Hand" by Hootie and the Blowfish. It's the right speed to set the pace and spur endurance, and with Hootie intoning "I will run with you," the steps fly by.

You can get New York Times readers' favorite workout tunes, along with lots of comments on the headphone ban, here.