Running while Deaf
A friend of mine has spent the last few months on a massive campaign to lose weight. She’s doing marvelously, and seems to feel so good about what she’s doing that it’s inspiring. It makes me want to pick up running again.
In high school, I was on the cross country and track team. I had a fantastic freshman year, with great teammates and a 5:36 mile for a PR. My enthusiasm for running sort of fell apart when my coach left. Her replacement was a woman who negatively impacted the team’s dynamics (but that’s a story for another time). Long story short, I stopped running.
For the years that I did run, I had analog hearing aids- and never encountered any problems with sweat interference/damage. However, last winter, I exercised a little too hard on the treadmill and damaged one of them. Fortunately, it was easily replaced under warranty (phew!).
Here’s the thing: If I start running again, I won’t be wearing my hearing aids. And since I’ve never officially “run while deaf,” I’m completely terrified by the prospect (as dumb as it may sound to some of you). I googled a few variations of deaf + running, but there doesn’t seem to be much discussion of deaf runners. It looks like one runner posted on a Runner’s World message board to see if there were other deaf/hoh runners on the site, but no one wrote back to her! This doesn’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence, does it?
So I have an appeal to make of you guys. If any of you out there are deaf/hoh and regularly go running solo without hearing aids/CI, please share your stories- I want to hear them! Then maybe I won’t be so nervous about hitting the streets. 
Apparently, I.King Jordan likes his runs. That’s a start…
UPDATE: Just came across another post related to deaf runners (be sure to read the comments, which provide some context to Jill’s statement).
Anonymous said,
March 28, 2008 at 12:07 am
No, Jordan was not born in 1943. Wiki typo,
He was born in 1948.
Lucky said,
March 28, 2008 at 12:39 am
Run like hell, and stay in front…then you don’t have to worry about what’s behind you.
infinitypoint said,
March 28, 2008 at 2:10 am
I’ve seen people running with their mp3 players hooked. That is also a form of deaf running since you do not get to hear your surroundings.
Dianrez said,
March 28, 2008 at 7:51 am
Pick your running spaces. Running should be carefree, give you an opportunity to appreciate the environment and not be burdened with worry about cars and obstacles…there are running paths in most cities and parks. Do a search on your local Google for them.
QueenAlpo said,
March 28, 2008 at 10:45 am
A friend of mine down in Texas is a non-aided, non-CI deafie, and just started training again: http://www.xanga.com/marathonrookieintraining
Joseph said,
March 28, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Hello!
Nice to see people like you around! I used to be a cross country and track runner both in high school and college. I tried to go professional and even qualified for tryouts in Colorado the year prior to the Olympics in Altanta, GA in 1996. I had ran two marathons and countless 10ks, half-marathons, and 5ks. (not that I am bragging but my PR for a mile was 4:2
I stopped running for about seven years now because of an injury and the dymanics (as you say) at my college. As a matter of fact, I wanted to go back to the running. for sometime now.
I am profoundly deaf and uses ASL. So dont worry about hearing aids and all that. I never wear one and never had one when I run.
it is really NICE To see people like you around…..you might inspire me.
kate said,
March 29, 2008 at 11:40 am
Anonymous: Yes, probably not a good idea to use Wikipedia for a term paper because of those kinds of errors.
Lucky: I’ll try! I’m terribly out of shape tho.
infinitypoint: It’s funny that you mention that, since a lot of the google results I did get for “deaf runners” had to do with hearing folks and headphones.
Dianrez: You make a great point- as soon as I saw your comment, I remembered that I have two great paths: one for work and one near home!
QueenAlpo: Yay! I’ll definitely check out your friend’s progress in her marathon training- phew, that’s a big goal…
Joseph: Wow, that’s quite a running resume! Good luck to you if you do start running again!
Thanks everyone! I went for run #1 this morning. It was freezing, sunny, and… short (I’m seriously out of shape).
Marathon Monday « arbofo said,
April 21, 2008 at 11:24 pm
[...] have much to add to all the reviews: I’m easily pleased. Considering my recent post about running without hearing aids, I was thrilled just to see Marlee Matlin’s character go for a run. Two thumbs up! [...]
Olivia said,
April 22, 2008 at 9:22 pm
I just started running last month, am still a total beginner. I also wasn’t born deaf, but became stone deaf at age 21. I’m 25 now and want to run a 5k. I have only run on a treadmill so far and am nervous about running with other people. How will I be sure not to get in anyone’s way? Being deaf causes balance issues too. So yes, I share your anxiety. I still wont let it stop me!
runnerchick said,
April 27, 2008 at 12:42 am
Hey!
Okay, I grew up with pretty much normal hearing (perfect in one ear, deaf in the other.)
I started running freshman year of HS, and fell in love with running. I learned so much just from running. I guess that sounds crazy. I hurt myself, had stress fractures, had back surgery, brain surgery, became deaf, but always came back to the running!
Then senior year of HS in 2005, the hearing ear got worse and I couldn’t understand speech, although i could hear sounds. To make a long story short, i had surgery again in 2007 to remove the NF auditory neuroma tumor from that side, which made me completely deaf. At the same time, I got Auditory Brainstem Implant (similar concept as Ci but works differently.) It helps some, because i can hear environmental sounds with it and it helps some with lipreading, but I have learned a lot of sign language. The ABI has big speech processor that is not the kind behind ear. it can clip onto shorts, jeans, whatever, and that works OK, bujt NOT when I run…. the clip has fallen off my running shorts, making the wire and implant go shooting through my shirt. …. so, i don’t wear it when I run. I am fully deaf. I go out on solo runs all of the time, look both ways before crossing, look for safer places, if running on the road- run facing traffic, i love running trails like at parks, anything works. i was really scared at first, because a person came from behind me, probably said “excuse me”, but since im deaf, she just kinda pushed me aside as I ran by. that happens in races sometimes. I’ve heard of runners taping sign to back that says “DEAF”, but I havnt had the guts to do that yet, since I’m hiding inside of it, and so stubborn to have that courage. Sure I miss chatting with friends while i run, but most of my runs are solo. I enjoy that time with God. I pay attention to the surroundings with my eyes. honestly, you don’t need to hear to run! the people with the ipods running just slows them down. just run like crazy!