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GREENSBORO - The life of a distance runner was once a solitary one. He was a lonesome figure whose only companion on a course was whatever thoughts flitted in and out of his head.

These days Michael Blaha runs with 7,106 (and counting) of his closest friends. Kelly Fulk won't go anywhere without Lil Wayne. And Lakeya O'Neal picks up the pace whenever Rihanna is by her side.

Cross country runners, it seems, love their iPods. For many runners, those buds in the ears are as important as the shoes on the feet.

Athletes say music makes all those miles of training sufferable and keeps them motivated.

"After a while the running starts to get to you mentally," said Eric Peffer, a senior cross country runner at Northwest Guilford. "Any kind of hard-rock metal song helps me get through it."

National rules prohibit runners from using an iPod or other music device during competition, but practice is another story. At last week's City-County Meet at Hagan-Stone Park, many runners warmed up listening to their favorite playlist. The runners stuffed their MP3 players into backpacks and book bags by the time the races started only to pull them out afterwards.

Runners listen to music for different reasons. If Fulk, a sophomore at Eastern Guilford, hears her labored breathing while training it slows her down. With Lil Wayne rapping in her ear, she says she's a better runner.

"I wish I could use (my iPod) when I run in a race,'' she said.

Fulk will listen to almost any rap music that has a good beat.

"Something I can run to," she said. "If it's slow, I don't want to listen to it when I'm running."

When he needs to relax before a race, Northwest senior Eric James cues up indie-rock group Dispatch.

"They always help me chill," he said.

Grimsley sophomore Blaha, who is running for the first time this fall, has downloaded more than 300 military cadences to listen to while training. The slow rhythm of a cadence -- he's partial to the Marine Corps and Army Rangers -- helps him with his pacing for a long run.

"They get me motivated and dedicated to running," he said.

High school cross country coaches are divided on allowing iPods and other mp3 players at practices. Some view them as safety hazards. They want runners aware of cars, bicyclists and runners around them. Older coaches say running is a sport to be enjoyed, not endured.

Still others embrace the iPod, saying it brings new students into the running fold.

Northwest Guilford coach Paul Egleston allows his runners to use their mp3 players when they are running with a teammate. Otherwise he wants them aware of their surroundings.

"It's a safety issue," he said. "As long as they're running with someone else I'm fine with it."

Egleston and other coaches fear runners wearing earbuds or headphones are less likely to hear vehicles or bicyclists. And on trails, runners can't hear the approach of others from behind, leading to awkward or frightening situations.

Yet many cross country runners won't leave the house without them.

"It's stimulating and motivating," said O'Neal, a Ragsdale senior. "Music gets me in a good mood and if you're in a good mood, you're gonna run better."

Egleston says about half a dozen of his male runners train while listening to a music.

He's not aware of any girls who use them.

"They just want to talk to each other," he said. "Girls can't get enough of talking to one another."

Contact Robert Bell at 373-7055 or robert.bell@news-record.com