Running without music

I've only run once without music, because the battery was flat on my Nano. It wasn't good.  I'm quite skittish and easily frightened, and ended up screaming and nearly jumping into the road when a horse stuck its head over a fence and neighed at me.  I deduced then that running without music was not for me.  

I adore my running recently revamped running playlist.  Some tunes (Lady Gaga's Bad Romance and The White Stripes' Hotel Yorba) even help me to up my running pace to an 8.23 minute mile!  So it was with panic that I read the words on my information letter  for my next race "The wearing of headphones is strictly banned."

Maybe some people with headphones run like muppets, but I don't.  My headphones aren't even that good.  Today, when running with my tunes, I noted that I could hear the cars that were coming behind me, the barking of dogs, the wind, the hum of the electricity pylons.  I like to think that when running, I am completely aware of my surroundings; I try to look pain free and cheery as I pass a walker or an oncoming cyclist. I honestly believe that I can run safe whilst listening to music.  But obviously, not everyone does.

For the race, I must admit that I have considered running the wires up the back of my neck and feeding the headphones up through my hair and into my ears.  But I won't do that.  Instead, I am going to have to rely heavily on motivational tools, mantras and visualisation.  I have even wondered if I can sing my playlist as I run the race (won't I be popular with the other runners!)  

Any survival tips or advice will be greatly appreciated as this tunes addict prepares to go cold turkey!