A winter 10k running playlist

It’s still very cold outside, and snow is everywhere. I even recently heard on the news that 49 out of 50 states in the US are experiencing snow.

This means that if you are out running, you’ll want to warm up quickly and get done fast…

I put together this playlist to start quickly (except for the first motivational song, which is a bit slow and if it’s too cold outside you can listen to it in the car…:) and build up quickly. I didn’t want to get the BPM too high, because running too fast on snow and ice can be slippery, so I kept the average BPM at 131.

This playlist is 1:16 hours long, which means that if you want to run a 10k with it, you’ll need to keep a pace of 12:14 mile/min. Not too fast, but not a slow pace either.

Get the list at running playlist

Running Playlist: Amazon top 10 BPM analysis: 09-08-2010

Today’s amazon top 10 has one new entrant F**k You [Explicit] at number 4. It’s actually a pretty good song for a running playlist if you can put up with some foul language.

I’m also glad to see Kary Perry continuing to drop lower and lower on the list. She still has 2 songs though,Teenage Dreamand California Gurls, so hopefully in a few weeks we won’t have to hear her again.

On a sad note, Taylor Swift dropped out of the top 10 with Mine, but hopefully it will be back very soon despite the fact it sounds just like “Love Story”

I’ve bolded the songs that would make the cut for a running playlist.

 

 

Get the rest of the list at running playlist

Running Playlist: iTunes top 10 BPM analysis: 09-07-2010

Today’s iTunes top 10 running playlist doesn’t have any new songs. Katy Perry is in #1 with Teenage Dream and Taylor Swift closed the list with Mine.

I’ve bolded the songs that would make the cut for a running playlist.

Get the list at Running Playlist

Running Playlist: Amazon top 10 BPM analysis: 09-01-2010

We have a much better top 10 list this week at Amazon.

Unfortunately, we still have 2 Katy Perry songs in the top 10, but they are losing ground and dropping in the rankings, so there is some hope for a Kary Perry free list sometime in the future.

We also have the new Taylor Swift song, Mine, at number 8, which is one of my favorite new songs and a new permanent resident in my personal running playlist.

Another great new entrant is Stuck Like Glue. Unfortunatelly, it’s not a great song to add to a running playlist because of its low BPM, but it’s still a fun song to listen to.

I’ve bolded the songs that would make the cut for a jogging playlist.

Get the list at running playlist

Running Playlists: Why is BPM of a song or playlist important?

See and download the full gallery on posterous

 

Wow, here's where running with music at the right cadence (or beats per minute / BPM) comes in.

 

If you ever watched tribal runners (Kenyan Kalenjin, Tarahumara, and many others) as well as many western elite runners, you'll notice that their cadence (sometimes also called stride rate) is very fast. What this means is that their feet touch the ground very quickly and very often.

 

Studies have measured that the best cadence is around 180 steps per minute. It has also been proven that speed isn't a factor here.

 

Marathon runners use the same 180 steps per minute that 5k champions do and they each go at very different speeds. The only real difference is their stride length and forward lean which determine their speed.

 

This makes a lot of sense actually. The faster your foot turnover is while hitting the ground, the less time you spend in contact with the ground. This means less friction with the ground, less pressure on your feet, more "air time" and overall more forward movement with less energy spent on overcoming the time you spend "standing" with your feet on the ground.

 

As a runner you want to get as close as possible to this cadence so that your running is as efficient as possible. You can always measure your cadence with a metronome (see accessories section), but that can be very annoying after an hour or so of running and hearing the constant beeps.

 

You can also use music to help you keep your cadence and that's why the music BPM is important. By running to the beat of the music, you'll immediately notice how your cadence changes. If the song has a fast beat (e.g. Bonnie Tyler - "Holding Out for a Hero") you'll find that your Candace will go up. If you listen to a slow opera, you'll find that your feet touch the ground more often, and you'll immediately notice yourself slowing down.

 

Once you get the hang of it, you can actually build playlists for yourself with songs that have the right BPM for the right running situation.

Read more about this at running playlists

Next I will share information that will help you learn how to build a BPM optimized running playlist