Linking BPM to Running Speed with MIXMEISTER
by Drex Earle
Editor-in-Chief
Use Mixmeister to help with your running speed.
Photo by: n/a
Ever start your run with the energy of a freight-train,
just to find yourself struggling a couple miles in? It happens to the best of us, regardless of training or running experience. A lot of things can help get you over this “fatigue hump” though — visualization, varying the pace to let your legs warm-up, even the right music at the right time can make a huge difference.
When it comes to your music, there’s actually a trick you can play on your body to give it a little extra lift when the going gets tough. Imagine finding the right rhythm in your songs so they match your stride and keep you in the zone. What if you could build a playlist that would keep your cadence steady for a longer period of time?
Linking the rhythm of your music — measured in beats per minute (bpm) — to your running speed is easier than you think. Supplying your body with a metronome like tempo will not re-energize your legs when they’re fighting you, but it can mean the difference between a successful run and a downright dreadful one.
Now there’s software that can do most of the work for you. Two programs in particular offer ways to get more in sync with your running. The first is called Run2Rhythm (run2r.com). It’s basically a collection of downloadable songs that match up with different running cadences. Simply visit their Web site and find music that matches your pace. Equally, if not more impressive, is BPM Analyzer by Mixmeister, a free way to calculate BPM counts for any song in your music library. It even allows you to run BPM reports for your entire music collection.
--------------------
run2r.com
A library of downloadable songs that match up with different running cadences.
--------------------
Here are some quick tips to get you going in the right direction:
Outdoor Running
(1) Run for 15 minutes at a pace you’re comfortable with.
(2) If you’re starting out, this will be slower than if you’re a conditioned runner.
(3) During the run, count your steps for one minute. Do this several times to get an average.
(4) Refer to the chart below to determine the BPM you should choose.
Treadmill Running
(1) Set the treadmill speed at a pace you can comfortably run at for 15 minutes.
(2) If you’re starting out this will be slower than if you’re a conditioned runner.
(3) Refer to the treadmill chart to determine the BPM you should choose.
(4) The paces listed are accurate within one mile per hour.
Alternatively
Time yourself over a mile and somewhere during the run count your steps for one minute. For example, if you count 170 steps in a minute while running a mile you should have run a little over a 6-minute mile pace. This will give you a solid estimate of your BPM.
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In essence, finding your BMP is nothing more than matching the beats of a song to the number of steps you take per minute during a steady-state run. If you’re looking to get the most out of your running — whether it’s improving your running ability and efficiency or just finding the best music to run with — use the adjacent chart to get a more precise idea of your matching BMP based upon your pace. If you run closely to these beats with correct technique and control, your times should approximate those listed.
The times shown should be consistent within about 15 seconds. This, along with BPM and stride lengths, are a guide for maintaining a steady rhythm for the duration of your run. Running strides should be proportionate — in other words, the slower you run, the shorter the stride and the faster the run, the longer the stride.
Using this information you can select running music suited specifically to your unique cadance. Visit run2r.com and/or mixmeister.com to find music that best matches your pace.
example: It’s recommended that most runners start off easy. A relatively enjoyable and accurate training method is to listen to music with a BPM around 160. For a very slow jog, download music which paces you around 153 BPM. And for a more intense run, go for 166 to 171 BPM.
While creating a playlist with consistent BPMs works best for longer, steady runs, mixing up the rhythm of your music will also vary your workout and keep your body guessing.
-----------------
mixmeister.com
Analyze your playlist and see which songs match your precise running speed.
just to find yourself struggling a couple miles in? It happens to the best of us, regardless of training or running experience. A lot of things can help get you over this “fatigue hump” though — visualization, varying the pace to let your legs warm-up, even the right music at the right time can make a huge difference.
When it comes to your music, there’s actually a trick you can play on your body to give it a little extra lift when the going gets tough. Imagine finding the right rhythm in your songs so they match your stride and keep you in the zone. What if you could build a playlist that would keep your cadence steady for a longer period of time?
Linking the rhythm of your music — measured in beats per minute (bpm) — to your running speed is easier than you think. Supplying your body with a metronome like tempo will not re-energize your legs when they’re fighting you, but it can mean the difference between a successful run and a downright dreadful one.
Now there’s software that can do most of the work for you. Two programs in particular offer ways to get more in sync with your running. The first is called Run2Rhythm (run2r.com). It’s basically a collection of downloadable songs that match up with different running cadences. Simply visit their Web site and find music that matches your pace. Equally, if not more impressive, is BPM Analyzer by Mixmeister, a free way to calculate BPM counts for any song in your music library. It even allows you to run BPM reports for your entire music collection.
--------------------
run2r.com
A library of downloadable songs that match up with different running cadences.
--------------------
Here are some quick tips to get you going in the right direction:
Outdoor Running
(1) Run for 15 minutes at a pace you’re comfortable with.
(2) If you’re starting out, this will be slower than if you’re a conditioned runner.
(3) During the run, count your steps for one minute. Do this several times to get an average.
(4) Refer to the chart below to determine the BPM you should choose.
Treadmill Running
(1) Set the treadmill speed at a pace you can comfortably run at for 15 minutes.
(2) If you’re starting out this will be slower than if you’re a conditioned runner.
(3) Refer to the treadmill chart to determine the BPM you should choose.
(4) The paces listed are accurate within one mile per hour.
Alternatively
Time yourself over a mile and somewhere during the run count your steps for one minute. For example, if you count 170 steps in a minute while running a mile you should have run a little over a 6-minute mile pace. This will give you a solid estimate of your BPM.
----------------
In essence, finding your BMP is nothing more than matching the beats of a song to the number of steps you take per minute during a steady-state run. If you’re looking to get the most out of your running — whether it’s improving your running ability and efficiency or just finding the best music to run with — use the adjacent chart to get a more precise idea of your matching BMP based upon your pace. If you run closely to these beats with correct technique and control, your times should approximate those listed.
The times shown should be consistent within about 15 seconds. This, along with BPM and stride lengths, are a guide for maintaining a steady rhythm for the duration of your run. Running strides should be proportionate — in other words, the slower you run, the shorter the stride and the faster the run, the longer the stride.
Using this information you can select running music suited specifically to your unique cadance. Visit run2r.com and/or mixmeister.com to find music that best matches your pace.
example: It’s recommended that most runners start off easy. A relatively enjoyable and accurate training method is to listen to music with a BPM around 160. For a very slow jog, download music which paces you around 153 BPM. And for a more intense run, go for 166 to 171 BPM.
While creating a playlist with consistent BPMs works best for longer, steady runs, mixing up the rhythm of your music will also vary your workout and keep your body guessing.
-----------------
mixmeister.com
Analyze your playlist and see which songs match your precise running speed.
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