Runner's Forum: motivational music

hi guys.

Here's what I did for my running mix.

 I figured out that I love "Hard to make a stand" by Sheryl Crow. It might not be your kind of music, but I found that my running cadence was exactly that of the song. For whatever reason, I kept thinking that she was Lance Armstrong's girlfriend for a while, which was also kind of motivating.

 But that's not the part that I hope will help people. I downloaded a "free trial" software called BEATunes, which is able to analyze your iTunes library, in particular identifying songs with the same beats per minute.

This allowed me to create a mix, not just with the perfect BPM for me to run, but I also discovered that elite runners run a little faster in cadence (I am comfortable at 85.5 and the best runners run at 90). So I created a mix that gradually goes up from 85.5 to 90.

 It looks like this:

Remember the Name (Fort Minor)

Lose Yourself (Eminem)

Till I collapse (Eminem)

Basket Case (Green Day)

This is the New S---t (Marilyn Manson)

Out the back (Fort Minor)

I dont know if you'll like this style of music, but the main tip is to use the free 14 day trial of BEATunes to figure out exactly what Beat Per Minute your running cadence is and to mix tracks based on that. BEATunes will find all those songs.

Good luck!

Miko

Jezentery, that is quite possibly the most random playlist I have ever seen - brilliant!! : )

I always start with Born Slippy by underworld as  it works so well for the warm up! Queen 'Don't stop me now' is always my stretching tune! Then I launch myself into the run with the Foos - either 'Best of you' or 'The Pretender' . The rest of it is a bit mix and match but the regulars are:

Elvis Presley - A little less conversation (original)

UNKLE - Burn my shadow / Broken

The Klaxons - Golden Skans / It's not over yet

The Cardigans - My favourite game

Chicane - Stoned in Love

The Crystal Method - Born Too Slow

The Arctic Monkeys - I bet you look good on the dancefloor

The Bravery - Something for Nothing

Robyn - Handle Me (Remix) 

Josh Homme/UNKLE - Restless

Queens of the Stone Age - Go With the Flow

The Beastie Boys - Sabotage

The Enemy - You're Not Alone 

I like to finish and stretch out to the Chilli's 'Snow(hey-oh)' and The Polyphonic Spree 'Running Away'! 

Hey - newbie here, but thought I'd share this great site for music: PodRunner.

You can downloand free music mixes to help time your run for a specific BPM. iTunes also has PodRunner as a free weekly podcast. Most of it is techno music, and I've found them really helpful in getting my pace going when I'm not in the mood for my regular playlists.

 http://www.djsteveboy.com/podrunner.html

Enjoy!

Saosin- Finding Home

Saosin- Its Far better to learn

Halifax- Our Revolution

Senses Fail- Bite to Break Skin

Rise Against-Behind closed doors

Mat Kearney-Undeniable

Finch-Letters to you

Finch-Perfection Through Silence

Coheed & Cambria-The running free

The Fall of Troy- F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X

System of a Down- Toxicity

These songs will get you pumped

I have "Lose Yourself" by Eminem and "Man of Constant Sorrow" by Soggy Bottom Boys.  I also have some Beastie Boys up in there.

The ones that move me the most are....

"Rock you like a Hurricane" The Scorpions
(came on at the perfect time in my half and now I have a new fondness for it)

"Midnight Rider" Allman Brothers

"Come Together" Beatles

"Girl" Beck

"Tones of Home", "Dear Old Dad", "Skinned", and "Hell" Blind Melon

"Crazy Bitch" Buckcherry

"I Don't Wanna Be" Gavin DeGraw

"Once Bitten Twice Shy" Great White ; )

"All Your Reasons", "You're So Real" Matchbox Twenty

"Gunpowder & Lead", "Kerosene" Miranda Lambert

"Life is a Highway" Rascall Flatts version

"Sell Out", "Somebody Hates Me" Reel Big Fish

"This is How a Heart Breaks", "Streetcorner Symphony" Rob Thomas

"Our Song" Taylor Swift

"American Girl" Tom Petty

Sorry for my bad taste..  Ik like to move it..

Splanky- Count Basie;Love in an elevator- Aerosmith;Blauw- The scene;I can't stand losing you - Police;Smash my bitch up -Prodigy;I've got the power -Snap;Novelty-Joy division;Never be clever-Herman Brood; In a gadda da vida - Iron butterfly;Relax- Frankie goes to Hollywood;Addicted to love- Robert Palmer;Run to you- Brian Adams;Walk this way-Run DMC; A beautiful day- U2;Isn't it time-Babies;Like the way I do-Melissa Etheridge;white wedding-Billy Idol;Runnin with the devil-Van Halen;Bad case of loving you-Robert Palmer;A forest-The Cure; Alles komt terecht-De Dijk;Highway to hell- AC DC;Eye of the tiger-Survivor;Teen spirit-Nirvana;Satisfaction-Rolling Stones

 Richard

I run 99% of my running on trails, either mountian trails or desert trails. I usually like quiet when I am running cause I like to hear what is around me, ie...birds, leaves,mountian lion, hey, ya never know.  But when I do want Music, I like music that reminds me of the country and being outdoors.

My Choices: Country:

Trace Adkins

Montgomery Gentry

Toby Keith

Allan Jackson

Hank Jr.

Southern Rock:

Lynyrd Skynyrd

and when I am very tired, Mettalica gets my motor crankin' hard

The mountains are the best... I love running in north van, it's just so beautiful. But Junkie is right the hills can be a b****, there are some crazy inclines here - with down hills that make your knee caps want to cry! I concentrate on getting up hill then running on the flat and enjoying the scenery. A few of my regular hills are about 300m + elevation gain over less than 0.5km. I haven't yet found a song THAT motivational!

When I am on the isolated trails or creek trails I don't listen to music - it seems almost sacrilegious to drown out bird song and babbling brooks with music! I only use it to drown out the sound of traffic really.