When I workout to music, I like to fall into sync with the beat. For example, it’s very natural for me to take about 170 steps per minute when I run, so I like to listen to music that has 170 BPM (beats per minute) like Misirlou from Dick Dale & His Del-Tones.

To find the BPM of a song and save it to iTunes, search for “BPM detection software iTunes”. On a Mac, I personally use:

For Automatic Detection:
http://www.wildbits.com/bpmer/

Manual Detection:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19324

Finally, to determine your running pace in BPM, download this awesome free MP3 file from hellasound.com: http://tr.im/mlK6

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/142618.php

They recommend using a pedometer and making sure you get 3000 steps in 30 minutes.

Another way you can keep up the pace: walk to music! I use my iPod to train at my target pace, and you can, too! Here are 10 songs, 40 minutes of music, at 100 steps/minute:

1. Dancing Queen – ABBA – Pure Disco – 1976
2. Gone Going – Black Eyed Peas – iTunes Originals Black Eyed Peas – 2005
3. Don’t Tell Me – Madonna – Music – 2000
4. Fly – Sugar Ray – Floored – 1997
5. Europa And The Pirate Twins – Thomas Dolby – The Golden Age Of Wireless – 1983
6. When I Come Around – Green Day – Dookie – 1994
7. Life In One Day – Howard Jones – Dream Into Action – 1985
8. Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N’ Roses – Appetite For Destruction – 1987
9. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield – Unwritten – 2005
10. Genius of Love – Tom Tom Club – Tom Tom Club – 1981

I posted this playlist (minus Dancing Queen) on iTunes.

I laughed out loud at this because I run to this song all the time. In fact, according to iTunes, I’ve played it well over 259 times. The song is Misirlou by Dick Dale & The Del-Tones, and you probably recognize it if you’re a fan of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction.

If you’re a fast runner (around 9-min miles or faster), this is a good warmup song. If you start at an 11 or 12-min mile pace, Misirlou is great one for picking up your speed during your run.

Of course, some cats actually prefer treadmills…

BONUS Entertainment: start playing the slide kittens and when the music starts, play the treadmill kittens at the same time. It syncs up quite well!

American Idiot
by Green Day

Welcome to a new kind of tension
All across the alien nation
Where everything isn’t meant to be okay.
Television dreams of tomorrow
We’re not the ones who’re meant to follow.
For that’s enough to argue.

Don’t want to be an American idiot.
One nation controlled by the media.
Information age of hysteria.
It’s calling out to idiot America.

Fast pace, strong beat, great for stride-outs and intervals. The whole album rocks.

Posters
by Jack Johnson

Looking at herself but wishing she was someone else
Because the body of the doll it don’t look like hers at all
So she straps it on, she sucks it in, she throws it up, and gives a grin
Laughing at herself because she knows she ain’t that at all

All caught up in the trends
Well the truth began to bend
And the next thing you know man
There just ain’t no truth left at all

I love how Jack Johnson has that perfect mix of upbeat, cheery, and mellow. He has a great web site that lets you hear the whole song and read all the lyrics:

http://www.jackjohnsonmusic.com/music/detail/brushfire_fairytales

Click on “Posters”.

I said now, I’ll take it
It’s better for you
Somehow we’ll make it
‘Cause that’s what we do

Something out there
Where love is your only friend and
We are the ones that will make you feel better.
And someone to spare
When love is the only end and
We are the ones that will make you feel better.

This song is medium-fast for me, and I like it for tempo and interval runs.