I know, I know, having earbuds in on the trail isn’t 100% smart. Bears are a real thing in the Pacific Northwest – seriously. There was a bear behind me on the trail at my Kaniksu race over the summer last year. He was big and I had no clue (my friend behind me saw him). For the record, I had bear protection and my phone on speaker, no earbuds. I’m pretty sure my singing scared him off.
But, for me music keeps me going. I need it. Even if I’m running with a group of friends I need to have music in one ear.
Music flows in my veins and soul. I listen to it all day long, every day. I live for it. So, when I’m on the trail I put it on speaker. I forgo the headphones. I blast it loud and I sing along, badly. It’s usually rap and hard rock, quite the mix huh?
So, to my point… You know when you’re at that mile point and you’re hating life? We’ve all been there. For me it’s mile 15 of Kaniksu Tall Trees 29K. Mile 21 of a marathon. Soon to find out what mile it will be at my first ultramarathon at Kaniksu.
You know when the right song comes on and re-motivates you? I love and live for that moment. Picture it: the perfect song comes on and pushes you to keep going. It speaks to your soul and says, “You’ve got this. Just a little bit further. Keep pushing and reap the reward.” The song that tells you that you have what it takes. You are strong enough.
For me, those songs are “Whatever It Takes” by Imagine Dragons and “Best of Me” by Neffex.
My tips for finding the right music: think about what pace you want to run at. Then google the beats per minute (bpm) that coincides with that pace. For my current goal pace of 9:30 for each mile I need music that is about 155 bpm. Perfect! Most of the songs I love are in that range. I tend to try to keep pace with whatever music is in my ear.
Here is a general guideline for Pace per Mile and Recommended Song BPM. As you’ll see, every 30 second increase you increase BPM by 5.
| Pace per Mile | Recommended Song BPM |
| 7:00 | 180 |
| 7:30 | 175 |
| 8:00 | 170 |
| 8:30 | 165 |
| 9:00 | 160 |
| 9:30 | 155 |
| 10:00 | 150 |
Here’s my playlist that I use for a 9 Minute mile https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3tt9kR8KHdMXQYRxRX5Shw?si=is_bYGVOTT-B5l2QkoNuVQ. I must have been feeling extra confident when I made a 9 minute mile playlist LOL! Now, keep in mind. Not all of the songs are the same BPM. Some of the songs I pick are just songs I love. Pretty much anything DMX, Breaking Benjamin, and Neffex go on my list.
One thing you can do is search for 9 minute mile running, 155 BPM, and/or Running playlists on Spotify, Amazon Prime Music, Apple Music, and I’m pretty sure even Pandora can do that.
Now that the weather is getting nicer here, I’m getting outside more. How about you? Here’s my advice, pop the playlist on shuffle and test it out! Get out there and have some fun!
Keep your eyes peeled for my workout plan that I’m doing for my Ultramarathon. If you ever want to join me for virtual live workouts, holla!
30 Minute Fit with Jen
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This is where we do 30 minute LIVE workouts from your home. Classes include PiYo, Strength Training (no equipment needed), Indoor Cycling/Spin, and Structured Flux (strength, balance, stretch, and movement).
Trail Running and Wellness 