running music

Best Workout Music: #2 ― Workout Playlist w/ 120 – 180 bpm songs

by John on January 25, 2012

I’m officially hooked on workout music. I can always use a little extra motivation to keep going at the gym and I love it when a strong “power song” comes on when I need it. So here’s another workout music playlist (first playlist) below that takes some of the best, strong-beat running songs from other playlists along with some new music not on any other playlists. For me, the 120 – 130 bpm songs are good for stretching and warming up, the 140 – 150 bpm songs are for lifting, and I switch to the 160 – 180 bpm when on the treadmill. Hopefully you find ways to use these songs to keep you motivated as well and keep those New Year’s resolutions going strong!

I have chosen a few of the best, up-beat songs from our previous seven running playlists and added new songs from several “Best of 2011″ lists. I’ve even added a couple Free Downloads* of songs. All songs below meet our standard of being either about fitness/running, inspirational, or at least fun with a great beat (we don’t add songs with potentially uninspiring lyrics…ie. “19th Nervous Breakdown”, “Loser”, “Blister in the Sun” — all great songs, but not exactly motivational for running or fitness). For over 50+ hrs more of running and workout music, go to home page at Bold Pace Music.

As mentioned before…

Running or working out with music that has too slow of a beat can cause a problem with your pace. You may unconsciously slow to the pace of the song. “Eye of the Tiger” is a great motivational song, but at 109 BPM it is way too slow for either running or working out. Getting the “right” BPM for your pace may take some trial and error as each person has a different stride length (which also may vary based on pace). Therefore, these songs were carefully selected for working out with bpm in the 140 – 160 range. The pace (BPM) starts off slower in first few songs, then builds up to a faster cadence. For a well done chart showing BPM by mile pace for walking, running, and cycling… see Exercise Pacing & Use of Music.

If you’re wondering if music can really help when running or exercising…see what Physician.com has to say. There have been many scientific studies done that prove that music can increase performance, here’s a recent one w/ a video from the BBC.

Got an iphone or use an ipod? Check out this app and software that analyzes your itunes for BPMs and then lets you choose songs at that BPM from your iphone or ipod…see Cadence (need Mac w/ OS 10.4 or higher for ipod; PC w/ XP, Vista, Win7 or .net framework 4.0 and above)

There are 53 workout songs below with a total playtime of 3.5 hours. Enjoy…

Best Workout Music: 53 Song Workout Playlist w/ 120 – 180 bpm songs

Click here to download songs from itunes

Click below to play samples and/or download songs from amazon:

To get this music, just click on either itunes or amazon playlist above and download either entire the playlist or individual songs. Or see our Amazon store for the very best full albums by artists on the playlists.

We Used To Wait – Arcade Fire (121):
The song is stellar and the multimedia “event” (aka -the video for the song) is truly groundbreaking and lives up to the hype. The Chris Milk designed site uses HTML5 technology and shows a hooded runner running through a neighborhood…not just any neighborhood, it’s yours. You are asked for an address at the beginning, and Google Maps and Street View do the rest. Once you’ve seen the video, you realize again it’s an excellent song and you can’t help but stay motivated while recalling your childhood images. See the video and learn more.
Came Out Of A Lady – Rubblebucket (121): One of Maimed & Tamed’s Best Tracks of 2011. Just try to keep your feet from moving while listening to this Brooklyn band’s infectious power-pop. Those horns, the whistling, the distinctive vocals… Now that your feet are moving, be careful not to sing “She Came Out of a Lady!!” too loudly at the gym.
One – Yeasayer (123): I love the eclectic, genre-bending sound that Yeasayer puts forth with shades of rock, pop, world music, folk and more showing up in “One”. The dance beat should help to get into the right workout mindset…
Push It – Garbage (123): A good workout mantra: “My head explodes and my body aches. Push it, make the beats go harder”
Let’s Go – Cars (130): This song (from their second album “Candy-O”) was perhaps not as strong as the songs from their debut album “Cars” (with favs like Just What I Needed or My Best Friend’s Girl), but it’s still a great song and one of the few Cars songs with faster bpm (the other is Shake It Up at 147 bpm). It’s also a great pump yourself up song with the simple “Let’s Go”!
Clint Eastwood – Gorillaz (130): A classic, stylish, fun song from Gorillaz with “I got sunshine in a bag”…but I particularly like this lyric for workout motivation…“Look, I’ll make it all manageable, pick and choose, sit and loose”
Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols (131): If you’re checking out the opposite sex while at the gym, this song helps to think “we’re looking pretty cool” and imagine making a move with “what do you do? Oh yeah, I wait tables too…”.
The Perfect Kiss – New Order (131): Not so much about the lyrics with this one, just enjoy the intense, driving beat of this classic.
All The Pretty Girls – fun. (132): Such an appropriate name for this band as you just can’t help but smile when you listen to this (even if you are on the second set of arm curls).
My Body – Young The Giant (132): My daughter found this song before it seemed to explode with airplay…it seems a little overexposed now, but it still has an infectious beat and a great mantra for a workout song… ”My body tells me no!…but I won’t quit, I want more, I want more”
Marseilles – Angel City (135): Seems to me that “thinking ’bout the south of France” is not a bad visual diversion. Keep on pumping iron and thinking about “drinking champagne, playing it cool…”
Mixed Bizness – Beck (136): Another pleasant diversion because Beck makes such damn interesting and clever songs…and this is one of his best! Listen for “I’m mixing fitness with leather” and then of course “Alright now, turn it up now!”
October – Broken Bells (137): A terrific collaboration band featuring Brian Burton (better known as Danger Mouse) and James Mercer (of the Shins). They deliver a nice line to think about during a workout: “There’s no shortcut to a dream, it’s all blood and sweat and life is what you manage in between”
Hate To Say I Told You So – The Hives (137): This band is a favorite for running and workout music and they do it again here w/ a strong beat and an attitude that “I’m gonna” do whatever, because “I wanna”…
Viva La Vida – Coldplay (139): This song used to feel overexposed, but now it feels like an old friend. Enjoy and imagine you “rule the world”.
What Are You Waiting For? – The Rushes (143): In the vein of Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and the Bravery, the Rushes are a UK band from London that released this song in 2006. The lyrics are perfect with “everything that you do, you are…what you waiting for” Could only find the video on itunes: the song is on the “Corners EP” on Amazon: What Are You Waiting For?
Dimension – Wolfmother (143): Sometimes you just need a good rocker when you are lifting, and Wolfmother delivers with a nod toward taking you to a new dimension…
Places That Are Gone – Tommy Keene (144): It’s all about moving forward in the new year…let power-pop maestro Tommy Keene (think the DB’s, the Records, R.E.M., Matthew Sweet, the Shoes) remind you that “These are places that are gone, now you can move on and on, back before you knew me well, I was trapped inside a shell”
So Alive – Better Than Ezra (145): I’m not usually a fan of covers, but Better Than Ezra takes this Love & Rockets song and not only speeds up the bpm, but makes it better… “I’m alive, so alive” and “your legs are strong”
Clampdown – The Clash (146): Just another magnificent song by the masterful Clash! This is one of my Clash favorites (from London Calling–#8 on Rolling Stone’s “Greatest Albums of All Time”)…enjoy “You don’t owe nothing, so boy (or substitute “girl”) get runnin’, it’s the best years of your life they want to steal”.

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Best Running Music Videos of 2011

by John on December 20, 2011

Here’s our year-end round-up of our “Running Videos of the Month” for 2011*. There’s something for everybody with alternative/indie songs, rock, R&B, and even rap/hip-hop and “world music”. Every song fulfills our mission of delivering running music with a faster bpm that is either inspirational, about running, or just fun with a great beat. Enjoy and happy holidays…

(*most of the songs below were released in 2011, but not all…we just featured them on Bold Pace Music this year)

10) I Hope This Gets to You (Viral Love Letter) – The Daylights (BPM=150) released as single: I Hope This Gets To You – Single (itunes)

This video was made by Walter C. May and his band, The Daylights, with the hope that it would reach May’s girlfriend virally thru various social networks. She got it (he’s setting the bar pretty high for us guys with this one).

9) Crossed Wires – Superchunk – (BPM=155) Album: Majesty Shredding (itunes)

The dogs usually seem to get all the video love, here’s one for the cats. A “cat cam”…what a concept. Bad Kitty!

8) Bottled in Cork – Ted Leo & The Pharmacists (BPM=145) Album: The Brutalist Bricks (itunes)

Ted Leo on Broadway? The world needed “a half-assed musical that cheapens what they do and embarrasses everyone involved,” especially when those involved include Paul F. Tompkins, Julie Klausner and John Hodgman.

7) Tightrope (feat. Big Boi) – Janelle Monae (BPM=169) Album: The ArchAndroid (itunes)

Janelle Monáe can dance a little, and that’s never been more evident than this wonderfully choreographed video.

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Music for Running: 5K and 10K Running Playlists w/ 150 – 180 bpm songs (7.5 – 8.5 minute pace)

by John on September 24, 2011

Here are two new running playlists that have faster bpm and focus on a 5K race or a 10K race. I went thru a lot of new songs from 2010 and 2011 and mixed in a few older favorites. I had to cut out a lot of music to fit into shorter playlists, so there are some amazing songs below. If you have a 5K or 10K race coming up, I’d suggest just downloading either whole playlist…you won’t be disappointed. As usual, I’ve started w/ some slightly slower bpm and finished with faster ones to focus on negative or reverse splits (read good Runner’s World article on subject).

All songs meet our standard of being either about running, inspirational, or at least fun w/ a great beat. For over 45+ hrs more of music for running and fitness music, go to home page at Bold Pace Music.

As mentioned before…

Running with music that has too slow of a beat can cause a problem with your pace. You may unconsciously slow to the pace of the song. “Eye of the Tiger” is a great motivational song, but at 109 BPM (Beats Per Minute) it is way too slow for most runners. Getting the “right” BPM for your pace may take some trial and error as each runner has a different stride length (which also may vary based on pace). Therefore, these songs were carefully selected for running (but will work well for just running training or exercising) with bpm in the 150 – 180 range. The pace (BPM) starts off slower in first few songs, then builds up to a faster cadence. For a well done chart showing BPM by mile pace for walking, running, and cycling… see Exercise Pacing & Use of Music.

If you’re wondering if music can really help when running or exercising…see what Physician.com has to say. There have been many scientific studies done that prove that music can increase performance, here’s a recent one w/ a video from the BBC.

Got an iphone or use an ipod? Check out this app and software that analyzes your itunes for BPMs and then lets you choose the best running music songs at that BPM from your iphone or ipod…see Cadence

There are 14 songs below with a total playtime of 52 minutes. Enjoy…

5K Running Music Playlist: Indie and Alternative music for running at 160 – 180 BPM (for runners w/ mile pace of 7.5 – 9.0 minutes)

Click here to download songs from itunes

Click below to play samples and/or download songs from amazon:

To get this music, just click on either itunes or amazon playlist above and download either entire the playlist or individual songs. Or see our Amazon store for the very best full albums by artists on the playlists.

Stand Tall – Dirty Heads (158): A great song to get you pumped up before a race or as you are starting out… “So I stand tall, it’s gets a little better, I can see the wall that we can break down together (we can break it down, yes we can make it)”
Lewis Takes Off His Shirt – Owen Pallett (163): This singer/violinist from Toronto has a unique sound on this song that makes it feel like getting lost in a rainstorm and having your “senses bedazzled by the parallax of the road”. Listen for: “I am muscle, I am bone”
Sydney (I’ll Come Running) – Brett Dennen (165): If you take a look at Brett Dennen’s website, he looks like he’s in high school. He actually put out his first EP in 2004, and this song “Sydney” is off his 6th release called “Loverboy”. He’s definitely a talent to watch. This song is perfect for running…enjoy the lyrics: “if you ever need me, call me…I’ll come runnin’ straight to you” “straight from the airport (I’ll come runnin’)…cut thru the customs line (I’ll come runnin’)…” I travel a lot, so I just love this chorus.
Month of May – Arcade Fire (168): If you haven’t yet listened to all of “the Suburbs”, you are really missing out on what I think is one of the best albums of the last 10 years. Here’s another great song from that album that will keep you moving “gonna make a record in the month of May”… a PR perhaps?
Tightrope – Janelle Monae (168): One of Rolling Stone’s 50 best songs of 2010, here’s a very talented woman who breaks down categorizations and crosses over between Rock, R&B, Hip-hop, you name it. Watch the video for this song if you want to see Janelle’s impressive dancing skills. Janelle says: “You either follow or you lead…yeah I’m talkin’ bout you”
Sadie Hawkins Dance – Relient K (168): OK, I know it’s a little sugary, a little too pop, and a little high school…I still love this song. Think back to your high school years and picture being chased by the quarterback and “I took off down the next hall running, only to get stopped by a girl so stunning”. It’s just a fun song to take your mind off any pain you are feeling…keep pushing. Do you like my sweater?
Ten-Twenty-Ten – Generationals (172): One of the Best Songs of 2011 (so far) according to The Wounded Jukebox and influenced by such favs as the Jam, the Kinks, and the Shins, this band knows how to craft a catchy, up-beat tune. It will make you feel like running…
Come On Lets Go – Los Lobos (174): Originally written and performed by Ritchie Valens, this Los Lobos version is destined to motivate.
Heaven’s On Fire – The Radio Dept. (176): This swedish group’s song was on several “Best of 2010″ lists (see Rawkblog: Best of 2010). Listen for…“We’re outnumbered by those who take no pride, in constantly moving against the tide”–you’re taking pride :)
Friday On My Mind – The Easybeats (180): It didn’t get great reviews, but if you love music, you have to see Pirate Radio. I laughed so hard during this movie that my wife was embarrassed for me. This song had a prominent role in the movie and it should lift your spirits on any run.
Hannah – Freelance Whales (180): From the album “Weathervanes” which was one of NPR’s “Best Albums of 2010″. Combining the cleverness of the fast-talking intro and verse with the slower chorus and layered instrumentation gives this song an uplifting vibe. “I’ll work on the limbs if you work on the torso, if it gets too much then you can lend a helping hand”
Please Don’t Stop – Richard Bona (feat. John Legend) (180): [Actual bpm is 90, but if you double and run off the half-beats, it works at 180.] This one was suggested in a comment by db at medrants.com. Thank you db! It’s a little jazzy and certainly has the right idea for a run.
Philadelphia – Standard Fare (180): Here’s a great review of this song and the album “The Noyelle Beat” from Buzzin’ Music. I may be biased on this one, but this is one of my favorites. As I’ve mentioned before, I do a lot of traveling and I live just outside Philadelphia. So, I definitely relate to the chorus “I’m going to have to wait all year to see you again in Philadelphia”
Give It Away – Red Hot Chilli Peppers (184): I doubt that Anthony Kiedis is talking about “giving away” anything that has to do with running, but “what he’s got” is definitely an ATTITUDE and you can use that energy and confidence to finish the race hard… “reeling with the feeling, don’t stop–continue”

10K Running Music Playlist: Indie and Alternative music for running at 150 – 180 BPM (for runners w/ mile pace of 7.5 – 9.5 minutes)

There are 23 songs below with a total playtime of 1.3 hours. Enjoy…

Click here to download songs from itunes

Click below to play samples and/or download songs from amazon:

To get this music, just click on either itunes or amazon playlist above and download either entire the playlist or individual songs. Or see our Amazon store for the very best full albums by artists on the playlists.

I Want The World To Stop – Belle and Sebastian (151): One of Rawkblog’s Best Songs of 2010 and one of my favorite running music bands. Refined, cool, and smooth…this song should get you started off right. “I run alongside rush hour traffic…a prayer for every car”

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Best Workout Music: Fitness Playlist w/ 140 – 180 bpm songs

by John on January 6, 2011

At its inception, the purpose of bold pace music was to provide running playlists to help my wife Monica with her training. I’ve since made several more with different BPM (beats per minute) to match other runner’s cadence/pace. But I’m now finding these playlists also really help me at the gym. I travel often, so having music at the hotel gym is a must. I’m amazed at how easily I can get lost in a song and start moving faster to the beat. It’s especially helpful on the treadmill or stairmaster, but I find it pushes me throughout the entire workout. So here is my first workout music playlist…

If you have a song that you love to use when working out, please share (either comment below our thru twitter @boldpacemusic)! If it is 140 – 180 bpm and meets our song “standards” below, I’ll add to our next workout (or running) playlist and link back to your site with a big thank you :)

I have chosen a few of the best, up-beat songs from our previous 5 running playlists and added new songs from several “Best of 2010″ lists. All songs below meet our standard of being either about fitness/running, inspirational, or at least fun with a great beat (we don’t add songs with potentially uninspiring lyrics…ie. “19th Nervous Breakdown”, “Loser”, “Blister in the Sun” — all great songs, but not exactly motivational for running or fitness). For over 35+ hrs more of running and workout music, go to home page at Bold Pace Music.

As mentioned before…

Running or working out with music that has too slow of a beat can cause a problem with your pace. You may unconsciously slow to the pace of the song. “Eye of the Tiger” is a great motivational song, but at 109 BPM it is way too slow for either running or working out. Getting the “right” BPM for your pace may take some trial and error as each person has a different stride length (which also may vary based on pace). Therefore, these songs were carefully selected for working out with bpm in the 140 – 160 range. The pace (BPM) starts off slower in first few songs, then builds up to a faster cadence. For a well done chart showing BPM by mile pace for walking, running, and cycling… see Exercise Pacing & Use of Music.

If you’re wondering if music can really help when running or exercising…see what Physician.com has to say. There have been many scientific studies done that prove that music can increase performance, here’s a recent one w/ a video from the BBC.

Got an iphone or use an ipod? Check out this app and software that analyzes your itunes for BPMs and then lets you choose songs at that BPM from your iphone or ipod…see Cadence (need Mac w/ OS 10.4 or higher for ipod; PC w/ XP, Vista, Win7 or .net framework 4.0 and above)

Off and Running CD Tin Notecard Set (6 cards, 2 of each style for $15 at remanents.com)

Looking for a perfect gift for a runner? Take some music below and slip it in with a running CD tin notecard set from Remanents. These cards, gifts, and tees have been sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Anthropologie, Nordstroms, Henri Bendel, Fortnum and Mason (London) and many other fine stores, however, you’ll find the largest selection at www.remanents.com. See more running cards and tees along with beautiful Couture Fabric Holiday cards and Halloween cards too.

There are 41 workout songs below with a total playtime of 2.5 hours. Enjoy…

Best Workout Music: Fitness Playlist w/ 140 – 160 bpm songs

Click here to download songs from itunes

Click below to play samples and/or download songs from amazon:

To get this music, just click on either itunes or amazon playlist above and download either entire the playlist or individual songs. Or see our Amazon store for the very best full albums by artists on the playlists.

Kids – MGMT (122): This is one of my kids favorites, and the Grammy nominated song is undeniably catchy and a fun start to a workout. Favorite line is “We like to watch you laughing, you pick the insects off plants, no time to think of consequences”.
Outtasite (Outta Mind) – Wilco (130): This could be a workout mantra as you get into the “zone”… “outta mind outta site”
Hands – The Ting Tings (130): First single from their second album Kunst. Great beat for working out, actually “the beats so hard, your workin’ workin’ “
Tick Tick Boom – The Hives (137): Having been used for Nike/Finish Line commercials, NFL Football games and for the movie Taken…this song has some strong inspirational lineage as well…
Feel Good Inc. – Gorillaz (138): Start with a great laugh and then enjoy lines like “Take it all in your stride” and “Don’t stop, get it, get it”.
Too Fake – Hockey (138): Enjoy a little sarcasm from Hockey w/ lines like “Everybody’s watchin’ oh, but nobody cares..no, wait does it go…nobody’s watching, but everybody cares?…Oh, whatever talk to you later”
Young Folks – Peter Bjorn and John (138): If this song by this Swedish band sounds familiar, you may have heard it used on Grey’s Anatomy, Nip/Tuck, Dirty Sexy Money, or the Love Guru. This up-beat song is perfect workout music to keep you moving.
Higher Ground – Red Hot Chili Peppers *explicit lyrics* (141): Gotta love the Peppers… “People keep on running” (OK, not the actual lyrics, but it almost sounds like it) and “Keep on trying ’til I reach the higher ground”
Ali in the Jungle – The Hours *explicit lyrics* (142): One of my new all-time favorite running songs, but works great in the gym too. Just enjoy the motivational lyrics and chorus “Everybody gets knocked down, how quick are you gonna get up?” (you might recognize this from this Nike commercial)
1901 – Phoenix (144): In danger of being over-played, but still a great song. Just enjoy the rhythm on this one, the lyrics are pretty esoteric and you can’t really hear the words anyway.
Hormones – Tracey Thorn (144): If you haven’t heard of Tracey Thorn, you are in for a treat. After putting out amazing music with partner Ben Watt as Everything But the Girl (they have a fun website called ebtg.com), Tracey stayed home in 2000 to raise their 3 children. Thorn began writing again in 2007 and her latest album “Love and Its Opposite” is a critically acclaimed mature singer/songwriter masterpiece. I’m sure many Moms can relate to these lyrics in Hormones… “Yours are just kicking in, mine are just checking out” and “we’re gonna have to tough it out, you turn the music up, I, I try to think before I shout…hey, hey…”
The Underdog – Spoon (145): Another for the all-time favorite list. As you glance over to view others in the gym, enjoy singing to yourself “you got no fear of the underdog, that’s why you will not survive”
The Re-Arranger – Mates of State (147): This one is back from a “Best of 2008″ list. The vocals on this song are layered to fit together perfectly. The band is so tight…amazing hooks are pulled off without going wrong.
Bubbles – Biffy Clyro (148): Fun, up-beat song from this Scottish band… “I can’t keep up with you” *see at NME’s “50 Best Tracks of 2010″
Come on Lets Go – Paul Weller *explicit lyrics* (149): A perfect running song, but just as motivating in the gym. It’s an up-tempo inspirational song by the former frontman of “The Style Council”… “You say where to, I say I don’t know, I just need to run, and you need it too, and I catch your eye, and I feel the wind, and it feels so high”
Banditos – The Refreshments (149): Channel your inner geek (ignore any political correctness) and enjoy this chorus “Well give your ID card to the border guard; Yeah, your alias says you’re Captain Jean-Luc Picard, of the United Federation of Planets, ’cause he won’t speak English anyway” and “Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people, so meet me at the mission at midnight and we’ll divvy up there”

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Best Indie & Alternative Christmas music for running

November 26, 2010

Is there a rule that all Christmas and Holiday songs must sound sappy, slow, and performed by someone who is ancient? Or must they be so obviously commercial that they make “Rock Star” by Smash Mouth sound like a lyrical masterpiece? Furthermore, if you want to get into the holiday spirit on a run, what [...]

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Best Running Music Playlist: #5 — Marathon mix for 10 – 11.5 min pace (130 – 150 bpm)

September 26, 2010

If you’re looking for good running music, you won’t be disappointed. This running music playlist has songs at 130 – 150 bpm (building from slower bpms at start, to faster as you continue). This would translate into running a 10 – 11.5 minute mile pace. If you like alternative/indie rock and power-pop, but also like [...]

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7 Favorites for Marathon Training

May 8, 2010

“Training mode” requires a restructuring of a casual life…obsession must take hold. Part of this change involves products that aid us on the journey of soreness and fatigue caused by repetitive workouts and long hours on the run. Running is a relatively low cost sport (unless you travel to races in far away places), but we love any [...]

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Best Running Music Playlist: #4 — Marathon mixes for 7.5 – 8.5 min pace (160 – 180 bpm)

January 13, 2010

This running music playlist has songs at 160 – 180 bpm (building from slower bpms at start, to faster as you continue). If you like alternative/indie rock and power-pop, but also like a few different styles of music to keep things interesting…you’ll love this mix. All songs were carefully selected for running a marathon (but [...]

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Bold Pace Music

January 3, 2010

Running Music Video of the Month: Lonely Boy – The Black Keys (BPM=165) — from album “El Camino” The Black Keys used to be only known to college radio DJs and record store clerks, but after their previous release “Brothers” and now this one, they are entering the mainstream. Combining their well-crafted music with a [...]

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Best Running Music Playlist: #3 — Marathon Mixes for a 8 – 9.5 min pace (150 – 170 bpm)

September 15, 2009

We had a very positive reaction to our first two running music playlists (also another 4 playlists after this one, click link for approx 45 hrs of more music), so here’s the next one for Jean. Jean’s pace is in-between our last two for Monica and Jamie. This running music playlist has songs at 150 [...]

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