Running with Rhythm

Having trouble finding your stride on an oudoor run? On a treadmill, keeping pace is easy - you set the machine to the speed you want and off you go. Many find running outside (especially in spring and summer) more enjoyable - but pacing can be somewhat of a challenge, especially for begining runners.

Here's a tip for finding your pace using an MP3 player / Ipod and your favorite tunes:

1) Preselect 3 songs that you think (just by listening to them) are slow, moderate, and fast paced.

2) While on a treadmill, jog/run to each song, playing around with the treadmill speed. Once you've found the speed at which your feet are hitting on every beat, note the pace (XX miles per hour).

• For example you might find your "slow" song (song A) was a 6.0 mile pace, and your "medium" song (B) was a 7.5 mile pace.

3) Use these three songs as your benchmark for tempo, to find other songs in your library. For example if song A was a 6.0 mile pace, and song B was a 7.5 mile pace, you can find songs of similar tempo, or in between and you'll have a rough gauge of the tempo.

Need some tunes help? Here are some of my favorite songs and MY paces (remember my pace will be different even on the same song, due to height (I am 5' 4")).

SLOW (6-6.5 mph)

Let it Rock (Kevin Rudolf & Lil Wayne)

Don't Stop the Music (Rhianna)

MODERATE (about 7.0 mph)

Angel on my Shoulder (Kaskade)

Just Dance (Lady GaGa & Colby O'Donis)

FAST (8.0+ mph)
Shake it (Metro Station)

Untouched (The Veronicas)