Music Designed for Running

High-intensity, cadence-based music designed specifically for running.

Running Music vs. Workout Music

in the category: Music

I think there's a difference.

John Frenette is the Founder of Hella Sound Running Music. John’s fixated on running, music and fitness, and trying to get this eating-right thing down.
Tweet him up at @HellaSound.

To expand my fitness horizons, I’ve recently taken up CrossFit. I love running, but I felt I needed to add an extra dimension to my regular workouts. I even considered making music to accompany specific time-based CrossFit workouts, but I noticed there’s a profound difference between what I want from music when I’m running versus when I’m working out.

Running to Music

As I’ve explained before, running for me is predominately a solo affair. I’m in my own head when I run, and music is the perfect accompaniment. When I run, I expect music to:

• fire me up
• sync to my stride
• keep me on pace
• stay consistent, without start-stop stuff or lags
• become the soundtrack of my run

The running music we create at Hella Sound does all of this—pretty darn well, I might add. I think the success here is that running is, at its core, a repetitive, monotonous activity. You put one foot in front of the other, over and over and over. The music we provide compliments this monotonous activity by helping you achieve and adding to the overall experience of your run.

Working Out To Music

With CrossFit—and any other varying reps-sets gym activity—the atmosphere is different. Whereas running is a continuous event, working out is more a series of individual moments. Even with continuous, time-based workouts like you find in CrossFit, each set has its own breathy preamble, it’s own run-up. Each rep is an independent action, asynchronous to anything happening outside the movement.

While I’ve had many great runs to every song in our catalog, I’m finding working out in a gym doesn’t necessarily need the same support and structure that our running music provides. Granted, our stuff is still great for lifting, but I personally am not as worried about my rhythm or exercise cadence when I’m lifting. In some CrossFit WODs, I’m just hanging on for dear life, trying to keep good form as I get my ass handed to me.

It’s a whole other world.

What Do You Think?

I’d really like to hear what you guys think on the subject. I’m not just flapping my jibs—I’d really like to know. Does your running playlist differ from your workout playlist? If so, how? Is this intentional? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

Image courtesy arcticwarrior on Flickr.

Related Articles

• Starting Running to Lose Weight
• Behind the Running Music: Lactate Repeats: All My Everything
• Aggressive Workout Music: Top 5 Best Songs To Run To

Leave a Comment

Let's keep it polite and on topic.