Music
Press
It’s something that clumps Black Eyed Peas’ new hit “Boom Boom Pow” with Flo Rida’s “Sugar” and 3OH!3’s “Starstrukk.” When throwing in We The King’s “Secret Valentine,” the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Zero,” Britney Spears’ “If You Seek Amy” and Seether’s “Careless Whisper,” you got yourself the perfect set of songs to save on your iPod as a workout playlist.
With the help of the newly surfacing Web site, Runhundred.com, creator Chris Lawhorn has fashioned a place for people to come in and find new songs to feel the burn to. Lawhorn, a DJ for a spring break company, said that when he turned 30 years old a year ago, he vowed to get in better shape, which inspired his making of the site.
Before beginning, Lawhorn recalled his days in high school when he ran track as an extracurricular activity and liked to run to songs that featured beats where the bass hit with every step he took. Now, he searches today’s top 40 for songs that have between 116 beats per minute (which would equal a fast walk when stepped to correctly) and 160 beats per minute (that would equal a fast run or sprint).
Lawhorn said the Web site showcases songs to “help people stay on target” when working out. He added that this is the ideal Web site for marathoners, who are looking for a specific tempo to run to.
He also said he has heard of a few people who have used the site for their show horses, who also have to step to a specific tempo, even though he had never anticipated a demographic as bizarre as the horse community. - Bowling Green Views
Finding a groove during a workout can be difficult. Chris Lawhorn thinks the right music can better your chances.
He’s the creator of a new Web site called Run Hundred, which helps those of the physical inclination do just that.
A song’s pace is measured by its beats per minute, or bpm. How fast or slow a song is can affect a workout, Lawhorn said. His philosophy is that a careful mix of songs with a bpm that matches the nature of a physical activity is key to motivating and successful exercise.
“The (bpm) range is from 116 to 160,” Lawhorn said. “From a fast walk to a fast run.”
Lawhorn’s knowledge and experience with music comes from being a DJ. He knows how to move people with a song.
His site works especially well with runners, he said.
“I’ve gotten loads of tempo and bpm information from clubs,” Lawhorn said. “I use that to help people find a bpm to match their feet hitting the ground.
“I’ve started with the Top 40; it’s a common denominator. People can vote on the songs, whether or not they would work out to that song.” - Daily Nebraskan
This guy could make music with a coffee cup and a salt packet. - No Better Voice Zine
As 1996 Carroll High School graduate Chris Lawhorn was approaching 30 in the fall, he decided it was time to get in better physical shape. Being a professional musician and deejay, what first came to mind was finding a way to combine his love of music and the need for exercise.
Sounds simple — but Lawhorn could not find what he was looking for. So, like any right-brained, creative person, he made the solution. Thus was born a new Web site, www.RunHundred.com, which went live about three weeks ago.
“I'd been deejay-ing,” Lawhorn said. “You have to know how many beats a minute every song has so you can mix them right. I ran track at Carroll, and I always thought it was neat when there would be a song that would be the same beat as when my feet hit the ground.”
So Lawhorn, who now lives in Austin, Texas, looked for a Web site that offered options to choose music with specific beats per minute that met the exercise rhythm needs of an individual as well as his or her music preferences. The closest he could find was a site that listed beats per minute, but only offered instrumental music, and a site that was devoted to workout music, “but they don't have the rights to the music, so they re-record the songs. They speed up the beat.”
Also a Ball State University grad, Lawhorn researched what exercise specialists recommended for optimal heart rate in a good workout or run.
“There's a slew of reports that say the range is about 135 to 160 beats per minute,” he said, noting he's chosen songs from the Top 40 charts with beats per minute between 112 and 160, eliminating the slowest and fastest ones. Sites such as iTunes and Amazon MP3 give Lawhorn a code that allows him to list the songs and links to the vendor site.
“I've really just stuck to taking advertising on the sites I'm pushing tunes to,” he said, noting that advertising is growing.
Once a song is picked, the visitor can find on the RunHundred site its beats per minute and search for other similar songs. A full list of songs with tempos that match an individual's first choice is available, and the visitor can build a play list of whatever length he or she wants. - Fort Wayne News-Sentinel
Workout newcomers trying to stick to their New Year’s resolutions can check out RunHundred.com to create a playlist that matches the intensity of their workouts. Chris Lawhorn of Austin, Texas, recently launched the site which logs the tempos of songs on the Top 40 charts. - Shenzhen Daily
While men and women might both work out to music equally, what they choose to listen to does seem to differ, believes Chris Lawhorn, who just launched RunHundred.com, a web site that helps people find music that matches the pace of their workout. Austin-based Lawhorn uses Top 40 hits as examples, which are logged by BPM, and he found that women overwhelmingly make up his target audience. "The guys are more fixed about what they listen to," said Lawhorn. "They don't care about running to the beat. They want to run to a very specific thing — it's weird." As example, he cited one guy who only ran to the Cars' first album because it was the perfect length of time (35 minutes), and another guy who only listened to Metallica. "They're very interested in only working out to music that they would listen to in a non-workout capacity, whereas the girls, it's like a separate thing in their iPod," he said. "They want the same sort of thing you listen to in a club — all up-tempo." - East Bay Express
Have you ever considered there is more to your music than the motivational words or inspirational sounds streaming through your earbuds on your daily run? You may think those are the only attributes getting you through your workout, but there may be another factor to consider. Learning how to use the BPM, or Beats Per Minute, of a song may make your next run easier and more enjoyable.
Once you find the BPM that works best, you may want to browse over to RunHundred.com, a less fact intensive, yet song extensive, blog dedicated to music-paced running. RunHundred.com offers constantly updated lists of songs, sorted by BPM, off current hit lists. One great feature of this site is that you can vote on your favorite songs to help other users make their choices. - Competitor Magazine
How does he do it!?!? Well worth the $$$. - Schwell Zine
New Web sites such as runhundred.com have stepped up the personalization of music, merging it with the fitness world.
Runhundred.com allows users to search for tunes with specific beats per minute in order to optimize their time at the gym.
"The site sorts songs by tempo, genre, artist and BPM," said creator Chris Lawhorn. "You tell the site one song you can really get down to at the gym, and it matches you to songs with the similar attributes and the same BPM."
This site just earned itself a bookmark in my Web browser, right next to Pandora.com and YouTube. When it comes to personalized music, no activity demands more than working out and lacking the proper equipment can be troublesome. - Orion
I've never heard anyone like him. - A.Y.W. Zine
Discography
Ramona and Beezus:
Craft for the Smithy - 1996
Manor - 1997
Parting - 1998
Cataract Falls:
The Sound of Your Breath Still - 1998
Chris Lawhorn:
Maslove - 1997
Onan - 2004
Ramona and Beezus - 2009
Photos
Bio
There's no shortage of DJs out there. Many are quite good. Here's a quick look at some of the things that might distinguish Chris Lawhorn from his contemporaries.
*If a song's hot, it's in his set.
Between daily posts for his Run Hundred site and a weekly column as the resident DJ at Marie Claire magazine, Chris has to stay up on all the latest Hip-Hop, Top 40, and Electronic releases and remixes. While other DJs can get away with adding new cuts here and there (and the worst will play through a whole set of six month old songs), folks rely on Chris to have everything worth hearing, as soon as it drops.
*He's a crowd-pleaser, in the strictest sense.
In addition to DJing, Chris has played in three bands, which have released more than a half dozen albums, and logged nearly 200 shows. Having a musical background probably hasn't hurt his work as a DJ . But, it's the variety and volume of performances that helped him realize that putting on a show has less to do with guitars or turntables or anything else on stage--and more to do with having a feel for the crowd and trying to show folks a good time. Subsequently, he takes pains to win over rockers who don't generally care for DJs, give the designated drivers something to which they'll even want to dance sober, and bring the diehard clubbers the mixes no one else has.
*He's got lots of ways to reach lots of people.
While the albums, live shows, and DJ sets have introduced Chris to tens of thousands of people--they also helped him to build up a fairly comprehensive media database, rapport with journalists, and a fair amount of experience publicizing events. Accordingly, he's happy to help push events locally, in addition to the diffused promotion afforded by Run Hundred, Marie Claire, and his Myspace/Facebook pages.
*Love of music aside, he knows he's there to help people make money.
As a business owner, Chris can relate to the fact that venues and promoters want to draw the largest crowd possible, get folks in early, and make sure drinks/merchandise/etc. are moving throughout. So, his promotional work and DJ sets are both geared toward ensuring the people behind an event come away as happy as the attendees.
*He's got plenty of experience with the collegiate market. (This is primarily for bookers on or near a campus).
As the resident DJ for Inertia Tours, Chris spends two months every year playing exclusively for college students on spring break. Moreover, as an undergrad, he worked for both the programming board and campus radio station at Ball State University. To that end, he has a decent understanding of the logistical quirks and promotional opportunities to which campus shows lend themselves.
In all, Chris isn't a household name. And flashier turntablists aren't hard to find. But if you're looking for someone established, with a deep catalog, a good feel for crowds, promotional experience and means, and an interest in the bottom line--you might not find a better candidate.
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