I gave up running a long time ago, when I realized that, well, bicycles were just plain faster. But if I were to start running again, an app that figured out my pace and looked through my library for music with a beat that matched might be a pretty cool running partner.
And that’s exactly what $3 Upbeat claims to do — although from the instructional video, it’s not quite clear exactly how. There’s also the option of purchasing from a selection of $1 coached workouts (although again examples are missing from the several enthusiastic-yet-detail-lacking vids on the site; a call to the Upbeat Workout HQ was not immediately returned).
The app is the brainchild of triathlon guru Sally Edwards, and a press release on the outfit’s website says that Upbeat’s servers have “access to five million songs” — suggesting the songs are tagged by bpm and the app uses this database to match songs on your iDevice with your current stride.
Update: Sally Edwards contacted me and we spoke a little about the app. She says the app differs from others out there with similar roles, in that Upbeat can accommodate coaches who want to create their own workouts (through working with Upbeat’s staff), which can then be downloaded. The app also includes three free workouts; and while only one in-app purchasable workout currently exists, she says more will be available soon, adding “we’ll have celebrity coaches.” Cool.
Also, as she points out, there’s a highly detailed FAQ section under the support tab on the app’s website with a slew of info on how the the app works.
