Optimizing Cadence and Stride Length

I've talked a lot about mobility work the last couple of newsletters but this week I'd like to change gears and talk about actual running technique.

Specifically I want to talk about two attributes which have a big impact on your running (no pun intended); cadence and stride length.

Running speed = stride rate x stride length

How fast you run depends on both these variables. Stride rate or cadence is the number of foot strikes per minute while your stride length is simply the distance between one foot strike and the next.

To run faster you need to do one of the following:

1. Increase your cadence.
2. Increase your stride length.
3. Increase both.

Research and expert opinion indicate that 180 foot strikes per minute is the magic number to running efficiently. This is the total for both feet, so for each foot that's 90 foot strikes per minute.

I feel that having a range is much more realistic than aiming for a specific number so I advise all my runners to aim for 170 - 180 foot strikes per minute (or 85 - 90 per foot).

The lower figure is for running at slower speeds while the faster cadence is for doing speedwork. The range also accounts for individual differences. For some people a cadence of 170 may be enough while others may need to be right on the mark at 180 or anywhere in between. Going up to 190 is saved for true speed sessions and won't be your normal training or racing pace.

This range applies no matter how slow or fast you're running; whether it's 9 minute miles or sub-6 minute miles. In other words, cadence is the constant in the running speed formula. And if that's the case, you're only left with one option for getting faster and that's to increase your stride length.

To see how changes in stride length can affect your performance, look at table below from the book, Healthy Intelligent Training: The Proven Principles of Arthur Lydiard by Keith Livingstone (a great book by the way):

What this table shows is how much faster you can run a 5k with only a 2% increase in stride length (SL).

Assuming you had a stride length of 2 meters (approx. 3 feet) and your 5k time was 14 minutes you'd take 2500 steps to complete the race.

If we keep your cadence constant but increase your stride by merely 1 cm (less than half an inch) your time would improve to 13:55.8. You can follow the rest of the progression in the table.

All other things remaining constant, the result is that you could shave 21 seconds off your 5k time with a 2% greater stride length. For a 2 meter stride length that is a 4 cm (or 1.57 inches) increase.

I know most of us aren't running 14 minute 5km's but regardless of your speed the point is an increase in stride length will increase your performance and make you a faster runner.

How to Improve Stride Length

It might seem almost paradoxical but the first thing I teach my runners is to improve their stride rate (cadence) and not worry about their stride length.

Why? Because most recreational runners have too low a cadence. Many are below 170.

The cadence range of 170 - 180 covers all speeds from easy runs to racing. For speed workouts you may get over 180.

It's important to keep in mind that you should work on your cadence during your easier runs. Everyone's cadence naturally goes up when doing speed work but the key is to make your normal running cadence fall in that magic range.

Once the cadence is established you should then worry about stride length. To improve it, you need to add technique drills, plyometrics and speedwork into your program.

I normally don't have runners measure their stride length. With the different drills and faster running, your stride length will take care of itself. Your time trials and race times will improve and since you're keeping your cadence constant, this means your stride length has increased.

Technique drills and some great plyometric type hill drills are some of the things I'll cover in the next Core Running Camp on Sunday, June 13 in Vancouver.

Plus you'll learn my flipper feet drill that improves your ankle mobility and keeps your calves nice and loose.