Around 15-20 years ago, the term "cadence" seemed to be all the rage. Since then, metronomes, discussion of the perfect rhythm (180 strides per minute?), and related topics have been much belabored amongst passionate runners and coaches alike. These days, even base model running watches will track it for you, along with a variety of other metrics. Like any of the almost too many things your watch can track these days, connecting these measurements to the real world of daily running is important in order to actually benefit. When I talk to runners about cadence, I typically emphasize a few main points.
More acceleration = less deceleration
When I talk to novice runners, I typically will ask them if one should take long or short strides when trying to run fast. Many times, they will respond that long strides seem to make more sense, to which I'll ask what they think happens when we are floating in the air. The truth is, when we are in the air, we are decelerating. The only way we are going to get back accelerating again is to push off the ground again. If we do that 10 more times per minute than we were doing so before, we will get to point B faster, if for no other reason than we are increasing the amount of acceleration opportunities and limiting the deceleration times between each footfall.
No such thing as a universal magic number
As a general rule, many coaches, including myself, use 180 strides per minute as a starting point. However, 22 miles into a marathon, that number has little relevance. As an actionable thing your brain can instruct your body to do, a basic focus on increasing the cadence from where you are to just a little quicker is the most important concept, whether that's 160-170 or 175-180. Each of us, due to our individual anatomy, has a slightly different set point. Over time, you can track where your sweet spot lies and aspire to that, but we will all tire and slow at some stage. Reminding ourselves to find a quicker rhythm relative to that naturally tired one can make a big difference.
Reminding ourselves to find a quicker rhythm relative to that naturally tired one can make a big difference.
— Dena Evans
Don't be a skimming stone
Picture a smooth, flat stone skimmed across a pond. With little downward force and more horizontal velocity, the stone doesn't break the surface tension of the water and bounces in a shallow way that allows it to again land with minimal vertical force. Then, imagine a rubber ball thrown directly down from the roof of a building, with all that downward pressure, it will return upwards with great height. When we have a quicker cadence, that more rapid rhythm leaves less time for our foot to drift, extend, and land in front of our torso at that shallow, heel-striking angle. As such, we will land a bit more to the midfoot, more underneath the column of the rest of our body, and with a greater vertical angle. Addressing the ground more vertically allows us to generate more power on the push off, which gets us more bang for our buck on each stride.
- Every moment airborne is a moment decelerating, so more footfalls per minute means more chances to accelerate.
- 180 strides per minute is a coach's starting point, not a finish line. Your anatomy has its own set point.
- A quicker rhythm keeps your foot from drifting out in front of your body, naturally shifting you away from a shallow heel strike.
- Landing more underneath your torso, at a greater vertical angle, means more power on every push-off.