There are only 2 ways to run faster

There are only two ways to run faster:

Take faster steps (referred to as cadence)
Take bigger steps (referred to as stride length)

That’s it. You either have to make more steps happen or make each step count for more.

Yet when we hear something like this and then try to apply it, we often end up in a tangle. We try to increase our cadence, yet there is a limit to how much we can increase this. Sure, you can increase your step rate to a point, but eventually you get to a place where increasing your cadence any more feels as though you are simply running on the spot and it actually slows you down. The experience for me and for the runners I work with has been that there is a limiting point when it comes to cadence, which is not 180 steps per minute for everyone, but is more individual than that. It is the point where increasing cadence even further is actually detrimental to your running, as it ends up having an inverse relationship with stride length. In other words, you end up so focused on taking quicker steps that you barely cover any ground with each step. It feels like you are running on the spot.

So then we are left with trying to take bigger steps to cover more ground.

This approach makes sense. Research has shown that professional runners tend to have their own individualised cadence, which they maintain throughout a race, and tends to remain the same even as they fatigue. What happens instead is, as they fatigue, their stride length decreases. They run slower not because they take fewer steps but because they cover less ground with each step (see my other articles on cadence for more information about that).

Yet we try and do this and then our coach or therapist yells at us to stop over-striding! So how on earth do we do this then?! How do we increase stride length without over-striding?

It can be done. And once you figure it out not only in your head but also in your body be prepared to welcome in some nice running gains.

To understand how to do this, we must first take a look at what we mean by the terms over-striding and stride length. Over-striding refers to the length between the foot and the centre of mass (roughly between your umbilicus and your pubic bone) at the moment that leg touches the ground. Whilst it is still debated about what the specific measurement to calculate over-striding is, or how far in front of the body is too far, we generally calculate it based on the angle of the knee at foot strike. I define over-striding to be when the knee has less than a 20-degree bend at the moment of foot strike. Landing with the knee in a straightened position has been associated with knee pain and shin splints and, by definition, increases the distance between the foot and the centre of the pelvis at foot strike. It’s generally not as important as to how that foot strikes the ground, as it is about how far in front of the body the foot strikes the ground. If there’s adequate knee bend of greater than 20 degrees and you are heel striking, that may still be legitimate (it depends, as always).

Comparatively, stride length refers to the distance between one foot strike and the next. It’s measuring the distance travelled with a single step. If you can increase the distance travelled with each step you can see how you would cover more ground in less time.

Magic happens when you increase your stride length without over-striding.

The experience is travelling further through the air without getting greedy: without losing control of the lower limb at foot strike. There are a few ways to do this. One that works well for a lot of people is focusing on increasing their knee drive; trying to replicate the feeling of being “pulled” into the air, rather than “pushing” the ground away. Contrastingly, and somewhat paradoxically, for some people actually focusing on pushing the ground away harder is what helps them to increase their stride length. Arm swing is another huge factor. If your tendency is to over-stride, try keeping the arms a little more compact and you may find that your legs also stay a little more compact and that you over-stride less. Using your arms more may also help increase stride length with each step.

As with most things in health, there’s no one glove fits all policy. Figuring out what works best for you in your body is a practice and takes time. That’s the beauty and frustration about having a movement practice: it’s entirely your journey. Yet these cues work for a lot of people and are a great place to start.

Give it a go next time you’re out on a run. For some of you, that might be enough. For others, who perhaps want more guidance and more of a structure about how to implement these changes, there’s my Embodied Runner program. My runners grapple with all this and more until they know, not just in their heads but also in their bodies, what good, effortless running is supposed to feel like. Sometimes allowing yourself to be supported through the change makes all the difference. If that’s you, reach out to me to sign up onto the program now!

#MakeYourMove

Michael