Question about "cadence"

[Henriette2013]

According to my Garmin Fenix, my cadence puts me in the bottom 5% of women who also have this watch. This doesn't particularly bother me - most people who'll spend $700US on a sports watch are a lot more fit and active than I am at the moment (although, I plan to become a lean, mean, active machine). But it did pique my curiosity.

Could someone please explain how to go from running with big slow loping strides (which I guess I am doing at the moment) to running with speedy, tiny steps? I mean, I know one can do speed training - our delightful Laura from C25K even had a podcast dedicated to that - and I also believe what many here have told me: that speed naturally increases over time, the more one runs. However, this idea of taking shorter, faster steps... how does one go about doing this?!?!?

Thank you!

[Bazza1234 Graduate10]

Have a look at this video youtube.com/watch?v=9L2b2kh...(Not working as expected?)

[ju-ju- Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

I love this vid, I have seen you share it before. I love the way that bloke just keeps going and looks so happy too. The best type of running.

[Bazza1234 Graduate10 in reply to ju-ju-]

Yes - I enjoy watching it too. I have discovered a technique to "teach" people how to run more "forward" and not to land on their heels. You have to do this in a park with nobody watching though. This is to clasp your hands behind your back and then run - do this a few times for a hundred metres of so. You will find that it is impossible to heel strike - after a bit of practice, bring your hands and arms into play, holding them quite high and in front of you. Doing that in conjunction with his NIKO NIKO pace and training

[Henriette2013 in reply to Bazza1234]

I'll be sure to try it; thank you Bazza! xo

[Joy57 Graduate10 in reply to Bazza1234]

This is so nice!

[misswobble Graduate10]

I do small steps, always have done,,but I suppose that’s cos i’m Small. 🙂

You run, as Laura says, “keeping everything under your hips “. if you over- stride you can hurt yourself. Do what you’re comfortable with though 😃

[Henriette2013 in reply to misswobble]

Yes, Laura had great advice. I have no idea if I keep everything under my hips or not; how to tell? xo

[roseabi in reply to Henriette2013]

Do you run past any shops on your routes? Check out your reflection in the windows. If not, maybe have someone film you

[roseabi]

What is your cadence, and how tall are you? And how fast are you running? It's difficult to comment without the facts

Cadence does increase with speed, so yours could be low because you're going slowly. If you have long legs your cadence will be lower, particularly at low speeds.

Towards the end of my C25K experience I found my cadence was around 170 spm at a little over 6 min/km. I'm 5'6" (or 1.68 m), with legs on the short side. I increased my cadence to 180 spm by using a metronome app, and found I was running faster.

Nowadays I don't pay much attention to it though, life's complicated enough

[Henriette2013 in reply to roseabi]

I'm about 5'10 and my average cadence tends to fall around 143spm although in my race today it apparently was 153 spm. I run about 7:45 min/km.

[roseabi in reply to Henriette2013]

You are quite tall, and not running very fast, so those cadences make sense for you I think. As you found during your race, your cadence will likely increase as you get quicker.

[Henriette2013 in reply to roseabi]

Okay, that makes sense. Thank you for helping me make sense of this. xo

[Hidden]

I find running on my treadmill - which is small so i can't stretch out - improves my cadence no end. My average cadence is around 145-155 and best around 175 when running outside, so not brilliant. You have to take into account the length of your legs too. I have a naturally long stride both walking and running.

[Henriette2013 in reply to Hidden]

You have a Fenix 5s, right, dear Flick? I bought one, too, and its feedback is what got me interested in cadence. My cadence on the treadmill tends to be around 143spm and during my road race this morning it was 153spm, which pulls me up to the 5th-29th percentile LOL I run on the treadmill at the gym but, alas, it allows me to stretch out my long legs. xox

[Hidden in reply to Henriette2013]

Yes, Fenix 53, got much cheaper and hardly used on ebay - how lucky was that. My prode and joy and I love it. Could you please trell me where you found the info about your cadence compared with other women who have the watch? Ive searched Garmin Connect and cant find it. Xx

[Henriette2013 in reply to Hidden]

Wow - cheaper and on ebay: what an awesome "score," Flick! To find how your cadence compares to that of other Fenix 5s users, click on the little blue question mark in a circle that is right beside the words "Run Cadence." Hope this helps. xo

[Hidden in reply to Henriette2013]

I dont have that. On the stats page for my run there is no info given next to the cadence. If I go to the last page of stats, which includes time spent in heart rate zones, I just have blue help next to cadence and a list of percentiles and colour zones, but no mention of percentage of women with the same watch.

[Henriette2013 in reply to Hidden]

Yes, that's what I'm talking about. Isn't that the percentile based on data from women with Garmin watches? If not... what is the population the percentile is drawn from? xo

[Hidden in reply to Henriette2013]

Ok, with you. I grew up in a world where percentiles werent a thing .😊

[Henriette2013 in reply to Hidden]

Me, too, dear Flick. I still have to stop and ponder awhile whenever faced with them. xo

[diamondd Graduate10]

I have the same challenge-if I try and do 180 cadence or even 170 I end up almost shuffling. My wife on the other had just bounces along like a spring. So interested to hear any suggestions.

[Henriette2013 in reply to diamondd]

Yes, I think this is more interesting than anything I'm particularly worried about. I simply had never thought about cadence, it was brought to my attention by my watch (Garmin Fenix 5s) and so I figured I'd ask here about it.

[JennyH10]

This is really fascinating. I’m slow as a slow thing but I have tiny tiny little legs so I take small steps but I think my cadence is quite high, basically I get nowhere fast 😩😂

[Henriette2013 in reply to JennyH10]

You're right, Jenny; it is fascinating! A year ago you never could have convinced me that, some day, I'd actually be interested in learning about topics like running cadence. xox

[pinkaardvark Graduate10]

My cadence is very low, 150ish I don't think i'm terribly slow though. Not fast mind you but have done a 5k in 28 and 10k in 63 so definitely in the median. I wouldn't try to change it personally as you risk injury doing that, just see how it develops over time.

As you strengthen your legs it will increase with your pace and also just as important is your flight time, ie the more spring energy you develop will mean you glide further without necessarily opening the stride up. You also want the back leg to come up and at pace it can even kick yourself in the butt.

some helpful tips here youtube.com/watch?v=3RlvKMx...(Not working as expected?)

[Henriette2013]

Wow - I'd never even heart of flight time! Thanks for sharing this, PA. So many things to learn about, as a new runner... xox

[misswobble Graduate10]

If you don’t have a fancy running watch none of this is a concern 🤷‍♀️

I have no idea what my cadence is or heart of whatever.

[Henriette2013 in reply to misswobble]

You're absolutely right, MissW! And, truly, excellent for you for getting to be a kick-ass athlete who has run distances I don't dream of. However, am at the stage (perhaps permanent, in my case?) where the endorphins/ runners' high has never once kicked in, and where I find running both painful and boring. So, the fancy watch and learning about things that I don't need to know ~ but that I find quite fascinating, nonetheless ~ like my cadence and flight and heart rate is a way to keep me mentally engaged in a hobby I know is good for me, and I want to continue, but which hasn't yet enchanted me. Chatting about it with all of you is another way that I make an otherwise tedious (to me... I speak/write only for myself!) activity, more fun. xo