Need help with cadence / pace etc.

[WeavingWonk]

Ok. So a very recent c25k graduate - 30 mins though,not 5k. Have been running 30min consolidation runs.

Today I tried to run with the NHS Stepping stones podcast which has one running 150, then 155, then 160 spm. I struggled to get my breathing and steps lined up and looking at Strava my cadence was really inconsistent. And I was more worn out than usual and stopped running at about 22 minutes.

So I looked at my previous runs and I seem to be relatively consistent, running 168-170spm on average for the last few weeks. But my pace is really slow (8:20/km ish) so I think my steps must be very short. And as I am 6' with long legs and a long stride when I walk, that seems odd.

So how do I improve my distance if my cadence is already faster than Laura's "fast" but my overall pace is slow?

What would cause my steps to be short? Tight legs? Shoulders?

Thanks for any advice you can offer. I'm not trying to get to a 30 minute 5k. But I would like to get my pace below 8:00/km, and ultimately I'd like to run for longer than 30 minutes.

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

Congratulations on your recent graduation!

Not everyone gets on with Stepping Stones, I didn’t like it at all and only did it once after graduation. Like you, I have a naturally higher cadence so I found it a bit strange to do and left it.

Don’t worry about your cadence or pace at this stage. Everyone has their own natural cadence and changing it takes time and is fraught with risk of injury. The more you run and the more miles you get on your legs you’ll notice your pace will gradually get better and your cadence will change.

Also, if your steps are short and you land with your feet under your hips, then this is good. A longer stride and landing with your foot in front puts pressure on your knees and hips and so it sounds as if you have a good running style there!

Just keep doing your consolidation runs and get into a routine. Every run adds to your running bank and will bode well for your future goals. Don’t forget to enjoy it all too 🙂

[WeavingWonk Graduate10 in reply to Irishprincess]

That's very helpful, thank you. I will just continue as is then. Run 30 minutes listening to a podcast, because music just messes with my cadence. And do that for a few weeks. And then I'll start increasing my time. At some point I'll get to 5k!

[Irishprincess Graduate10 in reply to WeavingWonk]

You will!

[dieOR5k Graduate10]

I use 170bpm running music on amazon. Sounds like you do naturally what I’m learning to do. As Irishprincess said, don’t mess with success if your current gait isn’t resulting in injuries. Google GoodFormRunning, they support 170spm as ideal and talk about gait/form.

[WeavingWonk Graduate10 in reply to dieOR5k]

Thanks for this recommendation...looking through the website now. I think I'm doing the things it suggests - posture, arms, etc.

I think I'm probably going to stick with podcasts because looking back through Strava my cadence has been much more consistent on the runs where I did NOT listen to music. I think because I can hear and feel my breath matching my feet through the sound of whoever is talking. It's like my feet get into a rhythm with my heartrate and respiration, and music just is one more thing to coordinate, which throws me off. Plus I'm learning all sorts of interesting things in the podcasts!

I am curious how I will improve my pace if my cadence is already in the right spot. I suppose my step length may increase a little (an inch or two ) which would make a big difference over the course of 5k. But maybe I just let that happen naturally as I get more miles on my legs.

[dieOR5k Graduate10 in reply to WeavingWonk]

Yes. The other thing I’m working on from GFR is pushing off my feet When they’re under me versus pulling myself along from the front foot. I’m still a slow runner, but much faster than I was with this push method. Even found I walk faster with the same technique. Weird I’ve been walking incorrectly my whole life 🤔🤦‍♀️.

[WeavingWonk Graduate10 in reply to dieOR5k]

This sounds like something that I need to learn. I walk fast, and push off from my back foot. My son, who is a few inches shorter than me, always complains that I walk way too fast. But when I am running I am not at all sure I am using my legs and feet as efficiently as I might. I would then expect if I am pushing off more effectively it will have two effects: 1. To lengthen my stride a little and 2. to make running for longer easier.

Much reading to do, and then a focus on technique...

[hamit Graduate10]

I can only comment on my own experience.

Don,t overthink it, just do 5k until you get used to the distance. Don,t worry about speed it will come naturally. After c25k my first 5k at 72 was 50 mins now at 73 it is 33:33. So good luck and remember it just takes time.

[Sybilw Graduate10]

I found them difficult too as my cadence is faster too - kept feeling I’d trip myself up trying to keep the slower rate. I normally use podcasts too but downloaded Spotify then searched using beats per minute. There are several playlists available with a small variance and they worked quite well for me. Different tracks at slightly slower/faster tempo. Only trouble was some (a lot) of the tracks weren’t to my taste!! 🤣 Good luck

[Fionamags Graduate10]

Once your done consolidating, you could try Juju's Magic Plan. There is a 10k and a running for 60 minutes version. I am pretty slow so I'm using the timed version and that got me to 5k+. I'm really enjoying the structure of it.