Shorten that stride!

[Scooter69]

Had a revelation. Thought I should share. Shin splints made me stop for 3 weeks at week 8. Kept active on the rower but also read loads on running technique and listened to advice on this forum. Back to Michael Johnson today week 8 but had got to 5k at 26:28! Stride rate was 166 and previously I was doing around 147. This has made all the difference for me (shin ok at the moment!).

[Hidden]

I also found running backwards for a few minutes before and after my run, uphill if possible, helped with shin pain. Plus knee strengthening exercises on a Pilates ball.

How do you measure your stride? I've read about cadence and know there's music to compliment your preferred stride p/min, but I'm not sure that would work for me. Rhythm is a dancer, not a runner!

[Scooter69 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I’ve a TOMTOM watch which churns our data!

[Hidden in reply to Scooter69]

Ah. I use a fitbit as I track sleep too!

[icklegui Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I thiiiiiiiiink stride rate is the same as cadence? Rate implies per time and I thought cadence is steps per time. Scooter69 are there units with your stride rate thingy on your TOMTOM? (there's a sentence I couldn't have said 1 year ago)

[MarkyD Graduate in reply to icklegui]

Cadence and stride rate should be the same thing: steps per minute. I’ve been banging on about increased cadence/shortened stride in this community on every ‘shin splints’ question!

[icklegui Graduate in reply to MarkyD]

hurrah, i was right

[Hidden in reply to icklegui]

Yes, I believe they're the same and am a bit prone to going between the terms at will. My fitbit doesn't measure it. It gives me a step count for my exercise which I can divide and calculate myself, but I don't have much faith in the step-count tbh. I can improve its accuracy by inputting my stride length but would have to find a way of measuring it accurately when running first.

[icklegui Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I get a step count from mapmyrun but I suspect it's a work of fiction! It knows my height but its knowledge stops there One day I'll do the Stepping Stones podcast and then I might find out where roughly my cadence might be ...

[Hidden in reply to icklegui]

A work of fiction indeed! My fitbit is rarely correct for distance, but great in many other ways.

Strava had proven to be fairly accurate consistently, but for some reason even though my OH and I start them together, his always reaches 5k first! He runs his on an iPhone and mine is on a Samsung and that is the only difference. It's a mare running an extra 50-100 feet when I'm giving my last and he's wooping it up.

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Hidden]

The samsung health app will give you a decent idea on your cadence if you record your run on that too. It's also quite generous with distance so you might get there first! 👍😉

[Hidden in reply to GoGo_JoJo]

I've never turned it on, had a quick look when Samsung first installed it, but wasn't impressed. Think I'll have another look GoGo_JoJo 😊

[GoGo_JoJo Graduate in reply to Hidden]

I used it for cycling for over a year and for running from Jan to the start of March. I found it pretty good if a little generous on speeds and distance but cadence and elevation seem ok. I used it for steps, weight, stress etc too.

[Scooter69 Graduate in reply to icklegui]

Yup. 166 strides/min.

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

It is a bit of advice that so many could benefit from.

This morning, after a two kilometre climb, I had to restrain myself from striding out on the downhill section. The mechanics of overstriding are very easy to understand... the extra leverage exerted on your legs is huge as well as the increased impact.

Good lesson, well learnt.