How do I increase length of step

[C25K-newbie]

Hi have been running at snails pace with quite a small stride , as this enabled me to run for 30 mins without shin splints. I would like to go increase my speed now. Should I increase my stride and run for shorter distances to adjust or carry on as I am until I am stronger ?

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

Do not increase your stride length ...........increase your cadence instaed, otherwise you increase the impact stresses on your legs.

Why do you want to get faster?

Slow runners live longer.....womensrunning.com/culture/s....

[C25K-newbie Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks for this information, I would like to participate in a park run but feel apprehensive, as I assume everyone else will be faster , better etc. . I am sure this is a hang up from school sports lessons which I hated - now I am in my fifties I need to let this go 😊

[nowster Graduate in reply to C25K-newbie]

Parkrun attracts all sorts. There will be the hares and there will also be the tortoises, and there may even be some who do a mixture of running and walking.

I'm also in my fifties, and never ran at all before this time last year, not even in school.

The best way to increase pace is not to try for it. Keep running at a comfortable pace for you. The more miles you get under your legs the more likely your pace will increase anyway.

It took about 9 months for me (with some setbacks), but being able to sustain a slightly faster pace (and a recent accidental personal best for 5k) came from regularly doing much longer, slow runs. Once I started regularly running continuously for an hour or more I began to notice tiny improvements in the pace of my shorter runs.

I can sprint quite quickly for a few hundred metres and I'm exhausted having done that. However, I can plod along at a slowish pace for two hours and still be able to walk home and make myself lunch at the end of it.

The other question you might want to ask is are you doing this to push yourself into faster and faster runs or are you doing this to get some fun out of it? Parkruns seem to be more about fun and the socialising afterwards than they are about the bling.

[Skyblueandblack Graduate]

During my first two consolidations runs I quite comfortably increased my stride length a little which knocked a few seconds off my Km pace. I ran in the dark this evening so reverted to snail pace to reduce the risk of triping up.

[nowster Graduate]

As IannodaTruffe says, slow is good and shuffling is good too. Are you collecting any stats about your running?

[Tasha99 Graduate]

Increase cadence not stride