What's your leg speed? (Read 798 times)

The important thing, when running races that use chip timing, is to make sure you put your chip on the shoe of the foot attached to your faster leg.

I've tried this...it really pisses of the slow leg. It's even tried to trip the fast leg on occasion...jealousy can get ugly.

We are supposed to be aiming for 180 steps per min. Are you anywhere near this?

I'm about 170-180, trail conditions permitting for normal runs. Probably slower on steep uphills, soft snow. Faster on short, quick stuff. Consider the 180 steps/min as a fuzzy number. Some folks are naturally faster, some are naturally slower - and it depends on speed. I think it's been shown that for slower paces (say, > 7 min/mi, but I'd have to find the article to double check), increased speed comes from stride length. Beyond that (< 7 min/mi, and that was for trained, young runners), increased speed comes from increased frequency or cadence. i think sprinters will be going well over 200 steps/min when racing. (there's 2 studies in my mind. i think the one with the slower runners and stride length may have been about 7 min/mi - and might be general - while the one with the trained faster runners on sprint distances might have had the breakpoint at 70% vo2max or 70% vvo2max or something along those lines. the latter was a finnish study; the earlier was a graph in martin and coe, iirc.) however, many beginning runners (like myself) may be overstriding and taking leaps into the air, resulting in lost time and significant impact on landing. working toward a quicker cadence for some of those (like myself) can help reduce impact and improve speed. but that may not be true for everyone. faster times generally come from reduced contact with ground. whatever you can do to reduce that time helps. slower cadences frequently have more ground contact time. 7="" min/mi,="" and="" that="" was="" for="" trained,="" young="" runners),="" increased="" speed="" comes="" from="" increased="" frequency="" or="" cadence.="" i="" think="" sprinters="" will="" be="" going="" well="" over="" 200="" steps/min="" when="" racing.="" (there's="" 2="" studies="" in="" my="" mind.="" i="" think="" the="" one="" with="" the="" slower="" runners="" and="" stride="" length="" may="" have="" been="" about="" 7="" min/mi="" -="" and="" might="" be="" general="" -="" while="" the="" one="" with="" the="" trained="" faster="" runners="" on="" sprint="" distances="" might="" have="" had="" the="" breakpoint="" at="" 70%="" vo2max="" or="" 70%="" vvo2max="" or="" something="" along="" those="" lines.="" the="" latter="" was="" a="" finnish="" study;="" the="" earlier="" was="" a="" graph="" in="" martin="" and="" coe,="" iirc.)="" however,="" many="" beginning="" runners="" (like="" myself)="" may="" be="" overstriding="" and="" taking="" leaps="" into="" the="" air,="" resulting="" in="" lost="" time="" and="" significant="" impact="" on="" landing.="" working="" toward="" a="" quicker="" cadence="" for="" some="" of="" those="" (like="" myself)="" can="" help="" reduce="" impact="" and="" improve="" speed.="" but="" that="" may="" not="" be="" true="" for="" everyone.="" faster="" times="" generally="" come="" from="" reduced="" contact="" with="" ground.="" whatever="" you="" can="" do="" to="" reduce="" that="" time="" helps.="" slower="" cadences="" frequently="" have="" more="" ground="" contact=""></ 7 min/mi, and that was for trained, young runners), increased speed comes from increased frequency or cadence. i think sprinters will be going well over 200 steps/min when racing. (there's 2 studies in my mind. i think the one with the slower runners and stride length may have been about 7 min/mi - and might be general - while the one with the trained faster runners on sprint distances might have had the breakpoint at 70% vo2max or 70% vvo2max or something along those lines. the latter was a finnish study; the earlier was a graph in martin and coe, iirc.) however, many beginning runners (like myself) may be overstriding and taking leaps into the air, resulting in lost time and significant impact on landing. working toward a quicker cadence for some of those (like myself) can help reduce impact and improve speed. but that may not be true for everyone. faster times generally come from reduced contact with ground. whatever you can do to reduce that time helps. slower cadences frequently have more ground contact time.>

Good idea!! I'll try it. Thanks!!!

I'm also 6'2 and, like you, my stride rate was well below 180 about a year to 18 months ago. I found that consciously trying to increase this to be very unnatural and possibly a recipe for injury so I didn't persist with this. However since then I've found my rate has gradually increased on its own as I've got faster. I'm pretty sure this is due to running hills and to concentrating on maintaining my leg speed at the end of 5k races. It may feel strange to try and increase your stride rate but if you concentrate on not increasing your stride length then your stride rate will increase on its own as your fitness increases. John

We are supposed to be aiming for 180 steps per min. Are you anywhere near this? I did a rough check this morning and was 160. Im 6ft 2" and struggled to do anything more without looking like a penguin. I can understand the theory behind this but is it always practical, particularly if you are tall?

180 for me. I'm 6'0". I used to run around 165-170, but then I made an effort to gradually increase my cadence. At first it felt like I was working harder, and later it felt easier.