Increasing cadence (Read 120 times)

Quick backstory. Over past 3 years I've encountered a lower leg injury - calf, plantar fascitis, achilles/outer heel pain. Last one has improved but still lingered for a year. Latest treatment was with a PT who specializes in running - only treats runners - and was most helpful. part of the treatment involved a gait analysis with high-tech video equipment on a treadmill. It showed my cadences was below average at 146 steps per minute. I'm 5'10" and 160 lbs and test was done on treadmill set at 10 minute pace. Also showed I needed to improve "knee drive".

PT suggested a metronome app for my phone and set goal of 156 Steps per minute along with some other at home drills. Eventually targeting 160 or even 165 SPM. That was 2 months ago. Using an Apple Watch on my runs SPM cadence shows 149-151 steps per minute, but my pace is much quicker. It feels like I need to run faster to increase cadence. Is this normal?

If anyone has links to any articles/videos about improving cadence/SPM please share. Also, is SPM influenced by pace? Can I do an easy relaxed run while still hitting SPM targets?

Thanks

milktrucks advice to run quiet is good. On some of your normal easy runs try to be smooth and silent--so your foot strike makes no sound. It's hard to run silent with bad form. You'll probably see a faster cadence just from doing that and over time it will start to feel natural.

You can also improve knee drive by doing strides, drills (like a skips and b skips), and short, fast hill charges.

Most people will have a slightly faster cadence as they increase speed but 146-151 still seems really slow and suggests form issues. Doing the above should gradually increase your easy run cadence as well as your cadence at all speeds.

Good advice above.  I'll only add that if you 'lean in' at all during your run (which is something I've seen a lot) then you are throwing of  your center of gravity.  You will have to extend you footfall out in front of you instead of directly underneath.  Make sure when focusing on good form that you include your shoulders and your head in the analysis.  Keep your head up and your shoulders squared and back.  That helps get the front of your hips up and out so you can hit your landing foot directly under your center of gravity.

I've seen so many runners with their heads tilted forward... staring at the ground in front of them.

Anyway, best of luck!

i had some injury issues and also worked with a great Runners PT. also did the gait analysis. also was told i needed to increase my cadence. I got a free metronome app on my phone and ran with it for months. i found it was actually easier to set it to ambiously (180) and then back off until i found where i was comfortable (about 174-175) after i listened to it for months, i started running without it, and my garmin watch also gives me a cadence in that 170 range pretty consistently. good luck!

Hey CalBears!  I see some familiar names... good to see so many old running friends still at it!

 

But c'mon, man... no one wants to hear my old running stories... LOL...

 

You are so wrong Mr MattM!  We are so much in need of good stories - seems like a lost art 

If I may add to this, in providing my recent experience as a novice runner.

I'm training for a half marathon which is vastly more volume than I've ever done previously. Given the commitment I've been reading up on running form amongst other things and discovered (looking at the soles of my runners) that I underpronate significantly as a result of very high arches, (as proven on the wet footprint test!)

The training is going well but I've been battling small niggles all through my program in feet, knees, ankles and hips and recently committed to increasing my running cadence to see if this would improve matters, related to the high impact of my stiff and underpronating feet and exacerbated by poor form and low cadence.

My 'normal' average cadence on easy runs (around 6min/km) has been 153-157 fairly consistently throughout the program. My last 2 runs have been 173spm (yesterday), and today for the longest run I have ever done in my life at 90 minutes of running, an average of 177spm. I can report zero niggles or pains running at this increased cadence, and despite feeling a bit weird to start with ive been able to get the leg turnover up sufficiently to maintain my usual training paces.

It's been quite a revelation! Definitely needs quite a bit of mental prompting to maintain, but also clearly worthwhile!