Stride Mechanics

by: Rhielle Widders

If you are a runner, and even if you aren’t, you are probably aware of the discussion surrounding barefoot running.  It will make you stronger, you will get fewer injuries, your stride will change, you will run more efficiently, the list goes on.  I’m not opposed to running barefoot, I did it at the end of practice every day in high school and college (weather permitting, of course).  What I am opposed to, however, is people thinking that barefoot running will solve all of their running problems.  That is why this week’s running topic is Stride Mechanics.  Let’s chat about what makes a faster, more efficient runner, who ends up with fewer injuries regardless of what he/she wears on his/her feet.

Stride Length x Cadence = Pace

This formula may seem rudimentary but it really is that basic.  You can only vary two things in order to change your pace: how quickly you can rotate your legs and how much ground you cover while you are rotating them.  Still don’t believe me?  Go through the two variables independently.

A: Think about running up and down the stairs at your local high school bleachers.  The stride length is staying the same but the cadence is changing; going up, cadence decreases due to the fight with gravity but coming down, the cadence increases in proportion to the pace.

B: Now imagine running through tires – the same way you see every football player do it in every football related movie.  They are always placed on flat ground but you can imagine that the tire size would affect how quickly the athlete would be able to complete the exercise.  The size of the tire would be equal to stride length.  The smaller the tire, the less distance between steps, and the quicker the exercise would be completed, vice versa.

Now that you see how these two variables work, let’s take these two principles to the pavement.

Cadence: The optimum cadence for performance purposes is 90 RPM.  Every time your right foot hits the ground, that is one full rotation.  That means your right foot must strike 90 times in one minute in order to achieve 90 RPM.  Let’s do an experiment.  Find a song in your music library that is close to 90 beats/minute (180 BPM would also work here).  You can use “Stereo Hearts” by Gym Class Heroes.  It is a perfect 90 BPM.  You could also use “Bawitdaba” by Kid Rock if you prefer something a little more powerful, it is a perfect 180 BPM.  Next push play and run, in place, to the beat.  It doesn’t seem too hard, right?  Does it seem to fast?  Probably.  That is because  most runners, however, run in the 75-85 RPM category.  Think about any song by Eminem.  They are almost all in the 85-86 BPM category.  Does that feel a little more familiar?  If so, you might be wondering, “How do we go about changing our cadence?”   The answer is simple, shorten your stride.

Stride Length: Standing in place and running to Kid Rock or Eminem may seem pretty easy.  That is because your stride length is 0.  Hence you are not moving anywhere.  Now, download those songs onto your iPod and hit the pavement and suddenly, running to “Bawitdaba” doesn’t seem so easy.  They key is in your stride length.  Smaller steps makes for more frequent steps.

Take it to the run: Here is an exercise for your next run.  The next time you go out with your iPod, fill a playlist with songs that are right in the 86-90 BPM territory.  When you step out of the house, turn your rockin’ playlist on and start up the sidewalk.  Take baby steps that match the beat of the music.  I don’t mean metaphorically.  I mean literally.  Take teeny tiny steps.  As you run up the sidewalk, slowly lengthen those steps until you feel like the stride length and cadence match. Congrats, you have just found your pace.

But it isn’t necessarily that easy.  Your pace may be different than normal.  Likely it will be much faster.  You will feel worn out within a few minutes and wish you had some good Britney (65-75 BPM) to take the pressure off.  It takes practice to change your stride mechanics.  Stick with it for a week and you will be amazed at how much easier you can turn your legs over and I have a feeling you might also be surprised about your pace increasing and your injury rate lowering as well.