I absolutely detested running...until I saw this video and applied the cadence...omygoodness...I just ran the easiest 5miles of my life..once I got my cadence right..my body immediately fell into proper form, no bouncing, feet in line with body..I have read so many articles and watched videos ...and this by far is the best..and I am very thankful !!
I call total BS on your comment. Running at 180 steps is not going to make your running form automatically more efficient. Don't believe me? Go running at whatever pace you want but stick with 180 steps. Now speed it up, a lot! Like, almost sprint. Now count your steps per minute. More than 180 right? Way more than 180 probably? Now stay at that speed and try lengthening your strides to get back down to 180 and see if that is even possible. OK, now you're over striding.
Jim Mason your cadence has to change based on how fast you’re running lol. Common sense. And it differs for different people not everyone runs at exactly 180 bpm.
@@peterc2696 It's more determined by your natural stride . The 5' 2" Kenyans run more like 190-200. That said , Dreyer studied lots of marathoners and determined that the 180 is pretty good for most of us. I like it!
Vince R I’m not a heal striker at all but I do have a longer stride and for me, mine is usually around 165-170 for easy running. As long as your at 165 or above your risk of injury is pretty low as well.
Sage, and Sandy, After I broke my back in Feburary this year I have come back to training, and the most important elements I learned were exactly these element you two shared. I found that the most important element for me was increasing my cadence at all stride lengths. I can now hold 184 cadence for 10k and it has relieved most of my leg, and back pain, and also decreased my pace per KM. I also moved into the Hoka Vanquish allowing me to run further. Thank you two for all you do to help guide, and inspire us to be better athletes.
Hi Sage and Sandi, Thank you so much for these tips. They have been a blessing. I saw this video a week back and implemented the cadence tip. The improvement in timings were amazing. I am not a pro running, I actually started running seriously a couple of months back for loosing weight and improved stamina Before the tips 5km - 38.5 mins 7km - 56 mins 10km - 1 hr 20 mins Last week I tried to implement your tips on cadence. 5km - 35mins 7km - 51.5mins 10km - 1hr 14 mins Just in a week of focusing on my cadence I had a big difference in minutes. My cadence improved from 152 pm to 161pm, which is still far from 180pm recommended. The runs feel so much better and fluid. I will try to improve my cadence further. Thanks a ton again.
I concentrated on these tips on a treadmill for a week or so and I improved my 5K time by 10 minutes in a couple weeks. I think I finally know "how to run".
This is the best video on running form ever! Just what I hoped you guys would make. You have talked a lot about the different points of focus in past videos, but I love that you put it all into one video and especially that you included footage of you showing the points of focus on the track. You guys rock.
I love your videos and they have helped me so much. I started running later in life (43) and have had to work hard at running right to stop getting injured. Both of you, your videos/channels have helped so much. Thank you.
I ran a 25 min. 5K at age 60; I ran a 38 minute 5k at age 76. I'm currently 79 and running in the 12 minute range and dropping using chi running for a month.
Im gonna practice this tomorrow!!! My Form was soooo Bad! My calves and shins always killed me, but i did it amyways 😂 i was super bouncy AND forward heel landing 🤦♀️ cant wait to try these techniques!!
Great timing on the video! I've been wondering on easy days how to take it easy - shorter stride or lower cadence. Question answered! Be sure to give Sandi a high 5 and have Sandi give you a high 5 for me. Also, thanks for the videos - I'm in the process of cleaning up my garbage form. Hoping to clean it up enough to hit 3:45 on my Oct 1 marathon (although 4:00 is a more realistic goal - 4:18 in my last marathon 2 years ago).
I am still not totaly sold on the 180 cadance. I have a cadance of about 168-170, no matter how fast I run. I tried to get my cadance higher to 175 and after about two weeks of small intervals I put into my training I stoped because it just did not feel good at all. Now I just stick with my "low" cadance and it feels confy and I dont think I overstride or have huge problems with the other issues sage and sandi are talking about. I just think everybody needs to find the cadance working best for them, it doesnt make sense to force yourself to run at 180 cadance just because people say thats the best thing you can do. But of course if you are overstriding or have other issues it might make sence to look at your cadance. Just my 2 cents.
Johannes Cadence takes time to develop. Your cadence is pretty solid for a runner. I wouldn't worry about it too much since your cadence will improve as you keep training.
@@lucasvanelewout43 I'm 6 feet 2 inches and I still maintain 180 cadence in all my runs. It all comes down to doing the right drills really. And swinging your arms faster but not too fast. Also doing strides 2 or 3 times a week after an easy run will allow you to get you used to running with a higher cadence. I hope this helps.
Thanks for the video. I'm a month out from my 1st ultra and I'm trying to train as efficiently as possible. The info in your vids is a treasure trove. Thanks, Coach.
Throughout the last year i have coming back to this video (and other vo2max vids) so many times! Thanks for this excellent channel as it still helps me progress every week!
Gotta be honest, I’ve been running for years and never really thought about my form but always complained about knee discomfort. Since working on my form I’ve noticed a huge improvement in speed and efficiency. It honestly felt weird at first, but even though it felt a little unnatural, I noticed more work being done with the glutes and hams which increased my forward momentum substantially with less work l.
Honestly these tips helped me to fix any discomfort that I had in my legs while running. Improved my pace by 20 secs per km. I'm so so so thankful for this video, I actually enjoy running more now!
Don't thank us for watching 9:13. I need to thank you for making this video and uploading it. All the advices you gave seem very logical and good. Can't wait to try them out. I Thank you! :)
So greatful for this!!! Never heard anything like all this before! The anologies they made, the kinesiology and physiology components are all things they include for running correctly.
Thanks for the great training tips. Great meeting both of you before Broken Arrow, and congrats on your win, Sandi! The 26K was an awesome course and really challenging for the distance.
I have never been a good runner, but I've taken it up in the last six months. I've got shin splints already and I hope these tips help me out. Thank you guys!!!!
Great video guys, keep'em coming. Note to Sandi: Having a higher cadence means you are spending MORE time on the ground, not less. You are spending less time in the air, thus making the impact load not as heavy as it would with a lower stride rate and longer periods airborne.
With a slower stride rate each time your foot hits the ground, the ground contact time is most likely higher. So a higher cadence does mean that your foot spends less time on the ground with each step (less impact force.)
Sage Running Thanks for taking the time to reply, and while I do agree that a higher cadence means a shorter ground contact time, but it doesn't mean that in the sum you are spending less time on the ground. You are spending more time in the ground, but you're just not staying there and loading (impact forces) as hard as you would with a shorter cadence. Minor thought difference, but the message stays the same.
Upper torso needs to rotate properly otherwise it goes to the bottom. Also proper leg tracking has to be symmetrical and straight (not tilting the feet too much in the wrong direction and loading the foot not optimally) otherwise running will be improper. Should work on the proper fundamentals before running properly but tons of people who run already know this. It's the people like me who couldn't run far for long because my body foundation was totally improper.
Cheers for this, I've been looking for "how to improve your running form" for a while now, and I think this has helped. Have you heard people talk about - Hiymelia Ziyddison Scheme - (search on google ) ? Ive heard some incredible things about it and my mate got cool success with it.
This is glorious, I've been looking for "long distance running stride" for a while now, and I think this has helped. You ever tried - Hiymelia Ziyddison Scheme - (just google it ) ? Ive heard some amazing things about it and my friend got great success with it.
If you're al dente spaghetti, I'm an overcooked lasagna. Seriously, the thing about heel strike and center of gravity finally made sense. I can't wait to run tomorrow and try that out. thank you!!
02:22 - EXACTLY what I was doing coming out of at 40 year running retirement. I was reaching out with my legs like an Ostrich lol. Giving my knees a week to fell better than going with your advice.
This is a great video. I love it when you two are in the video together. I appreciate these points covered on form in this one video; well done Coaches Sandi & Sage.
Sage, the one thing I am in disagreement with is the 180 cadence. I have found this one to be much harder to change, especially if you have a low cadence and have been running for many years. I believe the 180 cadence came as a recommendation from Dr. Jack Daniels and his studies were based on elite runners. Cadence is tied to pace and and elite runners have an easy pace that is much faster than most of us amateurs. If i could run sub 6:30 min/miles at an easy effort then I may close to that 180 number, but at 7:30-8 min pace I am usually around low 160s. Obviously I make up for my lack of stride rate with stride length. I have also been running for about 7 years and have had very few injuries. I have gone out on runs with the intent on taking as many steps as possible to only see that I may have increased 2-3 steps per minute without increasing intensity. Also it felt extremely unnatural. I'm just saying I think that we have to look at amateur runners a bit differently and also understand that the longer you have been running, the harder it is to make a change in cadence without increasing the pace or effort.
It has more to do with amplitude of movement. At slower paces you do not vertically displace as much, thus allowing you to run at 180. Romanov's Running Revolution goes into this. It takes some time to build efficiency but as with most big changes you go backwards to go forwards. I spend the first training cycle with my collegiate team every fall working on this. I've found this to be the single-most effective way to improve form with changing "style".
You can run in place at a 180 cadence and not move forward at all. Then you can creep forward as slowly as you want while maintaining this cadence. It may seem ridiculous at first, and is certainly not much of a workout, but by starting this way, you can see how it's possible to run at any pace at 180. It doesn't take long before your body warms up and you're moving along at your previous normal pace, but using less energy (provided your posture and arm carriage aren't messed up). Insisting on 180 is the single most effective way for shitty runners like me to avoid injury and quickly improve.
hi Sage. with that last point about vertical oscillation, vertical oscillation is solely a function of ground contact time and cadence in a uniform gravitational field. It is true that cadence increase reduces oscillation, but it is not true that smaller ground contact time reduces oscillation. The opposite is true. When the runner is not on the ground, the centre of mass moves vertically through time with the exact same parabolic function (given constant cadence). Increasing ground contact time reduces the time (width) of the parabola and therefore height. It is one of those easily shown mathematical axioms. However, I have heard that reduced GCT is beneficial.
I'm a little rough on my math (engineering calculus what not my best subject in college), but perhaps you left out a variable with that function? Again, I may be wrong (I often am), but what about the vertical component (thrust component) on push-off? What about the angle (horizontal vector of force v. vertical vector) of the ankle joint? I think that will also have a play in vertical oscillation?
Hi Sage, I've been meaning to prove this for ages. I hope you'll take the time to look at this: goo.gl/photos/isV9RrHcDeShVg1CA Essentially vertical oscillation=(1/8)g*((cadence^-1)-GCT)^2 Again, I'm not disputing that lower GCT is good running form, I'm just contending that with constant cadence, reducing GCT necessarily increases vertical oscillation. Still, great video Sage! Keep up the good work!
Hi Henry, that is some solid physics and math! It looks good (I think), but the question is, does cadence ever hold constant with a change in GCT? I don't think it does. Sprinting, for example, one would have a very high cadence (prob. 200-220 steps/min +), a very fast GCT and a pretty high vertical oscillation. I'm still wondering how you take into account any horizontal components (or are they being calculated as a constant as well)? Again, I'm not saying you are wrong...I'm just wondering. Thanks for your input!
Hi Sage, Well I guess as your cadence increases, your GCT decreases and so vertical oscillation stays about the same. This is probably linked to why low GCT is good: it forces you to have a higher cadence to maintain the same vertical oscillation. So in that sense I agree that reduced GCT is good. I just disagree that reduced GCT will reduce vertical oscillation. In order for that effect to take place, your cadence will have to increase far more than your GCT has been reduced. So in a sense your working against the effect you want to achieve (reduced oscillation). I haven't included anything in the horizontal displacement axis since is doesn't affect movement in a dimension at 90 degrees to it: the vertical axis. This is similar to the effect that a horizontally fired bullet will strike the ground at the same time as a tennis ball dropped at time of firing from the same height. I get that the maths is not very clear and I'm trying to find a way to explain what's in my head... When you are on the ground, your leg can push to counter act your weight and so you don't accelerate in the vertical axis. However, when you are in the air, the only force acting on you is weight/gravity (leaving aside air resistance). The longer you are in the air, the harder you need to push off. You can reduce your time in the air one of two ways: staying on the ground longer, or increase your cadence so you do more little oscillations rather than fewer larger oscillations. Thank you for taking the time letting me bounce my ideas off you!
Henry, thanks for your reply. I get the universal gravitational field constant (And the vertical axis only being looked at). I've never done any lab testing, but it seems like the results/correlations with GCT, stride rate, vertical oscillation and relative paces/velocities could be plotted easily (and analyzed for efficiency). The force being applied with each contact would be interesting to see as runners with different ratios of fast to slow twitch muscle fibers might be able to "pop" off the ground faster with different amount of force...and of course I believe that body weight/mass would also be a factor in that? So the amount of work output would vary. In any case, minimizing GCT is the goal for efficiency.
Great video! One question: How do I know if I reached a plateau. So far, I do three miles a day but it's been getting easier for me. However, when I increase my pace, it becomes a little challenging but when I tone down, I don't feel as tired. This is my first time attempting the sport :)
So I used to do all my runs based on mileage, but this spring I started coaching track and got my own workouts from the head coaches, their philosophy is more about time on your feet than on distance covered. For instance, instead of running 3 miles, I was sent out for 30 minute runs at an "easy" or "conversational" pace, as my fitness got better the distance I covered got further, then time was increased. It's really transformed my running because I know if I'm having a bad day it's still just going to be X amount of minutes running, no more drawn out runs.
Coach Sage, on cadence: i have read and heard over and over about the importance of a 90/180 stride rate with no qualifications made for one's height...even if every author and coach out there is 5'6" there are still some of us taller runners out there!
Hey Sage, thanks for the video. Great tips as always. I've been getting back to running but have been plagued by recurring calf strains for the last few years (most recent 2 weeks ago). My question is how do you deal with cadence when you're trying to ease back into running after injury? I struggle to run a slow pace but it seems it is important to build leg and calf strength.
As a 50 year runner, I never worried about cadence too much. Most people will find the cadence that works for them. As you get back into running, I would say that going slower and having a lower cadence will work. As you get in better shape, the cadence should come up.
Hey Sage, can you make a video talking about what your thoughts are on the recent studies and claims that running long distances is actually bad for your heart and body?! There are tons of articles online about this and I've done some research. I love running and I'm picking up my miles per week but this kinda worried me
Hi sage and Sandy, adopted all these great tips on my 5k run this morning. It felt so much better and easier. Thanks. Question - I'm 210lb 5' 7" how much do I need to lose for my ideal running weight?
I highly recomment dropping ALL the typical running shoes and use your feet only to run. Or, to protect your feet on rough underground, buy Vibran FiveFingers or similar.
Sage, you mentioned that a runners hips should not be rotating while running. I apply Chi methods while running and I rotate my hip while running. It keeps me from over striding. Am I in danger of getting hurt? Thanks!
Hi! I’m a beginning runner and when I run with the 180 pace, my heart rate goes through the roof... 🙈 how should I cope with this...? Just push through, or build up gradually? Thanks for the help!!
take care... build up gradually... we usuallly calculate "220 - X" (220 - yor age). If you run over this, you put yrselff in risk bcs your blood pressure could be high also... @200
How do you improve cadence? I noticed that making shorter steps makes me use so much more energy cause I kinda have to apply force to hold my steps. Do you have any tips? Are there drills?
Sage, Sandie, how does one go about measuring stride rate? I think that this will help me. I have an issue with pulling my calf muscle. I suspect it’s because my stride rate is too low and as you say, my feet are on the ground too long.
I agree with most of what you have to say, but very strongly disagree with the notion of 180 cadence. I agree that a high cadence helps reduce impact and injury and helps to promote solid form, but my view is that 180 is kinda low. Regardless of distance, I think 186 and higher is preferred for a low impact effect. Personally, I maintain 191-196 regardless of distance or speed. As a person with a lower back injury but a love of running, this is my sweet spot. I like what you have to say, but I think one should maintain a similar cadence regardless of speed. Lowering cadence to slow down May promote a shift to poorer form. Just one view amongst many...
Hello, Coach Sandi looks much more developed muscular vise than Coach Sage, why is that? Does coach Sandi spend more time in the gym doing weights? If so, will increasing time spent in the gum doing weights improve Coach Sage’s marathon time? What do you think?
I think my running form did come naturally...as you train and vary distances and speed your brain fine tunes your form...Faster I got the smoother but I had it from the start....you are either made to be an efficient runner or not. Watch the youtube of Kipchoge and his 15 training partners (gee I was lucky to get one!) and you can note subtle differences in stride but by and large similiar strides though seems to me Kipochege had smoothest
What is the range for vertical oscillation and ground contact time to strive for. I've been getting back into running and my fancy watch is telling me my cadence was 176 for my last 8 miler with vertical oscillation of 10.53cm and ground contact of 230ms. I try to think about it when I'm running but I've never seen anyone mention actually numbers in any video I have seen. Thanks for the good videos
Hi Buddy and thanks for this. This is not enough precise on the way to run ....Missing landing :) I was running for many decades and had a lot of articularies enjuries ...This was due to heel strike way of running and I end up with ruined knies...3 years before I started shifting to front foot landing ...and guess what I end up now with severe calf strains ...so really ? With my experience I can't say there is a right way of running front foot or heel striking but a bit of both really...can you elaborate on this ? thx
I have a question about cadence and breaking force . I am a pretty tall guy with really long legs. I have had people analyze my gait and tell me that I am not over striding and that I land underneath my center of mass but because I have long legs I have a naturally long stride and because I am not a very fast runner I NEVER reach 180 steps per minute even at 5k race pace. My maximum (at least according to my garmin if that is accurate) is around 170. I find that this is a very natural cadence for me and knock on wood I have yet to be injured. My question is should I try to push to reach that 180 steps or is that a general recommendation but there are some exceptions to that "rule" and if so what are the exceptions?
HI Sage, thanks for your fantastic videos! I have been working on my running form for many weeks now, and what I found really hard is to maintain a decent midfoot strike in case of lower paces (like 5-5:30min/km). If I force myself to keep the 170-180 stride/min with this pace, my form feels really awkward, and not comfortable at all. Also, I am not sure how much I should lift my shin when running slowly: in one of your running form videos you say the shin should be horizontal when "kicking back", does this hold for lower paces as well? Do you have any videos where you run slowly? :)
So regarding the pelvic tilt. I just checked my anatomy textbook and it states that pelvic tilt is normal when walking, but the tilt will be slightly upwards on the side where the leg is to be raised up (for the next step to move forward). And when it is tilted downwards it is due to a weak gluteus medius and minimus muscles. These muscles are there to abduct your thighs. So my question is does this apply to you guys when you run. How stable is the hip joints when you run? Does it move slightly upwards on the contra-lateral side?
Hey Sage I'm sure all your viewers and myself would love to see a full day of eating for yourself. Also do you track your macro nutrients and or calories? lastly I love the videos and training talk keep up the good work.
Wondering if you guys have any advise on "Ground Contact Time Imbalance"? For me it can be as bad as 48% Left/52% right. I wouldn't be that bothered by it were it not that when stretching my right leg is far less flexible than my left (ie, can hardly touch my but with my heel with the right). Thanks, great channels.
And don't hunch forward lean your torso about 10 degrees to allow your body to cut through the wind. Aerodynamic form you can say. Just remember t9 jeep your chest up and open to for oxygen. Your breath is the really important part. Find control and techniques to strengthen your breath.
Wouldn't increased cadence cause more fatigue, because your moving much more and stopping your forward momentum sooner? Like when riding a bike, at some point you switch to larger gears too..?
Any advice for someone who has tibial stress fractures? I acquired stress fractures after my first season of cross country running which caused me to stop. Nearly six months after and I'm just starting to run again, but I am beginning to feel pain gain. Any advice?
Just came across this video ... and Wow! Thanks so much Team!! Your guidance, and suggestions will definitely help me improve my time and distance for an upcoming 5k on Nov 10th here in Lakeland, FL. Now if I could just perfect my "breathing"! (^_^)
Hi guys. What's the state you are living? I just moved to North East united states (Pennsylvania), running in winter is tough if not dangerous for the lungs because of low temperatures. What's your advise?
