How to increase your running speed and avoid injury

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Running speed is proportional to cadence and stride length. For higher speed, you need to increase at least one of these parameters. We will tell you how they affect each other, as well as what other factors you need to consider in order to safely increase your running speed.

Even in recreational running, there are always two types of runners. Some run often shifting their legs. Others move with sweeping strides. The first has a higher cadence, but the second has a longer stride. It seems that both approaches should have a positive effect on speed. From whom to take an example?

Cadence is one of the quantitative characteristics of running, equal to the frequency of steps per minute. Most often, we are talking about the number of touches of the ground with both feet - about 160-200 steps per minute.

To measure base cadence, run at your normal pace and count your steps with one foot in 30 seconds, then multiply that number by four.

Step length

With long strides, you stay in the air longer - that's a plus. But when landing on an extended, straight leg, the load on the joints and tendons is greatly increased compared to landing on the leg with a more relaxed knee. In this case, even a small error in landing can lead to injury.

Running long strides is good as a special running exercise that helps to improve the work of the muscles during the take off while running.

At the same time, it is harder to maintain a high pace with long strides. If you lengthen your stride drastically, your cadence will decrease and the speed gain will not be as great.

Cadence

You've probably heard about the ideal rate of 180 steps per minute. However, if you increase your cadence by 20-25 steps per minute at once, the chances are high that your heart rate will also jump. This is also not good. You shouldn't increase your base cadence more than 5% per week or two.

In fact, the "magic" number 180 was obtained by analyzing the running of the Olympians. Amateur running does not have to fit strictly into this meaning. A slight deviation is quite acceptable and depends on anatomical features (leg length, joint mobility) and running experience.

How to run faster

First, you should ask yourself the question: is it necessary at all. We are talking about running for health and pleasure. An amateur runner can and should pay more attention to sensations rather than numbers.

But if you are not interested in running without the growth of numerical indicators, it is worth remembering that, in addition to the cadence and the length of the steps, many factors affect the running speed:

• choosing the right footwear in accordance with the features of the foot structure and the surface of the treadmill;
• the choice of clothing that wicks moisture well and matches the weather;
• regular training, including cross-training, to help strengthen core muscles and develop joint mobility;
• adequate rest time, regular massage or sauna;
• high-quality warm-up before jogging;
• adequate goals and patience.

How to run safer

Non-professional runners tend to run at their natural cadence, which is not ideal. However, some are more prone to injury, while others are less. A couple of scientific papers that explored the difference between the two were presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting in June.

In the first study, Erin Futrell, Adam Tenforde, Steve T. Jamison, Irene S. Davis. … 32 healthy and 93 injured runners took part. It showed that the average cadence of runners in both groups differed slightly: 164 and 161, respectively.

Scientists have compared the load on the foot, and it was indeed higher in injured runners. However, no correlation was found between this parameter and the cadence of healthy and injured runners.

Another study by Jacqueline Morgan, Robert L. Franco, Kate Harrison, Anson M. Blanks, Heather L. Caslin, D. S. Blaise Williams. … there were 28 amateur runners who were preparing for the half marathon. In this case, there was a clear correlation between trauma and cadence:

• 8 out of 12 runners with a cadence below 162 were injured - 67%;
• 5 out of 7 runners with a cadence of 163-168 were injured - 71%;
• only 2 out of 9 runners with a cadence above 169 were injured - 22%.

It's worth noting that this study did not take into account the runners' initial training. During the course of the study, the average cadence of all participants increased from 165 to 173 in connection with the preparation for the race. It is likely that initially the higher cadence runners were better prepared and therefore less prone to injury.

It turns out that the research data is ambiguous. Of course, it cannot be argued that cadence is irrelevant to safe running. However, it makes no sense to proceed only from this parameter: it is too early to name the ideal number.

At the same time, less contact with the ground with longer stride lengths also does not guarantee less stress on the leg.

Good news

With experience, the cadence and stride length increase in parallel and the running becomes more efficient and enjoyable.

It is my personal experience that running long strides is very tiring and therefore unsafe. It was immediately convenient for me to run with a cadence close to 180. But most of the time I run in the hall on the track - this helps to increase the cadence. When I run outside, the steps are lengthened, but the speed remains about the same as the steps become less frequent. In any case, I always run without unnecessary fatigue.