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Run Cadence > 90 spm

I know the thoughts...higher run cadence is better than lower (ie. 80 spm)...but at what point we think that it becomes ineffecient.  Even before I had my most recent piriformis injury, when I do TP or VO2 max paces, I average 94-98 spm.  This AM's run was 7:40's workbouts with an average cadence of 96 spm.  I'm just wondering if my stride length is holding me back.

Thoughts?



PS.  You can tell me that I'm over thinking it and to stop...

 

Comments

  • I run like that and my 5k vdot is 59. The only time I open the stride is full blown sprint.
  • We discussed this on another thread in the past but I can't find it right now.

    My n=1 experience has been that yes, there is point that the cadence is too high and takes more effort to sustain. At one point I could hit 100 on TP and IP intervals but I found that my PE and heart rate were higher and if I slowed down to 95 or less, I could hold the same speed with slighly less effort.

    Right now, I pretty much always come in around these numbers:
    EP / long run - 90
    MP / TP - 93
    Faster than TP - 95

    The other thing I've noticed is the high cadence of over 95 is easy to hold for short intervals but I can't hold it for a full race even at the 5k/10k distance. I do much better at about 93-95 for trying to race fast.
  • I think this is the thread you were thinking of:

    http://members.endurancenation.us/T...fault.aspx

    And here's what the man (Jack) in the book (Daniels' Running Formula) has to say on the subject:


     

    FWIW, my experience, almost to the step, is pretty much the same as Matt's. Except dude is waay faster.
  • Craig,

    I was going to chime in earlier when I first read this and was thinking of the exact post that you linked. Likewise, my experiences are very similiar to Matt's, but I honestly have not been wearing my footpod much recently and am taking a mental note to do so to evaluate whether my cadence has shifted much between outseason indoor training and in-season outdoor training.

    Final note, I'm by no means a giant, but I'm still a bit taller than Matt (and way more than a bit slower) and had often wondered in the past whether or not inseam length had any tangible relationship to ideal cadence. While I'm sure that it does contribute in some form or another, I take some comfort in Dr Daniel's research that suggested run cadence was nearly identical in top tier athletes regardless of size.
  • George, I'd say your cadence is more than good enough and "might" be a little high. That said, if you're not getting injured, are running fast/fine and it's natural for you, ie not broke, then don't fix it.

    I counted my cadence today for the first time in a while (used to be very good about this) and it was 88-90. Gotta fix that. I like to be 91-93rpm, regardless of pace. I'll probably do 1-2 runs per week as nothing but strides, 30" on, 30" walking.

  • @All..thanks for the validation, it does not seem broke at the moment. I will keep driving on and see as I continue to stretch, strengthen and rehab the piriformis area (ie. hip flexors, gomellus, psoas, adductors and hamstring) how I settle in.
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