Five-time Olympian Jo Pavey on good cadence
Cadence (how many strides or steps you take per minute) varies from runner to runner, and is affected by your mechanics, height, fitness and the speed at which you’re running. So there’s not an exact number that everyone should aim for. To improve your running, it’s best to prioritise speed, endurance and conditioning rather than counting your strides.
However, cadence does have relevance in terms of achieving optimal running economy and an efficient stride. A low cadence may be related to overstriding, which puts more stress through the joints and reduces momentum by causing a slight braking action. To address this, focus on landing with your foot below your bent leading knee while shortening your stride; this increases your cadence.
It’s useful to occasionally assess your cadence and how it is affected by the type of run – ie it will be higher during a speed workout than a recovery run. Then you can get a marker for each workout type and note how it changes as your fitness progresses. As you get stronger, your cadence may be lower at a certain pace because you’re exerting more power with each stride, and your ground contact time decreases too. Speedwork, hill work and strength-and-conditioning sessions will help improve your leg power.
What’s a good exercise that strengthens your core for running?
A basic plank is a great core exercise; it’s not complicated and it’s possible to add variations once you’ve mastered it.
• Lie face down with your weight through the balls of your feet and your forearms, and your elbows bent and under your shoulders. Keep your back, hips, head and neck in alignment.
• Aim for 3 x 15-20 secs hold with 15 secs’ recovery. You may be able to hold the exercise for longer but this is not necessary.
• A progression is to lift one foot slightly off the ground, then repeat on the other side. Side planks (face to one side with your weight on one forearm and the side of your feet) work the lateral abs and gluteus medius, important for pelvic stability.
Is it OK to take walk breaks as I increase my mileage? I run around two 5Ks and one or two shorter runs per week but am feeling a bit stuck.
Yes. You’ll enjoy your running more and feel more motivated if you feel you’re coping well with mileage increase. To go further than your 5km run, take the walk breaks before you start to feel too tired. Try walking for 3-5 mins every 1-2.5km, depending on how you feel, and only increase the length of your longest run by a maximum of 10 per cent each week. Combining walking and running is really a type of low-intensity interval session. If you take the walk break after every 1km, you’ll naturally be able to go a bit faster on the running sections. But don’t push too hard to begin with, and only attempt the slightly faster pace on one run per week.