Running Cadence

As I talked about in a previous post, I've been seeing some casual joggers around Vegas with not-so-good running form.  One of the primary parts of good running technique that isn't discussed much is running cadence.

I've learned a bunch about the importance of running cadence from the folks over at PoseTech.  One of the things they stress is to have a cadence of 180 steps per minute (about 3 steps per second).  If you've never tracked your running cadence, it's good to do.  You can simply count how many steps you take in 10 seconds and then multiply that by 6 for a good estimate. 

The big difference between running at a slow versus a fast cadence is the pounding on the body.  At a slow cadence, there really seems to be much more impact.  At 180 steps per minute, the steps are very light and quick, and you are, as they say, "running over the ground and not into it."