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Running Form and Technique
Stride Right
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Turn and Burn
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1
Assess Yourself
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2
Check Your Form
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3
Think Stride, Not Speed
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4
Find a Buddy—or a Beat
Turn and Burn
Image: Embry Rucker
Whether we run slow or fast, the frequency of our steps—our stride rate—tends to stay constant. That's because it's hardwired into our biomechanics, clicking away like a metronome. Of course, any marathoner can appreciate the difficulty of maintaining a consistent stride rate over 26.2 miles. As we fatigue, our turnover decreases. The goal, then, is to train your body to run at, and sustain, a higher stride rate, so you'll run faster and finish stronger. (Search: At what pace should I be running?)
Years ago, researchers determined that elite distance runners ran at a rate of about 180 strides per minute. Indeed, eminent exercise physiologist and coach Jack Daniels tallied the stride rate of every runner in every distance event at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He found that in events longer than 3000 meters, every runner save one had a stride rate of 180. The outlier had a paltry 178.
While it's not easy to overcome biology, you can move closer to the optimum 180 strides per minute—with practice.
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