Is increasing cadence beneficial

Question

OK, so I have just gotten back into running and am aiming for a quicker 5km pace. My current time per km is at 5:28, and I am aiming towards getting below a 5 minute pace as soon as possible.

So what I am currently doing is running ~3 times per week. Once focusing on intervalls, once on trying to increase my cadence, and once on "just running".

But I am wondering about the cadence part. Everything I read seems to tell me that the best efficency is at 170-180, and that getting to those levels will help with reducing injury and increase my speed. My current "natural" cadence is around 160, and everytime I push myself up to ~175, not only does it feel unnatural, but it also feels much more taxing and I can't run as far. It almost always feels like I need to take a break and just run at 160 for a while (not needing to reduce my pace, so just increasing stride length)

So I am wondering if perhaps I am doing something wrong? Is it normal for it to be more taxing to run at a higher cadence, and is it at all worth it in the pursuit of increasing my pace?

Answer 1

Don't worry so much about cadence. Everyone likes to point at 180, but world records have been set anywhere from 165 - 215 or so. Your body has a natural cadence that it will run.

If you want to run faster, your answer is pretty much just run more. Don't worry too much until you are running probably in the 30km and up range per week. Cross country training, it's not uncommon for a college level runner to be doing 160km a week. 3x a week is ok for general fitness, but not if you want to start improving your times.

For beginner or lower volume runners, I generally recommend trying to get to running 6x a week, in a 3-2-1 pattern. 1 long run (say 6k), 2 medium runs (4k each) and 3 shorter runs (2k each). Then every few weeks, bump those up. The medium length runs are always 2x the length of the short run, and the long run is 3x the short. So a week might look like 2k, 4k, 2k, 4k, 2k, 6k, rest day. You may find it easier to do your runs by time rather than distance, especially when you increase and are at odd lengths.

You will also find that as your training goes up, your running economy gets better and your cadence naturally increases.

Answer 2

I suffered from shin splints and a stress fracture when I got back to running after 15 years of less than healthy habits. My physical therapist noted that I had bad running form that was contributing to my injuries. He recommended multiple things, including increasing running cadence to improve my running form. But for me, the secret to good form wasn't running cadence. Instead, the reverse was true. When I finally figured out how to run correctly, my average cadence went from 160 to 175 over the next year. I am generally between 175 and 180 now. I have been running for many years now, and was even able to qualify for Boston.

What may be obvious to many, but took me painful experience to learn is:

• Running with good form allows for consistent exercise without injury
• Running injury free consistently results in faster times and better metrics
• It's harder to improve running by changing metrics than it is to improve metrics by running correctly and consistently

So don't focus too much on metrics when you are starting out. The data is good and the best running efficiency may actually be in the 170-180 range. But that data includes really good recreational runners and elite athletes who are on a different level than where you are now. For someone who has 'just gotten back into running', focusing on consistency and avoiding injury are far more important. Everything else will fall into place in time.