Welcome to the latest Ageing Runner Reading recommendation You can see a list of all my reading recommendations here and sign up for the Ageing Runner newsletter here to keep unto date with the latest research on running as we get older. – Chris
This is a post by physical therapist Zachary Walston in Runner’s Life. He says that running form is not somewhere that therapist typically go with injured runners. They tend to focus on volume, intensity and means of recovery.
This post however looks at both step rate and strike pattern. It refers to a meta analysis of step rate studies which found that increased cadence reduces load. I believe that. My cadence now averages about 183 and I believe that it contributes to shortening my stride length which in turn modified my landing pattern. The research cited found that heel strikers where 2-4 times more likely to become injured than forefoot strikers. That is interesting. I believe that I was a very injured forefoot striker who has now changed to a more gentle mid foot landing.
The piece says that it can take weeks to change your pattern. I think that it took me a year of running barefoot every day to embed a new stride pattern that was secure enough survive running in shoes again. I felt it was like taking a golf swing apart and gradually putting it back together. I rebuilt my stride pattern from the ground up. Cadence was part of that. Have a look.
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