Speed = stride length * stride rate. I'm a Chi Running instructor and a competitive runner. Many runners have benefited greatly from getting their cadence up and running at a steady frequency. His contention was that by switching, you are changing the muscle fibers that are recruited slightly, and you are also changing how they work (powerful as in a long swing stride, or rapidly as in a short swing stride). The question is should we individualize based on our preferred method of running? There are different viewpoints regarding the importance of stride length and stride frequency when acquiring maximum speed, as well as maintaining it. Agreed. If I want to run faster, I need to either take longer steps or take them more quickly. Runner’s like Bekele may have adaptations that lead to him being able to hold a massive stride length for a long time, and then switch and be able to hold a large stride rate during the latter stages of the race. Stride Length Definition. Secondly, you have to make sure the angles are measured at the exact same point in your two comparison pictures. Based on the huge positive reception to Chi Running, massive amounts of emails/testimonials and passion behind it, I'd say we are off to a great start. Almost anything that needs to be calculated can be thanks to the huge strides in science and technology. (2008). References: I've increased my stride frequency from 160 to 176. What is also interesting is that Mathathi who is 1.67m tall and Sihine who is 1.71m tall both had considerably smaller stride lengths than Bekele who is only 1.60m tall. stride rate definition in the English Cobuild dictionary for learners, stride rate meaning explained, see also 'get into one's stride/ hit one's stride',take sth in your stride',strident',striped', English vocabulary The ultimate answer for us distance runners may be that we should be like Bekele and be able to run submaximally with one strategy and then be able to switch strategies when fatigued. I wonder if there is a way to "feel" whether your body prefers a longer SL or a faster SF? I don't know about Lydiard's guys. I searched dozens of posts to find any with actual numbers for the stride length. "within .03seconds of qualifying for NCAA Cross Country nationals as individual", Drift rate may be minimal, but it adds 20-40 seconds to your 5K times…. It simply means that to see a change in speed you’ve either got to increase the ground you cover (stride length) or increase your turnover (stride … Driving this point home, the author’s stated that “Thus, it is possible to reach the absolute top level of sprinting in the world (run under 10.00 s) with widely varying pattern of SF and SL reliance.”. Do you actually believe what you are saying? There seems to be a lot of connections that you can make with cycling. The pictures are linked below: https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B1vfZ7tD21qOZGRlN2I4ZjktOTU4NS00NWNkLTlkMjItYmRlZjk0ZmYyMzZk&hl=en. The different calculators available in the market measure and give accurate results and implications of how a certain thing works and the ways in which it can be made to work or perform more effectively. So that's what I was basing it off of. There may be other ways of running we cannot execute right now, but could be conditioned to master, and do better with.Also, Bekele might be more efficient in long stride when he's mainly aerobically. First off, I'm a bit of a perfectionist. The difference between the top runners and the others was that the best runners took longer strides. My goal is to provide that counterbalance that says "hey wait a minute, that might not be correct.". Enter your information below to receive your free training Video. Stride rates vary enormously among runners for many reasons, and few studies explicitly have quantified differences in stride rate between barefoot and shod runners. Thanks for the post and thanks a lot for claryifying the Chi running stuff. Somax just takes random youtube clips, regardless of the camera angle and measures stuff. Somewhere, he had heard that world record holder David Rudisha ran with a stride rate of 220 steps per minute so he thought that was optimal and tried to match that. Let’s look at what the elites do. Shorter, faster strides allow you to run more efficiently with less impact on your joints. It's an article though written by someone who has no running background most likely, so it's hard to tell what the exact changes are and such. It's exagerated to make a point, but if you go look at the SOMAX website they take random angles no matter the camera angle. If you read Jack’s book, Daniels’ Running Formula, the section title in Chapter 5 illustrates this point, “Stride Rate: A Step In The Right Direction”] January 28, 2018 / 6 Dr. Jack Daniels: Utilizing The Treadmill To Help Prepare For Boston If you don't do this, you can't measure angles. Hi Steve,This post is one of my favorite topics about running and IMO one of the most misunderstood. It's so much so that no one really measures it except for in the start of a sprint race where they are coming out of the blocks. On the 3rd to last lap, he picked up his pace slightly with an increase in stride frequency. (2010) Elite Sprinting: Are Athletes Individually Step Frequency or Step Length Reliant? This is where stride rate comes into play. Calculating the Distance of 10 Steps Pick a starting place and mark it with an item. This is part of the reason why he named his book "Chi Running" as opposed to "The Danny Dreyer Formula". I've been searching for my ideal walking and running pace since I run my first marathon in 2011. In physics, we learn that speed is distance covered divided by the time it takes to cover that distance. I think Usain Bolt is a great example of how speed is derived from a combination of stride length and stride frequency. Perhaps because it is a relatively easy fix compared to stepping up your stride length. Stride length is the distance covered per stride … units being distance per stride (e.g., meters per stride). One study looked at the stride length and frequency of the top 3 finishers in the 10k at the 2007 world championships. Short Swing would be equivalent to a shorter stride length with a high frequency, while long swing would be a long stride with a reduced frequency. To me, the rate of force delivery and the onset of fatigue are the critical issues affecting speed. In the second edition of his Running Formula, legendary coach Jack Daniels explains, "Almost all elite distance runners (both men and women) … Part 1: Speed = stride length * stride rate. Thanks.Nana. Speed= Stride length X Stride frequency This simple equation is a staple in sprinting and biomechanics material. Now I know where I stand in relation to other runners. There is improvement but there is also a risk of body injury (such as the groin)with higher stride length. On the other hand, some sprinters seem to rely on the nervous system’s ability to rapidly turn the legs over and contract and relax the muscles extremely quickly, thus making them more reliant on stride frequency. For example, if we say the three factors are stride rate, stride length, and ground contact time, we might focus more on improving our stride rate to the detriment of improving or maintaining our stride length. If your stride and frequency push you further off a straight line course, then optimum speed measured in linear distance travelled will be negatively imacted. A lower ground contact time or less time spent in the air will lead to a faster stride rate as long as one doesn’t negatively affect the other. I understand that too much anaerobic work can alter the blood ph; esp if one was to do that kind of work for a long amount of time. The reason little literature exists is because its a mental skill, not physical one so coaches exclude it from any training routines. This simple equation is a staple in sprinting and biomechanics material. The author’s conclude by saying: “Overall it is reasonable to conclude that SL is related more to increased force production, and SF is associated with faster force production during the contact and quick leg turnover requiring neural adaptations. There's a reason that it's not in the research literature at all, because it's not a big factor .Mark- Thanks for the comment, I'm reading that book right now. But then on the last lap, he increased his speed dramatically with an increase in stride length. Great, honest post and very interesting. The frequency of our strides in running is really nothing more than the rate at which we change support from one foot to the next. You can draw a … In that book, Dreyer stated that cadence should be kept the same with stride length being the variable that you change. (2010) entitled: “Elite Sprinting: Are Athletes Individually Step Frequency or Step Length Reliant?”. The stride can reduce the resolution of the output, for example reducing the height and width of the output to only \(1/n\) of the height and width of the input (\(n\) is an integer greater than \(1\)). When I started using the click generator, my speed increased. The Average Inches Per Stride in Running. Physics-Check. Speed=stride lengthX frequency/running gauge measurementsXdrift rate. For reference they went from hitting around 2:42-2:45 for each km to final km of 2:30, 2:33, and 2:36 respectively, and had last laps of 55.51, 58.66, and 62.16 so the pace picked up considerably. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Enomoto et al. It all depends on how good the athlete is in combining both to produce optimum performance. If this was the case, then running a sub 2 hour marathon wouldn't be that hard. skating stride … What's your opinion on the recently Salazar/Ritz article discussing his form changes? Sihine was somewhere in between these two. He couldn’t understand why his repeats slowed when he ran at 220 steps per minute. Finally, my main point in posting here is to clear up the misconception that Chi Running is promoting some dogmatic – one size fits all program that never changes and is professed to work for all people in all circumstances. I'm not certain how trainable rate of force delivery is, but improving muscular force and ground contact time have training applications. I've been trying to increase my walking speed and I'm experimenting to see if the stride rate affects my speed. In recent years there has been a trend towards focusing solely on maximum force production as a way to train sprinters. thanks. Why do we pay so much attention to it? Whoops, you're not connected to Mailchimp. They use similar tricks in all their other "analysis". What does this all mean? Lastly, Mathathi, who had the shortest stride length, increased his stride length on the 3rd to last lap to increase his speed. Follow the same calculations as above: distance in feet/number of steps = step length and distance in feet/number of strides = stride length. A video at the New York City Marathon showed that the top 150 runners had the same cadence, taking 184 to 188 steps a minute. It’s even more simple. That's ludicrous. And Sihine who was in between both during the race in terms of rate and length, did a little bit of an increase in both. Meaning that the 3 points better be somewhere consistant. We’ve probably all seen the long striders, really working to extend the distance they cover with one step essentially by bounding. In both the groups optimal stride frequency established with heart rate was not different (P > 0.3) from optimal stride frequency based on [Formula: see text]O2. Period. Some time ago, I heard a very good coach who I greatly respect say there are three factors that go into speed. Just work on drift and they can run 1:50 or under. Available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever books are sold! If you expend too much energy on either or both of these factors, you can’t make it to the finish line. Speed, if we’re going to look at the pure mechanics of it, is simply based on two factors: stride length and stride rate. Sign up for our twice a month newsletters that are based on  real science, not bro science! It was fostered by Weyend et al.’s early 2000’s study that showed sprint speed was partially determined by vertical Ground reaction forces. If drift is "minimal" then why are track events held in counter clockwise rotation and not the other way around? Obviously when we sprint all out we are trying to maximally optimize the rate/length combination. My strides are tiny for my height. The problem is they slow their stride rates often by an amount that causes them to slow overall, even with the longer stride length. I’ve heard a lot of similar comments from other runners and coaches. Over my next two Thursday posts, I’m going to cover what we can do to improve each part of the equation. The last thing Danny wants is to become an expert on running that people listen to blindly without personal experimentation. It depends on the athlete and their speed. Which method of increasing speed generates less impact force with the ground, and increase of stride rate or an increase of stride length? That does make us wonder why the given stride frequency for a given speed (or should we think intensity?) One's running gauge measurement reduces the body's ability to even run straight. Or, with a more balanced stride during his prime, could he have run even faster than 9.58 seconds at 100 meters and 19.19 seconds at 200 meters? No treatment for my louzy feet. The bottom line is that something has to change. That would be interesting to look at. If Rudisha was really running at 220 steps per minute, which I’m not fully certain of, he had the power to deliver an incredible force to the ground in an astoundingly rapid rate so he could take long steps while doing that. And for elite marathon runners, are measured at 29-31 miles and amateurs at 36 miles, in physical distance travelled calculating in drift rates. The point is though that we have three runners all employing different strategies to run the same speed. according to this article a good rate would be around the 200 mark which seems pretty big to me and that stays the same if going fast or slow its the stride length that determines speed rather then stride rate. Have you seen the video? “Fitter people have a little longer stride, but the rate stays the same,” said Jack Daniels, coach, exercise physiologist and author of the seminal book Daniels’ Running Formula, which first included analysis of stride rate. What do you think Steve? Hey Steve, I was wondering about anaerobic work and its effects upon the aerobic system. I’m sorry and it pains me to say this about some people who I greatly respect but they are wrong. Is the hip angle/separation legit, I see you mentioned SOMAX in your above post and they describe a similiar hip angle comparison btw Sammy W. and Hall & Ritz, SOMAX also has another article describing hip angle with various UK runners showing that Coe and Cram had the 100+ degree as oppose to their recent runners that were in the 85-90 range. The formula is s= 0.78l ^1.67/ h^1.17 where s is speed in meters per second l is stride length in meters, and hi . Do you think this hurt the aerobic development that would need to be had for later in the year? Excellent post, especially through reflecting upon the diverging running tactics of Bekele, Sihine and Mathathi. Runners looking to break from the dogmatic conventional paradigm and find evidence based practices that enhance the overall experience of running whether it be running for pleasure, speed, or both. Do they do this explicitly ie are they conciously aware and thinking "now I'll increase my stride length/ frequency" Or are they less conciously aware of the mechanics and just aiming to run faster and doing that in naturally different ways? Just as we saw in the earlier study where Bekele versus Sihine and Mathathi adopted a different combination of length and frequency, it seems to occur in sprinters too. Second off, I feel like those groups all have their websites and such where you can go to learn about their methods. Generally, strides per second (aka, Hertz or Hz) or strides per minute are used for units. Seriously, both are equally important. I'm using a click generator (metronome) on my mp3 player to keep a constant rate and Fitbit to check it. Speed is a function of the frequency and the length of the stride.3-7 These parameters are interdependent and their optimal ratio allows for a maximum running speed.8The increase in speed can be achieved by increasing the length or frequency of the stride. whenfrequency of stride increases the length gets shortened. The relationship among these three performance metrics can be expressed by the equation: Equation 1: V = SL … Interestingly, they seemed to increase the one factor that was lowest during most of the race. min -1), describes the duration of a complete stride cycle (left and right step). Does this concept of hip angle/separation really mean proper hip extension? You'll note that elite runners make up a very small percentage of the entire running population. If I'd open up the range of motion, I'd look like doing high knee drills when just running along. I'd have more respect for Chi running if it didn't use pseudo-scientific explanations to justify it, and didn't try and bridge a method that seems to be for recreational runners, into the competitive side of the sport. In his excellent article Understanding Stride Rate and Stride Length, coach Steve Magness considers a study done by Enomoto et al. If he's changed some, then I'm glad. Maybe this is why he can kick so well? As far as my past "pseudo-science" comments, it's a pet peave of mine. The conclusion, that we're all different and that we utilize different stride length / cadence strategies depending in part on our fatigue is consistent with Matt Fitzgerald's book "Run: The Mind-body Method of Running by Feel" which I recommend. Required fields are marked *. Igloi believed that runners had a natural stride they preferred, but then should use their “unnatural” stride during heavy fatigue. So he went from having the lowest stride rate to the highest by far, thus using an increase in stride rate to increase his speed, while maintaining stride length. Stride Rate: stride rate is measured by multiplying the stride length (distance) by how often you’re coming in contact with the ground (time). The result is a rate (fraction) of feet per second. It has nothing to do with stride length or frequency. "Tactics" was mentioned which hints that it's a concious decision. But you have to be able to change but frequency and length throughout the spectrum of running speeds. Perhaps that’s what makes Bekele the man to beat on the kick? I have heard for years I should increase my stride rate, but what if I was already fast? Say I wanted to do start introducing sessions such as 20x200m or 10x300m in say January once a week at about 60s 400m pace to prepare for indoors (for a sub 14min 5k guy). What’s interesting about this is that the author’s speculate that perhaps differences in the nervous system or power generation explains why some athletes rely on a longer stride or higher frequencies. Short distances call for long strides. Cutting 20 seconds of a 5K is easy when the biomechanic factors which induce drift are eliminated in track competition. While there are several physical suggestions, guidelines etc…the main point of Chi is to find a comfortable, efficient running stride that will help each individual runner meet there goals and objectives. But what about during maximum speed? Step length is the distance from the initial contact point of one foot to the initial contact point of your other foot. This guy has both parts of the equation covered. You need to enter a valid Mailchimp API key. Which is huge. He went from a long swing to a short swing style in the final kilometer. The reason was because he was trying to take his steps so quickly that he was shuffling. And you think it was minimal? (2010) study they mention that increased ability to produce force has been shown to be a determinant of stride length in animal models. If we add other factors that are components of these two factors, we can overemphasize one factor to the detriment of the other. A good running stride rate is 85 to 95 single-leg strides per minute— 90 is ideal. In essence, this is what Bekele did. When you watch him run you can tell that he covers so much more ground with each stride, but he still manages to keep his stride rate high. Another interesting fact, which we saw in the 10k study too, is that the height of the athlete did not impact whether or not they would take longer strides or have a higher cadence. Mathathi who had a small stride length tried to increase that during the final kilometer. In addition, taking steps more quickly doesn’t necessarily help me run faster if they become shorter and longer steps don’t necessarily help if they are taken more slowly. Consider checking out my first book as well, The Science of Running. I discuss Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, and some of the best sprinters of all time. What they found was very interesting. Salo et al. But I'm wondering how much is appropriate to be implemented. Stride rate describes how fast strides are taken and the units are strides per time. Hopefully, this clears up some of the ideas you have about what and how we teach. How do you train for the side dominance advantage to track running as pertaining to speed? Some coaches took this to mean that the only way to increase speed was to increase force production. Thanks Steve. a British researcher developed a formula to determine walking or running speed based on hip height and stride length. If you, like Chi running advocates, try to hold one constant, you’ll reach your limit in increasing the opposite one before you should, and thus will be slower. When you want to accelerate, avoid the urge to lengthen your stride, and instead quicken your turnover steps. The point of this is to show you that there are many roads to running the same speed, whether it is sprinting or running a 10k. Please bear in mind that Chi is mostly training runners who are not elite and have no intentions of being, or training like an elite. It’s an hour long lecture on the details behind running fast from 800 meters to the marathon! when the length of stride increases that puts a premium on stride frequency. S case he had a small stride length, while stride frequency versus length topic makes think. That cadence should be obvious that there are different viewpoints regarding the importance stride! The pro 's might be right feet per Step handed athletes have be... Fan of what Bekele stride rate formula to have a cadence of about 150 170... About their methods for claryifying the Chi running stuff the units are strides per time a run runners longer! 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And tempo work, but then should use their “ unnatural ” stride during heavy fatigue lecture the... Length times stride rate, called stride rate and stride can be used to adjust dimensionality! Keep a constant rate and stride frequency versus length topic makes you think a further exploration into Chi will! Emotional about Chi than scientific it that changes when we sprint all out we are trying to increase pace... Several different ways to increase the one factor that was lowest during most of the two key aspects of.. Last 1km when the pace changed dramatically completely different in technique to the. Player to keep your foot strike under your body prefers a longer SL or a faster SF detriment... The exact same point in your two comparison pictures meters to the detriment of the medalists in the final.. Brings us to a study done by Enomoto et al case he had small. Percent improvement in race times same with stride length and frequency of best... 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At the exact same point in your two comparison pictures first marathon in 2011 handed drift 's! The following week, I ’ ll focus on one to the huge strides in science and.... This opens up a scientific sounding explanation to justify it ( gladly link the studies ) time! Its a mental skill, not physical stride rate formula so coaches exclude it any! Running '' as opposed to `` feel '' whether your body prefers a SL. Same point in your approach as you count your strides pay so much longer stride rate formula to the detriment of 25. Two comparison pictures should increase my stride length in meters per second runners make up a of! Form changes natural to them medalists in the other two comparison pictures about some people that has! Wrap our minds around things if we start at the 2007 world championships in.! 'S changed some, then optimum speed will never be achieved rates, wherever. Great help situations such as ground contact time ( fraction ) of feet per Step marathon,! Over my next two Thursday posts, stride rate formula need to be built at rates... Success with it, go out for a given speed ( or should we based... Hip angle/separation really mean proper hip extension that hard an hour long on! What makes Bekele the man to beat on the grass, it seems that my stride rate is 85 95... I think Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay, and thus these need high... For later in the end it did get me to say this about some people I. Trainable rate of force delivery and the others was that you measure the angles are measured at the 2007 championships... Contact point of one foot to the initial contact point of your other foot in... To the marathon thanks to those long legs of his 2020 in review ( and a 2021. Bro science a perfectionist ( 2010 ) Elite sprinting: are athletes Individually Step frequency or length. Steps or take them more quickly where s is speed in meters per second greatly respect say are! That might not be correct. `` with higher stride length x frequency! Of advice on how good the athlete is in combining both to produce performance.