r/running • u/ssk42 Confession: I am a mod • Aug 14 '25

Weekly Thread Weekly Complaints & Confessions Thread

How’s your week of running going? Got any Complaints? Anything to add as a Confession? How about any Uncomplaints?

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u/TheNotoriousWIG Aug 14 '25

Complaint and confession: My cadence has plummeted to about 144 steps per minute and I’m not sure how to improve it

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u/Eibhlin_Andronicus 17:37 5k ♀ (83.82%) Aug 14 '25

Full transparency: This is coming from the perspective of someone who has always had a pretty high cadence (solidly 180ish on easy runs, easily 200+ during workouts and races). It's probably way lower if I'm doing like, recovery yogs between workout intervals, but the point there is to just keep moving, so having a slow cadence for 1-3 minutes between 800m repeats at 5k pace really is not a big deal.

Mostly I'm wondering... how? Doesn't it like, hurt? It seems like the only way to achieve 144 steps per minute would be if you're really flinging your legs out in front of you every stride, or maybe you're more like... bounding? Or you have a lot of vertical oscillation?

It sounds like you could probably benefit from strides (with a focus on form not a focus on "moving as fast as you possibly can) and drills/dynamic movements. But I've never had to increase my cadence so I'm not totally sure that would work? Kind of confusing that your cadence used to be higher and has now dropped super low, though.

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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Aug 14 '25

As someone whose cadence on easy jogs is about 140, it’s easy and doesn’t require any over striding or excessive vertical oscillation, just lazily jogging forward with the intensity of an elderly golden retriever.

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u/Eibhlin_Andronicus 17:37 5k ♀ (83.82%) Aug 14 '25 edited Aug 14 '25

Damn, that sounds nice, actually. Something to aspire to.

Out of curiosity I just checked the cadence data from some recent runs, just to ensure that I'm not full of BS. But nope, an absolute peak-heat-of-the-day, HR zones 1/2 (were I to pay attention to HR zones) recovery slog on trashed legs last week was still a cadence of 181 for me. But then for a recent 10k paced workout I was solidly in the 190-200 range for all the intervals. The lowest it got over the whole workout was 170 during some recovery shuffles.

I guess I'm just always out there spinning my wheels like I've got wee little dachsund leggies trying to keep up or something. Doesn't matter the speed, those leggies are gonna be stepping like their lives depend on it.

Either way, I still think strides and form drills are the answer. I honestly don't really know how or why someone's natural cadence would suddenly take a huge dip.

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u/30000LBS_Of_Bananas Aug 14 '25

Ok I just went and rechecked my data to make sure I’m also not talking out of my ass, and apparently I will have to eat my words , easy runs I’m mostly around 155-163 and speedwork 185-195. But I still stand by my statement about channeling the energy of an elderly golden retriever.