Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Stride length

Today was fantastic! The wind was calm, the sky clear, and temps about 30 degrees. Plus there is a warm-up on the way!
I ran 7.9 miles easy pace. Took a while to warm up today but finally at about 3.5 miles I hit a smooth rhythm.
As I was running I was thinking about how to increase stride length. I was doing the math in my head, calculating the number of strides a marathon requires for a runner with a four foot stride length. 5280 feet X 26.2= 138,336 feet divided by 4=34,584 strides- what if a person increased stride length by one inch? You would eliminate 705 strides! If your stride is less than four feet then your elimination increases! ( A stride is one legs reach)
So how could you increase the stride by one inch? Any ideas?

1 comment:

Love to Run said...

In my opinion, and that is just it, an opinion, you should not worry about stride length. If you are comfortable with the stride you have, then don't mess with it. The problem for most of us is that as the race goes on, your legs tire and your stride length shortens to more of a shuffle than a stride. The best way to solve this is to concentrate on lifting your knees when running. It feels different when your legs are tired, but is helps stop the shuffle.

Sauna

      This is the most wonderful time of year! I love the heat and humidity! Yet I still get out earlier due to my advanced age! 4.4 miles! ...