Part II of the discussion on running cadence. In this post we discuss the pros and cons of changing running cadence and try to determine what the right cadence is for you.

It would be irresponsible for me continue my posts where I left off without first taking time out to give a heartfelt thank you and honor the person responsible for the Runner’s Doc Project, Steph Van Nortwick. Some of you may not know, my wife and the mother of my children, Steph Van Nortwick, was in a fatal car accident in June 2022 and abruptly departed from our lives.

I am excited to announce the launch of the Runner’s Doc website and social media accounts. I have been planning this project for some time but needed a little push from my family and friends to take the final steps to kick it off.

How’s your push off? I bet you’ve never heard this question before, but improper or poor push off is one of the most common issues I see with runners that walk through my door. Most of the time they either cut this part of their stride short or they use improper muscles to achieve push off.

Welcome back for part II of how’s your push off. If you didn’t read the first post make sure to go back and check it out. If your hip flexors are too tight it will be very difficult for you to properly use your hip extensors or gluteal muscles and this information won’t be of much use to you. For those of you who had tight hip flexors, you have hopefully had plenty of time to work on the tightness. For the rest of you lucky people who had plenty of hip extension flexibility, let's find out if you are appropriately using your gluteal muscles and hamstrings to generate a strong, effective, push off.

Cadence is one important gait component researchers are looking at because small changes in cadence can have a big impact on running mechanics. On top of that, many gait characteristics that have been associated with a slower cadence have been identified as factors that can contribute to running related injuries.