GET MORE FROM YOUR NEXT RUN
Explore the topics below for running tips
Your stride length is the distance between two consecutive steps of the same foot. Tracking your stride length can keep you from overstriding, which is often linked to injury. Most beginner runners have a stride length that's too long.
Your goal is to work to find your ideal stride length for different paces. You should also expect your stride length to change if you’re running up and down hills, starting and stopping, or getting tired.
If you’re running in UA Connected Footwear, stride length is calculated as the distance between two successive steps of the right foot. Your target range is based on a variety of factors including age, height, weight, gender, and pace.
Your run cadence is how often your feet hit the ground. Finding the right cadence can make running feel easier. There is no one right cadence, but generally less experienced runners have a cadence that's too low.
Your goal is to find the right range that works for you and to keep it consistent throughout your run. It might not change as you speed up or slow down, but will likely change as you run up or down hills—and that's ok.
If you’re running in UA Connected Footwear, cadence is measured by the total number of steps you take per minute. Your target range is based on a variety of factors including age, height, weight, gender, and pace.
Ground contact time is the time from when your foot makes initial contact with the ground to when that same foot leaves the ground (measured in milliseconds). Running speed, cadence, and even stride length affect ground contact time—as you speed up, ground contact time decreases.
Ground contact time is also influenced by cadence and stride length. Pay attention to how these variables interact. If you try to increase speed alone, you may risk overstriding.
Your Foot Strike Angle, which is reflective of Foot Strike Pattern, is the angle between your foot and the ground when your foot first makes contact with the ground when you run. Foot Strike Angles range from extreme fore foot strike (-15°) to extreme heel strike (+27°).
Try to maintain a consistent Foot Strike Angle throughout your run at a given pace. More importantly, watch if/how your foot strikes change as you become tired or change speed.
There is no strong evidence that one way is better than another. Every runner will adopt their own Foot Strike Pattern that allows them to be the most efficient during a run.
Foot Strike Angle breakdown:
You may find you’re somewhere between two different striking patterns and that’s normal. Note: Connected footwear doesn't calculate FSA while walking. But, almost everyone walks with a heel strike pattern (FSA that is greater than 9°).
Pace is your running speed—the minutes it takes to cover a mile or kilometer. Your first goal should be to find your easy pace, where you could have a conversation while running.
Focus on finding your conversational pace first. This should be the bulk of your training. Gradually work on speed as you build up your strength and lung capacity. When you feel ready, try varying your speeds to stimulate your heart, blood vessels, and muscles.
Splits are the time it takes to complete a certain distance. If you're running 3 miles, your total time at each mile is your split pace. A lot of runners go out too fast at the beginning of a run.
Looking at your splits helps you understand your run performance and understand where you can improve. Negative splits are a good goal—where you run the second half of a run faster than the first. Practicing negative splits during your training can help you finish stronger, with fresher legs.