When it comes to running, two men loom large in my life. Coach Bacon and Coach Lynn. Coach Bacon was YHC’s high school football and track coach. He pushed hard and got more from us. In fact, after graduating from high school, he challenged YHC to walk on to a college track program. He used colorful language, which happened to be effective. (Good coaches know just how to push your buttons, don’t they?).

That’s where Coach Lynn comes in. He gave me a shot to run in a D1 program (as the rabbit, not the greyhound, mind you). Definitely not the fastest on the team, my job was to keep the other guys honest (i.e. “If you let *that* guy beat you, you’re a ______ ________ _______! And then we’re gonna run more.”). There was one word that we heard over and over and over in practices..and that was, “Turnover!” For Coach Lynn, it wasn’t about stride length. It was about feet hitting earth faster to generate speed more efficiently.

There are numerous articles that explain the significance of cadence, but here are two that YHC recommends:
https://blog.wahoofitness.com/running-cadence-why-it-matters-and-how-to-improve-yours/
https://www.outsideonline.com/2377976/stop-overthinking-your-running-cadence

Long and short: it’s all about steps per minute (SPM). Some watches measure it. If yours doesn’t, just monitor your right foot fall for 30 seconds and take that number times 4. Mine is in the 35-37 range, so that’s 140-150 SPM. As the articles above attest, some experts say that elite runners average 180 SPM+. Others tell you not to worry about it; each person is unique. Generally, SPM / cadence is a good gauge to: (a) think about running more smoothly, (b) work on improving your speed, and (c) give you something to think about / keep your brain occupied for a few minutes on long runs.

Last Tuesday, 12 PAX showed up to get faster, and cadence counting was the method of choice.

WARM UP
Lap x 2
Standard Stretches

THE THANG
On the first lap, PAX were invited to count their steps on the first two 100m to get a baseline of their cadence / SPM. The goal: maintain or increase that number by 5% for the following
100s x 2 laps (standard pace for 100, followed by up tempo pace for 100)
200s x 2 laps (same as prior, with 200s…and so on)
400s x 4 laps
800s x 2 laps
BREAK and RALLY via LBCs and Hammers til all PAX arrive
400s x 4 laps
200s x 2 laps
100s x 2 laps
Total Distance: 5.5 miles (including warm up laps)

MARY
Standard Stretches

COTS / PRAYER
Remember the people in your life – coaches, teachers, friends, bosses – whoever saw your potential and didn’t let you coast or succumb to lethargy and inertia. Who challenged you to step up and rise up beyond what you thought you were capable of accomplishing? Consider reaching out to them, checking in and saying thanks. I’d love to tell coach we honored him this past Tuesday, but his life was too short. Yet he keeps challenging me — and, by extension, he’s challenging guys like you. So his legacy lives on. May we all leave such a legacy.