How Do I Stop Overstriding When Running?
I Had a Terrible Overstride When I Ran — Until I Talked to These Peloton Instructors
As a runner who has suffered through plantar fasciitis and plenty of irritating knee pain, it was nice to finally find out why I was struggling. For me, this happened at physical therapy, where I got on the treadmill so the therapists could record my running form and play it back for me. "See how your right hip drops substantially with every step you take? You need to strengthen your hips, and for that overstride, we need to help you strengthen your glutes," the docs told me.
Eventually I was off on my own, now knowledgable about the importance of strength training as a runner and experimenting with outdoor runs on the Peloton Digital app. As I listened to Becs Gentry and Matt Wilpers describe proper running form in my ear at the beginning of a jog, I noticed that I still hadn't corrected all of my issues. For one, my feet definitely were not landing directly underneath the midline of my body, and my steps felt heavy — like I was desperately trying to keep up with someone in front of me but was slowly giving in to my overworked legs and giving up. These are symptoms of an overstride.
"Take your headphones out of your ear and see if you can hear your footsteps as you run. Your steps should be light and quick; you shouldn't hear them at all," Wilpers says during one of his warmups. I couldn't help but laugh as my heavy thud overpowered the background music. I checked my cadence after the run and it was really low — right around 160 spm (steps per minute). To put this into perspective, intermediate to advanced runners have a cadence of 180 spm.
I wanted more tips from the Peloton pros so I could improve my overstride and prevent further injuries, so I talked to Becs Gentry, RRCA-certified running coach, Peloton Tread instructor, and professional marathon runner, and Jess King, RRCA-certified running coach and Peloton Cycling and Tread instructor, who came back with incredible advice that would help anyone become a better runner. Jess is the newest tread instructor at Peloton, and also had to correct her overstride during training, so we have something in common!
Even if you don't find your running steps quite as laborious as I described mine to be, you'll definitely take away some helpful instruction from Gentry and King when you read our Q&A ahead. I'm putting their words into practice, repeating their mantras, and adjusting my form, and I'm already feeling so much lighter and quicker on my feet. Now after every run, I find my cadence has increased, and it's all because these Peloton instructors really know what they're talking about (and also probably because I feel a little more swag thanks to my new Saucony Endorphin Speeds). Keep reading to find out more tips about how to strengthen and shorten your stride, straight from these pros.
