ive been pestering strava support to start adding these metrics for the past few months without any luck, even though both Garmin Connect and Training Peaks (albeit a bit awkwardly) will provide GCT plus vertical oscillation, LR balance, stride length , vertical ratio and cadence. I find jump rope is really beneficial for GCT as well as plyo. I have also noticed personally that with a faster GCT and cadence, my stride length decreases a bit

If you use hip flexor to drive airborne knee, when you reach your desired drive height of that knee then your ground foot will also be simultaneously pushing off the ground. Drive the front knee a bit faster to its up position and automatically your ground time will end at that same time. You will be flying a longer time during your cadence, with your hip flexor more slowly controlling your lead foot to the next foot strike. Quick knee drive aiding opposite foot liftoff, graceful soaring to next ground strike. Same cadence moves to better and better percentage airtime.

I don’t really put much thought into this while doing most runs, but recently while doing strides, I have been emphasizing fast contact time

Not sure I agree with the comment that when your foot is on the ground you’re not moving forwards. Surely when you’re foot is in contact with the ground you start with no change of speed (foot directly under your centre of mass)and then accelerate (foot driving forwards). As soon as your feet leave the ground you start to decelerate ( air resistance coupled with 0 drive) or have I missed something here?

@DarkPa1adin

3 жыл бұрын

Think of it this way. The key is to get more strides for the same amount of time. Assuming the stride length is the same, the only way to get more strides is by reducing ground contact time. And it matters between heel strike and mid foot strike. Heel strikers will take the whole foot length to contact the ground before making next stride. Mid is ~half

@karinaniskanen1386

3 жыл бұрын

Exactly, it would be difficult to "push off" in mid-air 😀

@scottfoster6267

2 жыл бұрын

I agree. When I walk there is always one foot on the ground; yet I move. I believe all the other stuff, but the "you don;t move until/unless you are airborne" is demonstrably untrue.

Very informative and well executed. Well done!

Heather, you're becoming my running coach. I implemented your form advice and high back kicks from previous videos, and I PR my last two 10k's... seriously. now i will try this. Thank you!!!

@heatherfell_oly

3 жыл бұрын

Marcelo G that's so great to hear, keep it up!

Exactly what I needed. Thank you!

I enjoy adding rope jumping to my training, gives me speed movement, but not jumping too high (keeping to steps short in terms of running) => thats what I want for my running.

This was one of the best and easiest to understand whenever it came to GCT. Thanks

@gtn

2 жыл бұрын

Great to hear! We're glad you enjoyed it!

I'd like to comment on your sound production / whtvr you're using for a mic. It's great! nice and loud, and clear. many videos done outside are hard to hear 👍

I'm using gct to help heal from 2 bulging discs slowly. I'm former runner with low 2:20's for 26.2 in late 70's early 80's. Now 66 years old retired running slow 339ms gct hoping to use metrics to heal. After two years I couldn't stand straight up or barely walk 1/4 mile, but I found running has strengthened my back particullarly uphill. I wrote Garmin to ask about ground impact force.

Thank god for this. Whew

Shoes have a good bit to do with this. A shoe with a tall stack height and more cushion will give a higher GCT than a minimalist, responsive shoe. (across same effort).

@heatherfell_oly

3 жыл бұрын

Good point, another factor to consider.

@GeorgeRon

2 жыл бұрын

You assume all else remains equal, when infact runners do tend to change their mechanics too in the shoes. I tend to proactively reduce ground contact time in highly cushioned shoes and prolong ground contact time in minimalistic flats by varying how my foot meets the ground.

And GCT is the part of the stride you use to drive yourself forward. Less GCT means greater force needed. Actually, GCT per minute might be a more useful metric. Andy

Isn't this just a result of increasing cadence? Higher cadence means more steps per time, means less time spent per step... And as you pointed out indirectly : higher cadence also decreases overstriding. The benefit of looking at cadence instead is that it's a lot easier to control and actively change while running 👍🏼

@jonathanzappala

3 жыл бұрын

You can have a high cadence and a high contact time, the contact time is so low in milliseconds to begin with its relatively small compared to cadence.

@kurtjacobs8208

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonathanzappala I'm not that sure to be honest. If the fraction of time of your step where your foot is in contact with the ground stays the same, a ground contact time of 260ms at a cadence of 150 spm becomes a ground contact time of 216 at a cadence of 180 spm. And moreover rests us the assumption that reducing your ground contact time actually makes you run faster, rather than it being a byproduct of it; it's a chicken or egg kind of question.

@sjuns5159

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah I'm not at all convinced by this video that GCT is useful at all and should consciously be "improved". Clearly it is strongly linked to cadence, and Heather gives no arguments as to why it should be viewed seperately. The "you're not moving when your foot is on the ground" doesn't instill much confidence either. Not only are you obviously moving with your foot on the ground, it's the only part where you're accelerating.

My balance is 53/47… when doing threshold runs, is that normal?

I would include agility drills using ladders.

@heatherfell_oly

3 жыл бұрын

Yup, agree they would help.

Weird! Wore my HRM monitor for the first time the other day and unlocked these stats, thanks for explaining! My virticle oscillation was over 11 cm and stride length only .9m at easy pace which is a worry!

@jonathanzappala

3 жыл бұрын

Stride length is individual. How much is overstriding is different for different people. As long as you aren’t over striding, you will be healthy in that way.

Hey, gtn I have a problem. I run at 5:30 min/km pace on my long runs(12km) at 160 cadence. I want to improve this, do you know any tips/training methods to improve your cadence. Also love the vids keep them up. Also If I run Faster (4min/km) my cadence stats the same but my strofe lenght increases. Pls help me.

@jonathanzappala

3 жыл бұрын

At that slow 5:30/km pace, that cadence seems appropriate. But as you go faster, cadence and stride length should both go up. I bet they made a video at some point just like this one on how to increase your cadence,

@renspeeters4055

3 жыл бұрын

@@jonathanzappala okay, thank you for helping.

@GeorgeRon

2 жыл бұрын

I would suggest 160spm is really on the low side of the cadence spectrum. Infact, I would hesitate to call it "appropriate". There is room for optimization. My educated assumption is you're taking long steps to make up for the low cadence at that pace, which demands force input from the muscles. Why not try to exchange some of the force for leg speed? This might become highly relevant the longer the distances you attempt, such as a marathon.

Heathers back at it again 🎉🎉

First comment.Thanks for advice.

Actually it is quite the opposite. By increasing ground contact times you will be able to apply more force thus, accelerate faster. Essentially, your advice works during the maximum velocity phase of running as your speed elevates less time for force production available.In this case, implementation of exercises that compromise such factors will act as an environmental constraint that encourages one to apply more force in minimal time.

Crumbs! I have no idea how you can maintain that you aren’t moving forward when your foot is on the ground. You would be right that one foot is still for a while, but I notice the rest of you still carries on somehow. Andy

Oh my god stop with that stupid music. Holy sh it's annoying to get blasted by that constantly

First comment.Thanks for advice.