We incorporate some strides into the warm-ups of our workouts. Here is a good description of what strides are and how to properly perform them.

Strides – or accelerations – are a staple of almost every high school, university, and professional running team. Whether you’re an 800m specialist, cross country runner, or an aspiring marathoner, strides are a fundamental building block of speed and coordination.

But the majority of recreational runners never do them despite a host of benefits. What are strides? Strides are also known as striders, stride-outs, or accelerations.

• They’re about 100m accelerations where you start at a jog, build to about 95% of your max speed, and then gradually slow to a stop. One stride should take you about 20-30 seconds depending on your ability.
• Take about 40-60 seconds of walking or standing in between each stride to catch your breath. Running strides is not an aerobic workout so don’t rush them – you get zero additional benefits by shortening the recovery period!
• In fact, it’s best to think of strides as a speed development workout. The goal is not aerobic development, endurance, or getting in “a good workout.” Rather, it’s turnover and building comfort at high speeds.

It will be important for you to keep track of the details/ paces used during the workout sessions so you are able to dial into the most appropriate pacing and make the best out of each session. Please email me with any questions regarding the workouts.

Have fun and run fast!

RonD