Cadence Decoded — Why 180 Isn’t a Rule, It’s a Result

The RunRX Podcast by Coach Valerie & Coach Caroline

Episode notes

Someone on social media said “stop telling everyone to run at 180” — and that sparked this deep, practical conversation. Coach Caroline and Coach Valerie walk through: what cadence actually measures, why the ~180 figure exists (its research origin and relation to ground reaction force), why you can’t safely force 180 without developing elasticity and skill, and exactly how to train cadence the RunRx way (drills, metronome practice, short intervals, resets on long runs).

We also share a real runner story: a woman who hit ~190–195 but wasn’t moving efficiently — once she learned pose → fall → pull and built elasticity, she dropped 2–3 minutes per mile and running felt easier. If you’ve been told “just run at 180” and want a sensible progression, this episode is for you.

✅ Cadence is a response — it rises when you hold ... 

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