What Are Strides in Running? How to Run Strides

Running strides—also known as striders, accelerations, and pickups—are short bursts of high-frequency running between casual running or walking breaks. Runners generally perform strides at eighty percent of their running capacity for thirty-second intervals and aim to cover fifty to one hundred meters of ground with each stride. Practicing strides can help improve running form, pace, and overall fitness.

Whether you are training for your first cross-country race, 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or full marathon, running strides can have several benefits. Stride drills can help improve the following:

1. 1. Form: One of the biggest potential benefits of running strides is the improvement to your form. When you run strides, you reinforce a pattern of running that is faster and more powerful by combining slow-twitch and the fast-twitch muscle fibers. Strides help increase your leg turnover (the frequency of your steps), attain an optimal stride length, and allow you to take advantage of both aerobic and anaerobic exertion.
2. 2. Efficiency: Running strides can help build your running efficiency, also known as running economy. During strides, your muscles, respiratory system, and circulatory system expend a lot of energy in a short period. Strides can help these biomechanics work together efficiently.
3. 3. Mental strength: Running strides can help condition your muscles, lungs, and heart rate. Most importantly, strides can help improve the mental strength of distance runners. As you practice strides, you’ll gradually acclimate to how it feels to push your body and become more comfortable near the top of your exertion range.
4. 4. Recovery: Strides fall between easy running and high-intensity, fast-paced runs. The short bursts of running allow for an easier recovery than long, fast sprints.

Follow these steps to incorporate strides into your training plan:

1. 1. Stretch your muscles: As with any running practice, start by stretching to help make your muscles and ligaments more elastic and reduce the chance of injury.
2. 2. Do a warm-up. It is best to perform stride drills after warming up with a short, ten-minute run at a conversational pace. Warm-up runs are a form of dynamic stretching. This active stretching makes your muscles and tendons more flexible and resilient and can help prevent injury.
3. 3. Find a flat stretch. Flat, open spaces like a running track, football field, or parking lot work best for stride drills. You want to practice running strides over a fifty to one-hundred-meter distance. You can also double back over the same stretch if there’s limited space.
4. 4. Perform an even acceleration. Avoid running at maximum speed during stride drills. Accelerate evenly over the stretch of ground, taking care not to reach your maximum effort, then gradually decelerate until you reach the end of your stride.
5. 5. Focus on your form. As you accelerate, focus on keeping your posture upright with your shoulders back, a slight tilt forward of your body in relation to the ground, and your footfalls underneath your center of gravity. Focus on pushing with your feet rather than pulling yourself forward.
6. 6. Release any tension. Strides can cause runners to tense up. As you practice your strides, tune into how your body feels. Keep your arms loose by your side, and avoid clenching your fists.
7. 7. Try an incline. You can try running strides on a steady incline. Hills take more effort, but running strides on an incline will help build strength and stamina.
8. 8. Practice downhill strides. Running on a gentle downhill grade works different muscle groups, leading to overall increases in strength and fitness.

Strides are a versatile running drill because runners can fit them into different portions of their running regimen. Consider the following ways to incorporate strides into your training:

1. 1. Run strides at the end of a run. Before you finish your easy run practice, incorporate four to six sets of strides as you wind down. This will give you extra anaerobic training along with your usual aerobic exercise.
2. 2. Perform strides as speed work. Stride drills can be a standalone workout. You can increase the number of sets and time, up to forty-five seconds. Warm up as you would for a speed work session; in between the strides, back it down to a walking pace.
3. 3. Run strides as a shakeout before a race. On race day, strides can be an excellent way to top off a warm-up and prepare yourself mentally for the event. For better results, run the strides on the same type of running surface as the race.

*If you have a previous or pre-existing health condition, consult your physician before beginning an exercise program. Proper exercise technique is essential to ensure the safety and effectiveness of an exercise program, but you may need to modify each exercise to attain optimal results based on your individual needs. Always select a weight that allows you to have full control of your body throughout the movement. When performing any exercise, pay close attention to your body, and stop immediately if you note pain or discomfort.

To see continual progress and build body strength, incorporate proper warm-ups, rest, and nutrition into your exercise program. Your results will ultimately be based on your ability to adequately recover from your workouts. Rest for 24 to 48 hours before training the same muscle groups to allow sufficient recovery.*

Before you toe the line, you must learn proper running form and training techniques. Discover Joan’s approach to running technique, strength training, and racing when you sign up for the MasterClass Annual Membership.