Running Cadence

Ways to be faster, longer stride length at same cadence, higher turnover at same stride length or a combo of both.  In training at my casual Z2 pacing I'm 160 to 165. On fast runs like a 5k or 10k I'm more like 170-175 and max out somewhere around 185 but I'm not holding that for long.  I don't think about anymore.  Just like with the bike pedal rpm there's not a magical value.  Everyone has there natural cadence for a given pace.  My 5'1 wife at our same Z2 pace is turning over a lot more than I am!

What effort are you running at a 7:45 min/mi pace?

To increase your cadence, you will have to shorten your stride to run at the same pace.  The increased turnover may make you feel like you are working harder (and you may be).  Don't aim to ramp up to a much higher turnover right away.  Try to get to maybe 170 and see how that feels.  You sound like you may be a little on the low side and could benefit from a bit faster turnover.  It may not directly help you in speed, but it should help eventually as you should get reduced load on your body (impact to knees and hips), less 'bounce' (more level running) and less 'braking' (harder to overstride if you are doing so at all right now).  All that contributes to better running efficiency and should allow for faster running.  But the actual cadence does depend on the individual and at what speed/pace you are running. 

Doing 'strides' where you focus on running faster for a short duration (~30 sec, e.g.) with quick, light feet is a great exercise for improving your running form, in general, and can help with turnover.  'Light feet' is a cue that helps me keep my turnover up as try to minimize the contact time my foot has with the ground.  Simply counting strides intermittently during your run (for periods of 20 or 30 or 60 seconds, e.g.) and focusing on trying to keep those light feet can help develop comfort with a slightly higher cadence, as well.  But remember that cadence itself isn't the goal (despite much of the available information making it seem so).  It's just an easy focal point that can help you develop those quick, light feet that can contribute to faster, more economical running.

X

A few years ago I worked on increasing my cadence from the low 160s to 180 using the Garmin footpod.

I had to mainly run on the treadmill to control the speed, otherwise I noticed that I started to sprint like you mentioned.

For the first few weeks it felt very unnatural and I had to continuously watch the Garmin, otherwise I'd fall back into old habits and a longer stride.

Also, initially my heartrate jumped by about 10 bpm.

But after a few months the pace felt more natural and my heartrate and after about 4 or 5 months I was running at 180 cadence without thinking about it.

I also became faster, but there are quite a few other variables in there so I don't know how much is attributable to the higher cadence. 

I've posted this link a few times because it is the easiest I've found to follow for people learning to run faster.  In your case, working on cadence, pay particular attention to the various skip drills.  This stuff is gold for faster running.  Do them every time you get ready to run.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhzzpZVMtl4 

My suggestion would be to increase your cycling cadence.  Your body establishes a rhythm on the bike which will carry over into your run.  Off a bike your body I am told that you natural metronome will want to settle into a run cadence about 10 below your revolutions on the bike. :-)

I started cycling 6 months ago and knew that my bike revolutions were not helping me since I like to stay in the big gears and peddle really slow.  When I started cycling I decided to focus 1-2 rides a week on getting used to the faster speeds in the smaller gears. I increased my cadence from 75-80 to about 90-95 revolutions a minute.   Two weeks after completing the 70.3 Triathlon that I spent 4 months training for this spring I did a 5K race and broke the 18:00 minute time bearer (17.54 gun time) for the first time since I did my first full Marathon 7 years ago.  No, the course wasn't short.  It measured .01 miles long.  I attribute the increased speed to all the time I spent on the bike getting used to a higher nature cadence.     

Having said that I have been running for 30 years and can count 11 different running coaches that I have trained under in that time (and trained with hundreds of other athletes).  During all of that time I never once heard the mention of a run cadence.  That wasn't something that I ever heard of until I started to look for Triathlon training information 6 months ago.  What I did hear as a runner, was the term "hitting your stride".  That term was defined to me as where you are able to use less energy that if they were to run any faster or any slower.  In other words it is a sweet spot or best efficiency point  for your running.  So based on the running circles I have been with I think that focusing on being more efficient (i.e. keeping your head up and shoulders back, relaxing your upper body, being light on your feet, loosing extra weight, etc.) will make you faster before shortening/lengthening your stride or trying to force an un-nature cadence will.  Any forcing you do, any straining, or muscling your way through will make you less efficient (slower). 

x2.  Excellent video.