Changes

Cadence, which is how often your feet touch the ground, is reasonably easy to modify and has a large impact on running form and running efficiency. You should aim for a cadence of around 180 steps/minute counting both feet, which is 90 steps/minute if you count just one foot. Initially this is likely to feel strange at first, like your shoes [[Shoes]] are tied together, but after a few weeks it will become natural. A metronome can help you keep time, as can [[Remixing Music For Running| music remixed to 180 BPM]] or a [[Best Running Watch| sports watch]] with a [[Footpod]].

The Pose method and Chi Running both talk about using gravity to pull you forward. While this is obviously nonsense from the perspective of the laws of physics, there is some basis for the idea. The forward lean does not cause gravity to "pull you along", but it does change the vector of the force your [[Muscle| muscles ]] are applying to your feet. If you are perfectly upright, your [[Muscle| muscles ]] are pushing down, with little or none of the force being directed backward to provide propulsion. As you lean forward, your muscles start to push both down and backwards, providing greater forward propulsion. It is possible to increase your speed by increasing your forward lean. Your muscles are still providing the propulsion, not gravity, but the extra forward lean does vector the muscular force better.