I feel like I am finally back in running shape after my annual summer slump. I haven’t missed a run in a while, and have been pretty consistently running 20 to 25 miles per week. This morning, I ran my usual 7-mile weekday route at 10:12/mile. My average cadence was 179 steps/minute, which is my fastest since I got my new Apple Watch. I had not been tracking cadence during the year or so that I was watch-less, and I was surprised at how much my cadence dropped over that time. During my recent runs, I’ve been focusing on trying to take quick steps and minimize ground contact. A good visualization for this is to pretend that I am running over hot coals. I’ve also ditched the Tuli heel cups I had been running with for the past couple of years. They are nice to have when dealing with heel tenderness or bursitis, but the trade-off is that they elevate the heels slightly, and they absorb a small amount of energy (which is unavoidable with any type of cushioning). They’ve definitely got their purpose, and I’ll use them when I need them, but I think running without them will benefit both my speed and my cadence.

Incidentally, today was my first time running in long pants this season. It was about 40°F out, overcast, chilly, but not too windy. If it had been sunny, I likely would have run in shorts. I’ve been finding that with running and (to an extent) mountain biking, I’m comfortable in shorts down to around 40 (for road biking, the threshold is more like 50). In past years, I remember a lot of runs in the 40s where I’ve worn long pants, but wished I had worn shorts instead, so I’ve been doing that more often this year.