POLAR RS 800 SD - Manual (Page 16)

Running Cadence and Stride Length
Cadence is the number of times the foot with the stride sensor hits the
ground per minute. Stride length is the average length of one step.
There are two ways to run faster: moving your legs at a higher cadence
or taking longer steps. Elite long distance runners typically run with a
high cadence of 85-95. On uphills, typical cadence values are lower. On
downhills they are higher. Runners adjust stride length to gather speed:
stride length increases as speed increases.
A common problem for less experienced runners is a low cadence caused
by over striding, the result of this is braking against forward motion with
each step - Not a good idea!. By focusing on leg speed as part of your
training plan you can easily improve your overall technique and benefit
from greater running efficiency.
For more information on Running Cadence and Stride Length please visit
the Polar Article Library http://articles.polar.fi/en/main.html
Stride length = the distance of a stride.
Cadence = number of strides per time unit.
optimum overstriding
16
Recommended Cadence vs. Height
Marathon time 4hours 3.5hours 3hours 2.75hours
Pace 5:42/km 5:00/km 4:17/km 3:55/km
Height
190cm 84-86 86-88 88-90 90-92
180cm 86-88 88-90 90-92 92-94
170cm 88-90 90-92 92-94 94-96
160cm 90-92 92-94 94-96 96-98