Which is faster running, long steps or short steps?
It has to be shorter steps! Everyone thinks long steps make you faster-they actually slow you down, because of physics-simple physics! Long strides push you more in a vertical direction, meaning as gravity pulls you down, you hit the ground with a larger force. You also keep your feet on the ground for longer, meaning the “equal and opposite force” required for propulsion forward is weakened. Also, your tibia and fibula absorb an extreme amount of force, meaning shin splits should appear in a few days of training. Its all about speed with smaller steps. You should do about 90 steps per minute in running, just like a cyclists cadence. So, keep short steps. Unless, of course, you want multiple shin splits, and even tibia/fibula fractures, slower times and wasted energy. I think you can decide for yourself.
