I am looking to increase my leg turnover and several people have suggested running with a metronome. Anyone out there do this? Any suggestions as to a good model to buy? I just want something small and simple. Thanks
I don’t run with one, but several of my friends do, part of the Chi running program. I’m thinking of trying it in the off season. I just bought my son one to use with music lesson and they are really small/inexpensive. I think this one was under $20 and a little larger than a credit card, although thicker. Look for one with a headphone jack. Another idea is to run to music that has your target number of beats per minute.
When I first saw this thread I thought you were talking about running with one of these (like my kids use for piano) :
I was glad to find out you were talking about something smaller 
.
I have an old watch from Adidas that includes a pacer function, which I set at 90 to help with the turnover. I’ll turn it on for a few minutes at a time during long runs. It can be hard to hear the beep if it’s a windy day, so it may be easier with one you can stick in your cap. It’s a good way to help me re-group when I’m starting to feel sluggish during a run.
Tenpo Trainers are about 20 bucks and can go into the pool with you also. Good for nailing your long swim pace down. I use mine most often to beep when I shoudl be hitting the wall for a flip turn though. Every minute and whatever, depending on the day and the set.
I recommend it.
I use a Finis pacing tool that I originally bought for swimming - now I just use it for running. Wasn’t too expensive and works fine.
not a good idea for many reasons.
I run with a tempo trainer (I swim with it also). I think they are around $30.00
Why yes, yes I do. My running partner is a friggin’ metronome–you can here the little clip-clip of her feet on whatever surface we happen to be on. She hasn’t missed a beat in the more than 300 miles we have run together this season. Kinda maddening at times.
How high can the pace on these go, I am looking for something that can go up to 180 beats per minute, or some multiple of that at least, like 90 or 60 would work I guess.
“not a good idea for many reasons.”
Why do you say this? I consider myself a fairly good runner but am always looking to improve and have heard many people talk of the benefits of using a metronome as a training tool. Please elaborate.
Had it going at 90 this morning. So I know it will do that. Don’t know f it goes to 180. In practice though you just let make one leg hit every time it beeps and go with 90. It may do 180, but I always use it at 90.
90 sounds like it would work perfectly and it actually makes more sense. So you have the Finis Tempo Trainer? How loud is the beep? Do you clip it on your shorts or hold it or does it need to be on a hat or something?
my ankle clicks like like a metronome so I don’t need one.
Seiko makes a nice little clip-on model that is about the size of a half dollar. I like to run with the metronome particularly when working through technique drills.
I would imagine you could also download a click-track (or whatever that thing is called that drummers use) as an audio file and use an IPod.
almost every study that i recall (and there were several) mostly with fair, good, and elite distance runners showed that it is counterproductive to run with an artificial “pacer”.
runners were placed on a treadmill and asked to run ‘naturally’ at a various slow to quick running speeds which was dictated by the treadmill speed setting. runners choose their own stride lenghth and stride rate. then the running economy was measured. this is was determined by O2 consumption (note, this is not breathing rate) at the pace.
then the runners were asked to run at the same speeds again, but in each case were asked to modify their gait by running in time to a metronome. if i recall correctly, in almost every case the runner’s running economy DEcreased with the metronome running vs. the ‘natural’ running.
the human body is remarkably good at finding on its own most efficient stride length and stride rate for your body type, for your leg length, for your shoes, for your limb mass, for your training level, for the speed you are choosing to run, for the incline, for the terrain, etc.
and you mess with this very smart and delicate system if you train with a metronome. want to learn how to run faster with a greater running economy? train faster.
just don’t think that tick-tocking your legs to an arbitrarily chosen rhythm will somehow benefit you. because it won’t–but it will probably make you less efficient.
I have the finis tempo trainer and I either hold it or put it in one of the treadmill water bottle slots.
Outdoors it is no problem at all. In the health club you need ot have closer to you to use it.
Not too terribly surprising to see that making run at an unnatural cadence makes you feel well, “unnatural.”
That doesn’t mean that you can’t train yourself to run at a higher cadence and make the higher cadence natural over the course of a few weeks.
Greg,
I respectfully beg to disagree. While I will agree that it is possible in an experiement, where people were forced to run at (what was at that very moment, for them) an “unnatural” cadence, then naturally their economy would decrease. They were not adapted to that cadence yet.
An overwhelming preponderance of elite runners all run at a cadence of about 90-92, whereas many if not most average Joes run at a lower cadence. There are a gazillion studies showing this. It’s not a coincidence. And of course, there are always outliers who still do well in spite of an above or below average cadence: Faris won’t be getting any Pose Running sponsorship or coaching gigs, but that didn’t seem to hinder him too much
In my experiement (sample size N=1) I forced myself over a period of weeks to run all my runs at a cadence of 90 or above. This came relatively easily on faster runs, but for steady, and especially easy paced runs, it was awkward, and felt really wierd. I’m sure my economy at that moment was pretty crappy, as I hadn’t adapted yet.
Now, I naturally run all the time at a cadence of 90 or above. It has become my natural cadence, I do it in my sleep, and I’m much more efficient now than I ever was prior as a runner. I am able to go much faster, easier, and at a lower HR now than ever before.
Just like with trying to adapt to an aero Tri position on a bike, adapting to a 90 cadence may take time. And may be uncomfortable, and even inefficient initially or for a while. I’d imagine that for most folks it’s worth it to try it. Doing so reduces or eliminates most of the bad technique flaws that most runners “naturally” have.
PS - Back to the original question. I have a Finis Tempo Trainer. I love it. It is the Pose/ChiRunning ‘coach in a box’. Best $ I have ever spent on my run training.