Strides are a running drill that involves short bursts of running at a faster pace than normal running. They are typically 50 to 150 meters long or 15 to 30 seconds of running at a fast pace ranging from 5k to mile race pace. Strides are also known as striders, stride-outs, or accelerations. They are used to promote running economy, which is how efficiently you run, with a focus on turnover and form. Strides are a fundamental building block of speed and coordination and can be included in a warm-up or cool-down, tacked onto an easy run, or run as part of (or all) of a workout.

The goal of strides is not aerobic development, endurance, or getting in “a good workout.” Rather, it’s turnover and building comfort at high speeds. Strides are short, 20-30 second accelerations that can be plugged into your training program to become a faster runner. They can help improve your running form and speed and reduce your risk of running injuries. Strides can also be a key part of your dynamic warm-up before a speed workout or race.

To run strides, you should start at a jog and gradually build up to your top-end speed for about five seconds at the end. You should aim to do about five to ten strides and the recovery can be either a walk or a slow jog back to the start. Strides should be run like a crescendo and decrescendo, or what some coaches call a build-up.

In summary, strides are a running drill that involves short bursts of running at a faster pace than normal running. They are used to promote running economy, improve running form and speed, and reduce the risk of running injuries. Strides can be included in a warm-up or cool-down, tacked onto an easy run, or run as part of (or all) of a workout.