I am a runner, on and off depending on injuries and life, for the last 15 years. I fixed my running form best I could, but never got the hang of high cadence. Everyone says that around 180 smp is best, use a Metronom to get used to the speed of the steps. But it always felt forced to me, like extra work with little benefit. So I did my runs at 160 spm. Last Weekend I did 11 km and on the final stretch I stopped the music and listened to my body. I played with the lean of my straight torso and when I shifted my lean forward, my steps got smaller and faster, while I went the same speed.
It was that simple. I checked the t watch and I was spot on. It was not too hard, it felt good, like a balance of fall and catch on every small step. I never got it before, but I think now I do.
I hope my revelation helps someone.
180 spm is efficient even at paces that feel slower.
My first 50 mile run went well and I attribute that to focusing on keeping my cadence up throughout the run even though the pace felt easy (till near the end when moving at any speed felt hard!).
I wrote a story about that run— solo 50 miles mid-winter— and what led me there here: https://limestonepostmagazine.com/why-i-found-myself-running-50-miles/