It’s funny how one benign comment from a coach can change your world.
I’ve joined the triathlon club, as I’ve mentioned before. I’m doing the spin class about once a week. I’ve enjoyed it for the fitness and cardio aspect, but that’s about it. Our coach keeps saying we should have our RPM (speed of how fast we rotate the pedals) between 90-110. “90” is a magic number I’ve heard before related to my running cadence. But I’m always at low 80s when I measure my cadence. It’s just my natural pace. I decided to ask the coach about it, and he said:
“It’s easier for a cyclist to become a runner than a runner to become a cyclist.”
Mind.
Blown.
Suddenly, this is not just cardio and fitness. Cycling is about TRAINING. The friendly gal next to me offered me a more concrete example. She used to be a distance runner with a cadence in the high 70s, low 80s as well. “Work on your cadence here [in spin],” she said, “before getting your tension/power up. You’ll run the fastest times you’ve ever run before just from that alone.”
Alright, running world! I’m going to spend these next few months learning to increase my cadence, and then watch out!
