Cadence is steps per minute, not a score
A runner taking 170 steps per minute is not automatically better or worse than one taking 160 or 180. Taller runners often use a lower cadence at the same speed, cadence rises as pace gets faster, and hills or trails can change it again. The number becomes useful when you compare it with your own pace and form over time.
Why 180 spm is not a universal target
The 180 spm idea was popularized from observations of elite distance runners racing at high speeds. Recreational runners moving at slower paces often land naturally below that number. Chasing 180 regardless of pace or anatomy can turn a descriptive observation into an arbitrary constraint.
Read cadence with pace, power, elevation, and splits
Cadence makes more sense when the rest of the run is visible. A cadence change on a climb, during a faster split, or late in a hard run has a different explanation than the same change on flat ground at the same pace. Power, elevation, heart rate, and split data help tell those cases apart.
Track cadence as part of the whole run.
Bring supported runs into Wellness Project to keep cadence beside pace, splits, power, elevation, heart rate, Training Load, recovery, and Coach Elias.
