Should I be a forefoot (toe) runner?
Are you a toe runner naturally? If so you are generally in the minority since the majority of runners contact their heel or rearfoot when they first come in contact with the ground. Is there anything wrong with this? It depends, naturally if that is how you learned to run there is nothing inherently wrong with contacting your heel when you first strike the ground with running. If you are injured that is a whole another answer.
What is my ideal cadence?
Have you heard that your cadence or step rate should be set at 180 steps per minute. Well that is just incorrect, there is no magical number for each individual. Step rate and stride length are both a function of the speed for which you run:
Running speed = Stride Length * Step Rate
Generally speaking people running in the 10 min per mile or faster ideally would have a cadence of 170 steps per minute or higher, but remember there are exceptions.
Should I buy inserts with my shoes?
Ideally your shoe alone should provide protection and the level of support you need. Buying insoles is often not needed, especially if the shoe alone can provide the level of support needed for the individual.
Should runners do strength training?
Simple answer: Yep, Yep and Yep. Do runners strength train, Nope, Nope and Nope. If you haven’t figured this out yet, I am letting you in on a secret, running isn’t strength training for running. Strength training is a systematic way of building muscle. Run training is a systematic way of building endurance and using the muscle capacity you have. If you ain’t got it you can’t rock it.
Warm up…wait what is that?
Hmm…you want to walk out your door after sitting on your bum all day and do an activity that requires you to push the ground with 2-3 times your body weight. Duh, your body needs to warm up and no walking is not a warm up for running. Get off your chair and impress your neighbors with your side shuffles, grapevines and skipping prowess and you will be ready to run, guaranteed.