FORM Easy Run
Easy Runs Mechanical Standards (Garmin-Based)

Use these ranges to confirm easy runs are landing correctly. Check after a comfortable session — not during one. If a metric is outside range, treat it as information, not a problem to fix on the same day.

1. Ground Contact Time (GCT)
Standard
  • 225–245 ms
  • Advanced: 215–235 ms
  • Correction zone: >255 ms

Quicker off the ground, not higher.

Metrics confirm rhythm. They do not create it.

2. Cadence
Standard
  • 165–174 spm
  • Smaller runners: 170–178
  • Taller runners: 162–170
  • Correction zone: consistently under 160 at moderate pace

Remove lazy steps.

3. Stride Length
Standard
  • 7:45–8:30 pace → 1.05–1.20m normal
  • 7:00–7:30 pace → 1.15–1.30m normal

If stride is long AND cadence low → overstriding.

If stride is short AND cadence high → shuffling.

4. Vertical Ratio
Standard
  • 6.5–8.5%
  • Correction zone: 9%+

Higher ratio = too much bounce relative to stride length.

Glide forward, not upward.

Pushing down instead of back.

5. Vertical Oscillation
Standard
  • 6–9 cm typical
  • Lower isn't always better.
  • If VO is low but stride short and cadence high → shuffling.

Elastic, not stiff.

Efficiency before expression
Easy Run → Form Errors → The Method Long Run Pace