Using the Wetronome for Running

"I hadn't actually had a chance to use the Wetronome in the water before I slipped it under my beanie during one of my Ironman training runs. The Wetronome is a great product for focusing a triathlete's attention on their running cadence, which tends to be reduced after a hard bike ride. With the Wetronome this becomes easy as programming the unit and following the beep."
--- Paul Newsome,
head coach of the Stadium Triathlon Club and UK triathlete champion

More quotes to follow, plus send us yours.

How can Wetronome help your running?

How fast should you run? The answer is based on a number of factors:

Delivering maximum oxygen to your muscles (max VO2)
Extend the point at which your muscle efficiency falls off significantly (your lactate threshold)
Improve your endurance or running economy

These are all related to pace. Stride rate and stride length complete the picture to your running efficiency.

A number of triathlon coaches we know, and other sources, conclude the optimal stride rate is between 88-92 steps per minute.

Tuck the Wetronome under your baseball or running cap set to this rate, and take the time to let your muscles "learn" what it feels like to run at this rate. If you spend a bit of your run each time with the Wetronome, you will find yourself running more consistently and efficiently over increasingly longer distances.

Tutorial!

See Paul Newsome's set of exercises to improve your stride rate.

Begin here.

Running events

Triathletes: The Wetronome was the Official Swim Pacing Device of the 2004 Ironman WA . Read our article on the experience.

Running links

We support the efforts of organisations like Triathlon WA.
Lots of good material available at The West Australian Marathon Club.