I remember as a younger teen my parents got me a workshop seminar with maybe 10 other kids with a fairly acclaimed author.
"You probably remember your English teacher saying 'the word 'said' is boring, use something different. Yes, find something else, if it makes more sense. But the word 'said' is a perfectly good word."
People shouldn't use "strides" just because "walked" is boring. They should use "strides" when it's meaningful in the context of the story.