Sled work for runners?

I like his ideas for supplementing my training, especially the flexibility through range of motion ideas.

Since I have a treadmill, I do 3 brief sets forward and backward in the off position, usually walking around in between repetitions. I just do enough to warm up, get the feel of the exercise, maybe 20 or 30 seconds at a time.

I do the split squats a couple of times a day, focusing on improving in the manner he's described.

Plus the full squats on balls of the feet underneath me, which allows the upper and lower legs to come together.

Besides that I do a lot of leg swings in a doorway, or next to a counter, which were recommended by Earl Fee.

He apparently does them for 6 minutes every day, but I don't do them for that long, just casually here and there.

Overall I feel that these things are working as a supplement for my regular training.

I don't use any heavy weights or any other type of gym rat stuff as I feel those things are not helpful.

The sled I do like, but don't have one, don't have the space to use one, and don't feel that it's necessary anyway.

eurodonkey wrote:

Who is doing it? How's it working for you?

I've been trying a lot of stuff from kneesovertoesguy lately and finding it generally valuable. Now doing a lot less 'classic barbell stuff' in the gym, but finishing off sessions with a heavy dose of sled work. A typical session is

[push 10m, pull10m, push10m, pull 10m] x 8 , for about 30-40s work and a 80-90s recovery. The sensation and heart rates are a lot like running 8x200m.

Alleged benefits are

-forward push is almost exactly running movements, just slowed down and without impact

- backwards pull is great for ankles and knee stabilisers, strengthening the 'shock absorbers'

- recovery is much quicker that from running, due to zero impact and no eccentric portion

I wonder if anyone's done it hard enough and long enough to see if it benefited their running?

I am going to get roasted for saying this, but Seth DeMoor (two-time Pikes Peak Marathon champion) does a lot of sled work at the gym.