Drills for Correct Running Technique

It's all but impossible to run barefoot and strike with your heel first. I've tried and, in addition to being very hard to do, if you do succeed a bone rattling, jarring sensation will make you stop in a hurry. You are probably already running on your forefoot without realizing it.

As for drills, do a search, man. There is an Internet out there with many articles. You can find them yourself.

i really did try to search on the net, but didnt exactly find what i was looking for, maybe i should try harder

Very well, then, here you are:

"Jog for 10-30 min. (depending on how much mileage you want to log for the session), do one set of progressively faster buildups or strides to warm up some, then jog about 5 min., THEN do the drills. Start with step-ups, then go to high knees, then quick steps, then skips, then backwards (reach back a little on each step while jogging backwards for about 50m), then lunges. Next jog another 5-ish min., then do another set of buildups or strides (first ones used to warm up a little again, last ones faster). Finish with a cool-down jog of 10-30 min.

Only do the drills once or twice per week. Over the course of a few weeks, you can replace the high knees with kick-outs and replace the skips with level-surface bounding. Also add ankle bounding (sort of goose stepping while using ankle flexion to "pop" along) between the backwards running and the lunges. After a couple more weeks, eliminate lunges and replace the level surface bounding with hill bounding and replace the ankle bounding with one foot hill hops. Stop doing drills about 2-3 weeks prior to the start of a competitive season.

Purpose of the drills

Step-ups: Exaggerated hip flexion, begins developing quad strength/knee integrity, promotes relaxation and stability while using arms and legs in concert, works on soleus/gastroc strength (when going up on toes), works quads in an eccentric fashion when stepping down

High knees: Exaggerated hip flexion, works on performing more of the action in front and avoiding a long backswing, ball of foot contact promotes foot strength and balance

Quick steps: Encourages relaxation during faster-than-normal arm and leg action, recruits FT motor units at extremely low impact and without lactate production

Skips: These are actually a prelude to bounding and they begin developing an explosive "drive" phase with exaggerated (but relaxed) arm action

Backwards: Eccentric work on the lower quads, ball-of-foot contact, performs something of an antagonistic action vis-a-vis other drills

Lunges: Stretches hip flexors, develops stability/balance

Kick-outs: Exaggerated "in front" action (must be done with no backswing)

Bounding: High level of alactic FT unit recruitment, promotes an explosive "drive" phase (bounding on medium-grade uphills also involves an exaggerated pre-stretch of the ankle)

Ankle bounding: Trains orchestrated ankle flexion and isolates FT units in ths gastrocs

One foot hill hops: High level of alactic FT unit recruitment, develops an explosive "drive" phase, works on balance, exaggerated pre-stretch of the ankle, exaggerated "in front" action (if done properly), orchestrates soleus/gastroc/ankle flexion

Always do drills WITH THE WIND, if any, and use a SOFT, safe, smooth surface. The track can be used for backwards running and for ankle bounding, and bleacher steps can be used for step-ups, but grass (the kind you'd find on a golf course fairway) is preferable for the other drills. Relax, relax, relax as much as possible when doing these things. NEVER hold your breath; ALWAYS breathe in a smooth, rhythmic, normal fashion. Try to get a "loose as a goose" feel. Relaxation is synonymous with efficiency!

Step-ups

Find a bleacher step or other solid structure 18"-20" high to use as a platform for stepping. Stand facing it with your toes about 10"-12" from the base. Step up with your left foot first (place your entire foot, heel included, on the step), bringing your right knee up and using appropriate opposite arm action (right knee up/left arm forward and bent at 90 degrees). Try to use your quads and buttocks to perform the exercise. This means you should avoid leaning forward; instead, keep your butt directly under your torso. Go up on the ball of your left foot to "top off" the step as your right knee is at its highest point. Then lower yourself with your left foot still on the step, so that your right foot touches the ground first. Then bring your left foot down from the step and touch it to the ground.

Repeat with the right foot stepping onto the platform. Continue in this fashion (left foot step, right knee up, right foot down, left foot down, right foot step, left knee up, left foot down, right foot down, etc.) for about 15-20 steps on each foot. Don't go too fast; you want to develop some balance throughout the "up" phase and the "down" phase, and you want to work your quads and buttocks. Also remember to go up on your toes as your opposite knee comes up. You'll almost hop off the foot that's up on the step when you do this.

The elements of training are always present in a good training-schedule. What must change is their percentage and their frequency. So, during the FUNDAMENTAL PERIOD you must work for increasing your qualities : general resistance, strenght, rapidity, flexibility, cohordination. You must not use SPEED, but you have to prepare your speed. For example, you use circuit with weights or special works uphill, having clear in your mind what the goal is. If I go climbing 400m, making, without interruption, 60m sprint at max. speed + 40m bounding + 60m sprint + 40m skipping + 60m sprint + 40m heels to buttocks very fast + 100m sprint, and at the top 10 times squat-jumps pushing harder is possible, I use a work for increasing strenght endurance, reaching a very high level of lactate, improving "stamina". THIS IS A BASIC TRAINING, but is of very high intensity. When I put speed in my training (f.e., 15x100m with 30/40 sec of recovery), I have more BASIC QUALITIES for improving this specificism.

The first training that every long distance runner can use, good for every period of preparation, is to sprint from 60 to 100m climbing. Speed is a quality depending of nervous capacity and muscle strenght. Nervous capacity is the capacity of high explosive concentration, thet you need for recruiting the higher number of fibres of a muscle. Strenght of a muscle is the capacity of producing tension, and speed of contraction.

Our muscles don't work like the engine of a car. If you have an engine able to do 5000 revolutions reaching 180 km of speed, when you go at 100 km of speed you use only 3000 revolutions, but the engine works in the same way.

Instead, if we have a muscle made with 100 fibres, we use the most part of the fibres during max. speed, and only a part of these reducing the speed. For example, jogging you can use 20% of your fibres, ALWAYS THE SAME.

So, when you have to use speed, you are not able to use the percentage of fibres normally resting. These fibres are less strong, but also unable to receive in short time the order of the brain.

Running always at slow speed, you de-fuse your nervous system regarding the fibres that you don't use normally.

So, the best way for training not the speed, but the CAPACITY OF NERVOUS SYSTEM, basic for the speed, is to do short efforts at max.intensity, like short sprints uphill. You must interpret this work in explosive way, like a sprinter, not using progressive speed, because the first aim is to develop the capacity of the brain.

Running for a time of 10/15 sec, you cannot do too much lactate. You can use 1min / 1:30 of recovery, so lactic acid can be eliminated almost totally.

But what you have to remember is that THIS IS A TRAINING FOR THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, needing max intensity, so recovery times are not very important.

Too many times, long runners give big importance to recovery times also in type of training not having the goal of improving endurance, but basic nervous and muscular qualities. This is a mistake, when we are speaking about RAPIDITY we are speaking about a quality, when we are speaking about SPEED we are speaking about the USE of that quality. And, for a long runner, we must train the basic quality before the practical expression of this.

So, is not true that long run can reduce speed, and that speed can reduce endurance. Training is what you do, not what you don't do, and you don't improve your speed IF YOU DON'T USE SPEED, at the same way you don't improve your endurance IF YOU DON'T USE ENDURANCE.

Regarding the question about the TECHNICAL WAY for running hills, I can say, from my experience, that :

a) If you have an athlete running with very short strides, using high frequency, he needs to increase his strength and must use sprints climbing more for muscles than for nervous system. In this case, he has to push using long strides, also if the speed is a little bit slower than running with more frequency.

b) If instead you have an athlete using long strides (and of course slow motions), is better that sprinting he uses the idea of "skipping", running with very high knees and trying to increase his frequency. For him, RAPIDITY is more important than strength.

At least, short hills have the goal of improving the DEFICIENCIES rather than improving the qualities that you already have. Using hills, and mixing length, gradient and technique of running, you can leave a mark on different qualities, from nervous reactivity to the capacity in recruiting fibres, training all what you need for having and using more strength.

The gradient of the sprints uphill that I use with all my athletes is about 15%, but is possible to use different hills. Instead, I don't agree that we can use the run on the sand with the same goal. We try to develop the reactivity of feet, because thru this quality is possible to develop the speed. For reacting very well with your feet, you need a HARD GROUND, not able to absorb the elasticity of the feet of the athlete. Instead, if you run on a soft ground, like sand, your feet cannot work in elastic way, and you reduce this quality. You can use run on the beach for increasing the strenght of your quadriceps, but is a mistake for very elastic runners.

Always I try to develop the elasticity of my runners. So, I prefer to use hard ground and good gradient climbing.

All my marathon runners and athletes of other events use this type of training.

Selina Kosgei, winner in Paris with 2:24:32 in her first marathon (she has 2:03 in 800m, 15:01 in 5000 and won Commonwealth Games in 2002 with 31:27 on 10000m), started the preparation for her debut on 15th of January, in a camp in Kaptagat. She had to develop 3 qualities at the moment : long endurance, running once a week good pace with faster final (starting from 28 km, arriving to 38 12 days before the race) ; technque, as she runs with the bust to ahead and too low knees ; strenght, as she is very slim and needs more muscles for running fast also uphill.

So, I used 3 different type of training climbing :

for the first goal (long endurance), hilly courses with many hills up and down ;

for the second (technique) sprints of 100m with an easy gradient (about 6/8 %) trying to use a good frequency ;

for the third, sprints of 60/80m with a very big gradient (30%), that are "ramps" and help you to develop strenght.

But the type of hill and of work depends also on the different attitude and morphology of the athletes.

During the last week end, I had many runners in HM very good. With every one I use sprints uphill, but in different way.

With ROBERT KIPCHUMBA (22 years, winning Stramilano in 60:22) and MARTIN SULLE (22 years also, bronze medal in WHMCh, 2nd in Stramilano in 60:29), that have a technique of agility, using very high frequency, I use sprints of 60/100m with a gradient of 15% about, where they push very hard, trying long steps, for developing strenght. At the end of every session (they use also 3 sessions, in some week, of sprints climbing) they go for a run of 400/500m climbing, at their max. speed (only once). This type of training has the task of using soon your strenght in direction of strenght-endurance.

With ENOCK MITEI (24 years, n. 4 in Stramilano in 60:32) and RICHARD YATICH (24 years, n. 9 in Lisbon in 60:31) I never go under 100m of sprint, but use a hill of about 8/10 % lasting 20/25 sec. They tryi to improve their frequency, seeking more rapidity with a good reaction in their feet, that are not very elastic.

With JOHN KORIR (23 years, n. 5 in Stramilano in 60:47) I use normally very short sprints of about 40m, with a gradient of more than 30% (ramps), only for improving strenght (but too many times he doesn't use because in Military Camp or in Residential Camp before some World Championship nobody goes for short sprint). Before running 26:52 two years ago, John in St. Moritz used this type of sprints twice a week, also for reducing the lenght of his strides.

With SOLOMON BUSHENDICH (20 years, 2nd in Berlin in 60:42 in his first HM) I use only sprints from 200 to 300m, as Solomon is already very strong in his muscles, having short legs very strong. So, with him I try to develop STRENGHT-ENDURANCE, no strenght or rapidity, that already he has at good level. Solomon comes from the mountains, and his capacity in attacking hills is very high.

With DANIEL RONO (26 years, 4th in Berlin in 61:26) instead I want to develop strenght because he's very slim. Daniel uses short sprints climbing (about 15% of gradient) twice a week, going with very high knees and high frequency, as normally he uses too long strides.

So, I think that every type of hilly training can be good or less good depending on the necessities of every athlete.

Different problem is to develop their strenght and muscular power. So, we work very much in that direction, using special Circuits uphill (lasting from 1:30 to 6 min), and expecially we use very much work of short sprints climbing, lasting from 10 to 20 secs (depending on the gradient), for developing SPECIFIC STRENGHT and RECRUITING THE MOST PART OF FIBRES, what normally long runners are not able to do.

"

Wow

Wow, indeed...

Thks for the great post.

wow

did you find that on the internet or type that whole thing out, cause that looks like (i haven't read it yet) a pretty good reply

Triple wow. Highlight,then hit the print key. Thanks, now I can fill in the gaps on my drills.

That's John Kellogg and Renato Canova's stuff.

Maybe it is Hudson, tossing some pearls to swine?

um, i am not swine, i will become the next american distance runner. the poor saps in the high shcools getting burned out by doing anaerobic work are the swine. im out here building up to high milage training barefoot like the kenyans do. look at mcdougal, that is what he did, although he trained in lightweight flats (would have been better without shoes) and turned into a vegeterian which i will soon do. thanx for ur insult my freind, you just motivated me some more!

Easy big guy, obviously you need an adult beverage and the company of a young lady.

^^^best post of the day.

and just notice how HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS footballCM2006...football, for a runner? how do work in the time for mileage? and the anaerobic work in football...my god all the do is sprint

lol ya, i had that email made b4 i got addicted to running. back in my mvp of the football team days, so yeah that was about 4 years ago. im 100% runner now

amen he sure could use that but he wont so thats his own deal and im not gonna lie this kid has talent to bad his nickname is pusyfoot

i dont have any idea of what your talking about...