runcoach blog

 

Distance runners need strong calves and feet in order to reach the finish line of a

marathon or half marathon.  This drill will help activate all the tiny muscles in the feet

and challenge your calves. 

Toe_walk



 

With every step you take on a run, you want your foot to strike off the ground with as

much power as possible.  This drill will prepare your body to do that. 

bounding



 

As high as you can get, as quick as you can get, as high as you can get, as quick as

you can get....keep repeating that to yourself as you do this drill.  That increased

turnover and increased knee drive will soon carry over to your running form.

high_knee



After an easy jog (according to your schedule) and light stretch, these drills will help prevent injuries, improve your running form, and increase speed.  Please review the 7 videos below for descriptions of each.

Toe Walking

Heel Walking

Rhythm Skip

Bounding

High Knees

Butt Kicks

Quick Skip

After each drill you should run the remaining distance to cover 100 meters so that when the 7 drills are complete you will have run 7×100 meters (exercises included).  Then finish up your warmup with 3×100 meter strides.  The 100 meters should be at your 1500 meter pace.  Give yourself at least 30 seconds recovery (feel free to take up to 1 minute if desirable).  Please review the video below for a description of a stride.

Strides

We suggest you perform these drills and strides prior to all track workouts or tempo runs.



Like the previous drill, heel walking targets the muscles of the lower leg, ankle, and

foot.  More of the emphasis, however, is on the shin.  This drill plays an important role

in the prevention of shin splints (one of the most common complaints of distance

runners).



You might think that marathoners don't need high knee lift, but they do!  This drill will

help strengthen your hip flexors, improve your flexibility, and lengthen your stride.




Butt kicks are a great way to stretch the quadriceps (the muscle in the front of the

thigh).  The quads are important for lifting your knees and increasing your speed.

Quads are often the first thing to go at the end of marathons, causing runners to come

shuffling across the finish line because they have a hard time lifting their feet off the

ground.  This drill will keep that muscle flexible and ready for action




For Quick Skips, don't worry about the distance that you cover.  This drill is all about

maximizing turnover and minimizing the amount of time that your feet spend on the

ground. 



 

You might think that running 100 meter strides won't prepare you for running a 5k, 10k,

half marathon, or marathon, but we promise that it will.  Take each stride as an

opportunity to focus on your running form.  Over time, those form improvements will

carry over into your training runs, your pace runs, and (most importantly!) your races.