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Technique Drills for Runners
by Walt Reynolds -
from Peak Performance Online
Technique drills for runners are
usually performed using three activities - marching (walking), skipping and
running. Each activity helps to develop important components of proper and
economical running techniques. There are several reasons for using the
activities:
(1) The exercises serve as an excellent warm-up tool for both
training and competitive situations. After all, running drills imitate specific
characteristics of technically sound running form, including upright posture of
the trunk and spinal column, proper carriage of the arms during the running
stride, proper knee drive and leg action and the coordinated dynamic balance
associated with shifting weight from one leg to the other
(2) The
drills help to develop the important proprioceptive and kinaesthetic
(body-awareness) abilities that a runner must have to deal with changes in
terrain while running, and also to 'change gears' while training or racing. The
drills are performed slowly at first while developing a 'feel' for proper
technique, and proper technique is then gradually carried over to drills and
runs carried out at faster speeds
(3) The exercises also help to
strengthen specific muscle groups needed for powerful running, especially the
muscles of the feet, calves, shins, thighs and hips. The ankle, knee and hip
joints undergo considerable flexion and extension during the running stride,
and each of these joints is exercised through a similar - or greater - range of
motion during the various drills
Specific benefits
Marching, the most basic form of technical exercise, provides an excellent
starting point for beginners who will eventually rely more heavily on advanced
drills such as skipping and technically sound running. Marching is performed
slowly and deliberately at first but progresses in speed and cadence as
balance, stability and body mechanics improve. Emphasis during marching (and in
all of the drills) is on an upright body posture, coordinated movement of the
arms and legs, wide range of motion at the hips, knees and ankles and stability
of movement (your body shouldn't be 'rocking' back and forth sideways or
lunging forward). As you become more accomplished with the drills, marching
will represent a nice warm-up for the skipping exercises
Skipping is a
more advanced motor skill than marching and requires a greater degree of
coordin-ation and motor control for correct performance. Compared to marching,
the speed of movement across the ground is slightly faster when skipping, and
the frequency of foot strike is double that of marching, since each foot
strikes the ground twice during a skipping stride (left-left followed by
right-right and so on). The ability to coordinate the cadence of the arm swing
with the leg movements and the double foot strike is a skill that improves with
practice. The basic form of skipping is slow and deliberate and should follow a
straight line without significant deviation of the limbs or trunk to the right
or left. During the drills, the arms and legs will tend to move toward the
centreline of the body slightly (as they should), but excessive movement of the
knees or hands across the midline of the body is often indicative of poor
economy of movement. Over time, the speed of the skipping drills should be
increased as your form improves and your movements become more fluid and
natural
Of all the drills, technical running exercises are the most
intensive and potentially most difficult to perform correctly. For one thing,
the speed of movement of the arms and legs is the highest of the three forms of
drills. The rhythm of movement, as measured by the cadence of foot strikes,
closely resembles full-stride running. Finally, the ground-impact forces are
significantly higher during running drills, compared to skipping or marching.
The major difference between running drills and regular running is in the
length of the stride (during drills, the stride is significantly shorter, to
allow for better concentration on limb and trunk mechanics). Major benefits of
technical running drills include improved intermuscular coordination (including
the proper timing of arm and leg movements), an enhancement of dynamic balance
and an upgrading of the power of the primary running muscles
THE
RUNNING TECHNIQUES EXERCISES
MARCHING HIGH-KNEE DRILL (MARCHING 'A'
DRILL):
Begin by walking slowly forward on the balls of your feet using
small (12- to 18-inch) steps. Your heels should not touch the ground during
this exercise. Continue by raising your right knee to hip level (with thigh
parallel to the ground) on each stride. Your right foot should be 'cocked'
(making your ankle and foot look like a fish hook) at the top of the leg swing,
and your right ankle should be directly under or slightly behind your right
knee (your knee should be at a 90 degree angle or slightly less). Rise on the
toes of the left foot and extend the left ankle and knee as your body passes
over the left foot during the walking stride. Your trunk should be held upright
(think 'chest tall and slightly forward'), and your chin should be held level.
Swing your arms slowly and deliberately in a mock running motion in rhythm with
the marching/walking strides. Your elbows should be bent at approximately
90-110 degrees, and your hands should swing to nearly chin level and slightly
toward the midline of your body during the forward arm swing. On the back
swing, your hands should move one to six inches past the 'hip-pocket' position,
to the rear of your body. You probably didn't realise that marching could be so
complicated!
Repeat this action, raising the right knee to hip level with
the left leg moving through a normal walking stride into full extension on the
toes, for 20 to 40 metres. Walk back to your starting position and repeat the
action, with the left knee rising and the right leg extending, for 20 to 40
metres. Continue to focus on short steps, proper posture and limb mechanics,
whole-body balance and control of your marching rhythm. All of your movements
should occur in a slow and controlled - not jerky - manner. After performing
the drill with each leg marching separately, combine the marching actions of
both legs over the 20- to 40-metre distance. The marching high knee drill
emphasises proper running mechanics - a driving knee lift, upright posture and
a coordinated arm swing - and should be practised and mastered before
progressing on to the skipping and running techniques drills
MARCHING
HIGH KNEE WITH EXTENSION DRILL (MARCHING 'B' DRILL):
Begin this high knee
with extension drill in the same manner as the high knee drill - walking
forward slowly on the balls of your feet. Raise the right knee to hip level
with each stride, and as the knee approaches hip height extend the knee by
swinging the lower leg and foot forward to nearly full extension (your entire
leg will end up parallel with the ground). Allow your momentum to carry your
body forward, and step with the ball of the right foot one to two feet in front
of the left foot. Your trunk should be held upright, and your chin should be
level throughout the course of the drill. Your arms should compensate for the
extended leg action by swinging in a slightly wider arc (100-plus degrees at
the elbow) while maintaining rhythm with the strides of the legs. The actions
of the left foot, ankle, knee and hip (extended) are similar to their
activities in the high knee drill
Repeat the high knee lift and
extension action with your right leg for a distance of 20 to 40 metres. Then
rest while walking back to the starting point, before performing the drill with
your left leg. Finally, perform the exercise with both legs alternately over
the same 20- to 40-metre distance
The marching high knee with extension
drill emphasises hamstring flexibility and body control, in addition to other
basic aspects of proper running mechanics. It provides the basis for learning
more advanced skipping and running drills
SKIPPING HIGH KNEE DRILL
(SKIPPING 'A' DRILL):
The skipping high knee drill follows the same basic
format for posture and limb mechanics as does the marching form of this drill.
The trunk position and arm and leg actions are identical to those of the march,
but the cadence is slightly faster to accommodate the skipping action. Once
again, the strides are short (about 12 to 18 inches between opposing foot
contacts), and the action is performed primarily on the balls of your feet,
which helps you develop foot strength and balance
Practise the skipping
drill with one leg at a time before combining the movements (first lift only
the right knee, then only the left knee, before alternating right and left
lifts) over a distance of 20 to 40 metres for each drill
The skipping
high knee drill develops inter-muscular coordination during fast movements to a
greater degree than do the marching drills, which are carried out at a slower
tempo. In addition, the load placed on the musculoskeletal system is
considerably higher during skipping, due to a greater vertical shift of the
centre of gravity during the exercise. This additional loading leads to
increases in strength in the motor support structures of the feet and lower
part of the leg, as well as the thigh, hip and trunk muscles
SKIPPING HIGH KNEE WITH EXTENSION DRILL (SKIPPING 'B' DRILL):
This 'B'
drill is like the 'A' skipping drill, except that a swing forward of the lower
part of the leg is added to the driving knee action. The emphasis during this
drill should be on the 'pulling down' (hip extension) of the swing leg rather
than the kicking out of the lower part of the leg during knee extension. This
'pawing' motion with the nearly extended leg is important for developing
coordination and specific strength in the hamstring and gluteal muscles and
should help prevent injuries in those areas (especially hamstring strains and
tears). All other aspects of proper running form (as outlined in the
descriptions of the previous drills) should be observed
First, move 20
to 40 metres with the right knee driving and extending, then scoot through 20
to 40 metres with the left knee driving and extending, and finish by
alternating from right leg to left leg over the same distance. Walk back to
your starting point between drills to recover
This skipping 'B' drill
emphasises the development of an active foot strike, providing the basis for
improved stride length, in addition to strengthening the hamstrings, improving
coordination and balance and upgrading running posture
RUNNING HIGH
KNEE DRILL (RUNNING 'A' DRILL) AND RUNNING HIGH KNEE WITH EXTENSION DRILL
(RUNNING 'B' DRILL):
The running 'A' and 'B' drills are performed in the
same fashion as the marching and skipping versions but utilise a short-stride
(12- to 18-inch) running motion. These are the most advanced and difficult
drills to perform correctly, and they are also the most specific of the three
drills to the actual neuromuscular patterns used during full-stride running.
Movement rhythm, frequency of foot strike, balance and coordination
requirements, ground impact forces and energy expenditure are at their highest
levels during these running drills. It is very important to maintain a forefoot
(rather than heel) strike during these running drills in order to allow the
foot and lower part of the leg to absorb the high impact forces. Upper torso
and arm-swing actions should be similar to those in the previous drills
Perform all running drills with one knee rising and the opposite leg 'jogging'
(low knee lift) for a distance of 10 to 20 metres. Walk back to the start and
repeat the action with the other leg, before combining the actions and
performing the drill with alternating legs. The distance covered (10 to 20
metres) for the running drills is shorter than for marching or skipping due to
the greater intensity of effort. Over time, you may gradually increase the
distance, but in the interest of maintaining proper technique and therefore
positive training adaptations, it is wise to be conservative. It is far better
to train over shorter distances with excellent form than it is to work over
longer distances with average or poor form
The running 'A' and 'B'
drills develop specific intermuscular coordination, increase the strength of
the entire foot/leg/hip/trunk complex, and enhance balance and body awareness
during full-stride running. Running drills allow you to strengthen many
important links in the running performance chain (posture, specific strength
and power, mobility and agility) through specific overload of the various
links
The following sample running techniques workouts are designed for
runners of various ability levels:
Beginner
Do the
following running techniques workout two to three times per week at the end of
your warm-up (before the main part of your training session begins):
March
'A': 1 X 20m each
March 'B': 1 X 20m each
Skip 'A': 2 X 20m each
Skip 'B': 2 X 20m each
Please note: '1 X 20m each' denotes performing the
drill for 20 metres with the right leg only, followed by 20 metres with the
left leg only, followed by 20 metres of alternating legs. For recovery, simply
walk back to the start between repetitions
Intermediate
Carry out the following running techniques workout twice a week at the end of
your warm-up:
March 'A': 1 X 20m each
March 'B': 1 X 20m each
Skip
'A': 2 X 30m each
Skip 'B': 2 X 30m each
Run 'A': 2 X 10m each
Advanced
March 'B': 1 X 20m each
Skip 'A': 2 X 30m each
Skip
'B': 2 X 30m each
Run 'A': 2 X 20m each
Run 'B': 2 X 10m each
Key summary points about the drills
1 Emphasise proper trunk posture
on all drills, keeping your chest up, your back straight, and your chin
level
2 Swing your arms smoothly and under control, with hands coming
forward to chin level in front and just past the hip in back
3
Emphasise the lifting action of the knee on the swing leg while keeping your
foot cocked upward. Emphasise the driving action (extension) of the support leg
at the ankle, knee and hip while stressing a 'tall on your toes' action with
the supporting foot
4 To develop optimal movement coordination, perform
all drills when your energy levels are high - before your main workout begins.
Performing drills when fatigued leads to less ideal posture and form - and
fewer gains in efficiency
5 To reduce impact forces and minimise the
possibility of injury, perform all drills on grass, a rubberised track, a wood
floor, or some other type of resilient surface
Walt Reynolds
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