Technique Drills for
RunnersBy 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 of Technique Drills
for Runners
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
Sample Running Techniques
Workouts
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 Running
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 |