Running Drills
These running drills can be added to any programme and should be done as part of the warm-up for speed and/or hill sessions or with a recovery run. 1 to 2 of these sessions per week will really help with coordination.
Toes Up
With this drill it is important, when walking on your heals, keep your arms active as if running and be as upright or as tall as possible.
Toe Walks
In this drill you walk forward landing on the ball of your foot, rolling forward towards your toes with a small propulsion with your arms also moving as if running.
Skipping Mid-foot Landing
This drill is basically a skipping drill with your feet moving fast and your arms moving with your feet ensuring that you land on your mid-foot.
Light Skips Heel Landing
This drill is also a skipping drill with your feet moving fast and your arms moving with your feet ensuring that you land on your heel.
Knees Up - Alternating 5
This drill incorporates a gentle jog and every 5th stride you pull your knee up with a quick jerk to activate your quads.
Knees Up - Alternating 3
This drill incorporates a gentle jog and every 3rd stride you pull your knee up with a quick jerk to activate your quads.
Knee Kickback Combo
This drill consists of a gentle jog and then pulling up with your quads and in the same action pulling up with your hamstrings or kicking back towards your buttock with your heel.
Kickbacks - Alternating 5
This drill consists of a light jog, kicking up every 5th stride to activate your hamstrings.
Kickbacks - Alternating 3
This drill consists of a light jog, kicking up every 3rd stride to activate your hamstrings.
Fast Feet
In this drill, you are running on the spot and making sure that your heel almost touches the ground every time you make contact with the ground.
Exaggerated Heel Toe
In this drill, you walk from your heel all the way through your foot, rolling to your toe with a small propulsion on from your toe. Note that your arms are also moving as if running.
Strides
In this drill, you start slowly and build in effort over about 100m, rest for 20 seconds and then repeat.