When it comes to running faster,
we all know that it's important to put in the miles during training.
But elite runners also take time to focus on
the small things that make a huge difference.
In this case, I'm talking about specific running
drills to improve their running biomechanics.
Let's start with the A Skip.
This simple drill is fantastic for developing your knee drive,
using your hip flexors to fire the knee up and forwards.
Improving your knee drive will also help to increase
your stride length as it opens up your stride angle.
The peak separation between the forwards leg and the rear leg as you run.
Not only does the A skip improve your knee drive, it also teaches you
to bring your landing foot down to the ground in an efficient
dorsiflexed position, close to beneath your center of mass
This will help stop you from over striding as you run.
Focus on staying light on your feet with this drill.
Keeping your contact time with the ground
really short as you spring forwards from the ankles.
Aim to do two to three sets of 20 yards focusing on form.
Remember all of these drills are about quality, not quantity.
They're not meant to make you tired.
In fact, you should feel energized and ready to run after doing them
as a progression to the A skip,
the B skip and in the forwards kick with the lower leg.
That then sets you up to drag that leg back sharply
with your hamstrings as you bring your foot to the ground.
This powerful pull back with the hamstrings
helps teach your body to drive forwards as your foot
then strikes the ground again closer to beneath your body.
Keep your toes pulled up towards your shins throughout this
and the A skip to keep your ankles torso flexed
and aim for a light mid foot strike
as your foot hits the ground again.
Aim to do two to three sets of 20 yards, focusing on form
after you warm up before your main running workout.
Next up, we've got a bounding drill as a progression from the ambitious hips
Pounding helps you really focus on developing a strong,
propulsive drive from your hips during stance phase
from the point of peak knee drive hip flexion.
The focus is on driving your foot back and down beneath you
so that as soon as your foot strikes the ground, the force is transferred
in a backwards and downwards direction to drive
you forwards just like the A and B skips.
Less is more with this one.
Two or three sets of bounds over twenty yards
will be ideal as part of your running drills routine.
Adding a fast feet drill to your warmup will help you
to prepare your legs for the demands of an intensive speed.
Workouts, keeping your ankles toes flexed and maintaining a mid foot
strike throughout.
You should focus on picking your heels up underneath your butt
as you drive your knees up and forwards very effectively.
It's an emphasize running action.
Get your arms involved as well as moving your arms quickly
will translate into faster leg speed try to move your legs
as quick as you can without sacrificing form.
Stay tall and aim to achieve a shorter ground contact time as you possibly can.
Optionally
every third or fifth stride, pause for 1
to 3 seconds in this running man position to challenge your dynamic balance.
You should feel that a fast feet drill really starts to fill your hamstrings up
and gets you ready for the speed workouts ahead.
It feels like you're pretty much running in place with this one,
but with a gentle forwards lean, you do begin to gradually inch forwards.
Aim for two to three sets of 15 to 30 seconds with this one,
focused on technique, and as I said before, less is more.
with these drills.
Pulling all these drills together, I like to finish
a running warmup with four to six sets of strides.
Strides are effectively acceleration runs where you build from slow running
to slightly faster than your 5K race pace over 60 to 80 meters.
Use strides as an opportunity to accentuate
and reinforce certain aspects of your running technique.
They're a good chance to focus on running tall, maintaining a gentle forwards
lean, keeping your cadence high and ground contact times short.
You know when you get that right as it'll feel light
and responsive underfoot and of course picking your feet up
underneath you, be sure to stay relaxed as you work on your strides.
Don't tense up.
That'll do you more harm than good.
Pick your feet up,
drive your knees forward and focus on gradually increasing the leg speed.
Four to six sets of 60 to 80 yards
would do a great job of preparing you for a tough running workout.
Make sure you leave plenty of rest though, between each set of strides.
A slow walk back recovery usually does the trick as you run your strides.
Don't forget to use your arms,
as the pace at which your arms move specifically dictates the pace.
Your legs move quick arms drive quick legs.
Click the video on screen right now to learn the most
powerful running techniques elite runners used to run faster.
And I'll see you over in the next video.