Drill Yourself To Become A Better Runner
Have you ever had the feeling that running is such hard work and your feet feel like they are made of lead? Even though you are putting in quite an effort to keep on running, others are going past you with such ease that you can’t help but feel exasperated as they take each step along the same path and continue to pull further and further away.
Well you need not feel this way for long as there are ways to overcome this and make your running experience a whole lot easier. Running drills are a great way help to improve your running efficiency and add an extra skip to your step. There are many different drills you can do to improve your overall technique and make your training a lot less of a chore.
Some key running drills to focus on for 10 – 20 seconds.
Fast Feet
The idea behind this drill is turn turn your legs around as quickly as possible.
• Short fast steps (imagine you are riding a little clown bike)
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)
• Drive your arms forward and back
Butt kicks
The aim of this drill is to get your heel to your butt as quickly as possible continuously.
• Stay upright with a slight forward lean through your hips
• Continuously flick your heel back – kicking your butt
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)
• Drive your arms forward and back
High knee
The idea with this drill is to take off on one leg and get as high in the air as you can.
• Stay upright with a slight forward lean through your hips
• Drive hard off your back leg bringing your knee up to 90 degrees (get as high off the ground as possible)
• Make sure when you lift your knee up your foot stays parallel to the ground
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)
• Drive your arms forward and back
Bounding
When completing the bounding drill the goal is to go as far as you can with each bound.
• Stay upright with a slight forward lean through your hips
• Drive hard off your back leg bringing your knee up to 90 degrees (go as far forward with each bound as possible)
• Make sure when you lift your knee up your foot stays parallel to the ground
• Keep your chin parallel with the ground (look straight ahead)
• Drive your arms forward and back
If you can add drills into your running routine once or twice a week and consistently practice these drills, you will start to become a more efficient runner over time. Remember if you invest the time to regularly practice and become more efficient, it will make running easier and get you going faster in no time. Good technique is also a great way to ultimately reduce the chance of getting an injury.
When practicing drills make sure you are not tired and try to perform them as well as you can. Practice make perfect (and permanent) so if you are feeling tired and you do not complete the drills properly you will just reinforce a bad habit and risk getting injured.