Exodus Strength

Recommended running drills:

Former sprinters may wish to take a deep breath before reading these drills- these are NOT speed drills, they are efficiency drills, aimed at making an inefficient runner (most of us) into an efficient runner. The first three drills are “passive” drills that can be done during ANY run. The second three are “active” drills that should be done on drill days only.

Passive drill 1: Leading with the chest. For this drill, the runner focuses on one thing only- keeping the chest puffed out as far as possible, as if one was attempting to break the finish line tape. Doing this keeps the head up, spine erect, shoulders back, and prevents the feet from striking far out in front of the body, while maintaining enough forward lean to continue movement. A sagging head and shoulders will create tremendous upper body discomfort after an extended period of time, and result in a floppy, inefficient gait.

Passive drill 2: Arms like Optimus (Prime). So named by an athlete who had a way with words in reference to the old Transformers toys- the goal here is to keep the arms nearly fixed against the body, elbows at around 80-90 degrees. The athlete should not be “punching” the air with his or her arms while running; the rotation be slight and should start at the shoulders with the arms moving relatively little against the sides. Many sprinters may find this counterintuitive, but one need only watch Ultra runners (models of efficiency) to see this solid torso at work. Those who aren’t familiar with the race below may wish to do a Google search on “Badwater Ultra” first, lest you underestimate what these individuals are doing.

Passive drill 3: Running on thin ice. Pounding the ground imparts tremendous strain on the body- the objective of a heavier than average runner is to minimize this as much as possible. Over-exaggerate your joints’ absorption of the impact and try to land as silently as possible- this encourages a midfoot impact and prevents overstriding.

Active drill 1: Strides. Simple 100 meter runs consisting of a slow jog, accelerating to a full run at the halfway mark (not sprint), then slowing to a slow jog. The runner then returns to the starting point at a jog. These are excellent for marginally improving speed, stretching the legs, and (most importantly, to most athletes) encouraging the runner to maintain a jog AFTER a maximum effort burst.

Active drill 2: Sandal run. This is not to advocate barefoot running, but for many individuals these are highly instructive. Bring either an old ratty pair of running shoes or plain sandals to the track (or wherever you choose to run). If using shoes, do NOT put your heel inside the shoe, wear them as a clog. Simply trot for 50-100 meters at a time while keeping the shoe on. Do not “jam” the toe into the front, just take care to keep the shoe on at all times. To do this drill successfully, the runner will need to strike with their midfoot, NOT overstride, and land carefully, all key elements of an efficient stride. If the athlete feels like the movement is a bit of an overly delicate prance, this is a sign it is being done correctly.

Active drill 3: Quick feet hill climbs. Any moderate hill will do- begin this run about 50 meters from the base and approach at a constant moderate jog. As the hill begins, attempt to double your cadence and halve your stride (for more gradual hills, a 25% reduction in each may be more appropriate). The objective is to maintain a constant ENERGY EXPENDITURE, and not be completely winded at the top. This is useful for improving cadence/turnover, and highly instructive for many larger runners who often expend disproportionate amounts of their energy stores on even relatively minor climbs by taking large, loping steps which consume a great deal of energy.