Have a Good Warmup: Part 2

For those of you are just tuning in, this is the 2nd post of 4 post series on how to have a good warm up.  Check back to How to Have a Good Warm Up: Overview to stay caught up with the series. This part of the series will focus on Speed Form Training. Speed Form Training simply put helps to improve your leg turnover, power, running economy and relaxation while you run. Adding this into your warm up will be helpful because by doing the drills right you will gradually become a faster and much more efficient runner.

Before you start doing your drills the first thing that needs to happen is a brief 10-15 minute jog. When you go out on this little jog it should be done at a conversational pace. If you are doing a warm up before a race then doing some leg swings before your light jog would be fine.

The first drill that you want to start out with is the High Knee Running\Quick Feet Drill. While doing the High Knee Running it is important to know that the purpose of the drill is to increase leg turnover Increasing leg turnover allows for picking up the pace at the end of the race. To start off doing the drill you simply start off by jogging slowly and start to stride followed by lifting your knees high and maintaining good  posture. You should do this for about 20 meters for all of the drills. If your new to this drill then going back and forth for each drill will help you greatly. These drills are about muscle memory for the most part.

After you have completed the Quick Feet Drill you should start with butt kickers. These are basically the same thing as the Quick Feet Drill in the sense that the purpose is to increase leg turnover. The drill are different in the sense that the emphasis is being placed on the recovery stage of your stride when the hamstring. Doing the actual drill itself is simple you just lower your leg and kick yourself in the butt. Again start with a stride and and work your way into. Again only 20 meters on this one.

After the previous two drills have been completed things get little more complicated with Pull Through.  The main purpose of this drill is to develop the timing and power to get your leg in a position to power you through your stride.Going from a walk in a nice upright position extend your leg out in front of you like a hurdler and then bring your leg down and through to contact the ground in a powerful fashion directly under your centre of gravity. As your foot contacts the ground, drive up on your toes and swing your other leg forward and repeat. Do about 12 to 15 steps on each leg like this.

The last drill that is essential is to increasing your speed as a runner is bounding. The focus on this  drill is to increase leg power and strength allowing for a longer stride lengths. To start of bound forwards and upwards with a high knee lift. Land on the other leg and repeat the movement. Continue to alternate legs. One of the most important things to remember while doing this drill is to maintain a good posture. Again this should be done for 20 meters.

Stay Tuned for Part 3 on Stretching!

Thanks For Reading!!

Keep Running!!