The term "running drills" is familiar to most runners. Yet, hobby athletes and less ambitious runners rarely implement this training form in practice.
The benefits of this coordination training are, however, significant. Especially since these exercises require neither a separate training session nor much time or additional equipment.
But what exactly is the purpose of regularly doing running drills, and which exercises fall under this term?
The running drills are particularly well described by "Sportnahrung Engel", where they speak of isolated movement exercises. This means each exercise represents a segment of the overall movement pattern. By combining multiple exercises into the running drills, you gradually approach an almost perfect running style. Moreover, a more economical running style can help prevent muscular imbalances and injuries.
Attention Beginners
Regularity and correct execution are essential. There is nothing worse than harming your running style due to improper execution. Therefore, beginners should do running drills in a group or under the supervision of a trained coach. It can also be helpful to occasionally record the exercises on video. Post-analysis will reveal any unnatural movements.
Before or After Training?
When should running drills be incorporated into training? Since running drills take only about 20 minutes, it is worth performing them "before" a training session. Why not after? After an easy run or interval training, the body is naturally fatigued, which reduces the quality of exercise execution. The purpose of running drills is to perfect movement patterns. Therefore, always do them before the training run. For recovery or very easy runs, this rule can be occasionally ignored.
Competitive athletes integrate running drills into interval training. A typical session usually looks like this:
- 15 minutes warm-up
- Dynamic warm-up exercises
- 15 – 25 minutes running drills
- 3 – 6 acceleration runs (max 100 meters)
- Interval training
- Cool down
Running drills should be incorporated into training at least twice a week.
What Are the Requirements?
Basically none! A straight track of 50 – 100 meters is sufficient. Grass is preferred over a hard surface. In summer, it is recommended to perform the exercises barefoot.
Which Exercises Are There?
The exercises are often described as exaggerated jumps. This helps embed the movements in the subconscious and gradually implement them in daily running. Muscular imbalances are also corrected, which helps prevent injuries.
Click "Next" to see the exercises.
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