May 12, 2024
Training Tips by Runzy Director of Coaching Joe McConkey
Mid-run Drills
Repetitive motion injuries for runners typically surface after many 1000s of slightly altered stride patterns accumulate to hypertension in a specific area. To help keep all muscles firing optimally all the time, and thus avoid this over-use from occurring, try occasionally altering your patterns through various drills WHILE running. Here are a few to start with, each should be only 2-4 steps to start with, and done every 1-2 miles.
buttkicks - kick your heels back and up, heels may hit your butt
heelkicks - pull your heels directly up, heels go straight up underneath you
toes out - one leg is slightly externally rotated, then do the other
wide steps - take slightly wider steps, like trying to avoid a long puddle
foot flick - flick, wiggle, or shake your foot just before impact, like a whip motion
All just a few seconds each and with 10-30 seconds of easy running in between each.
