Running Technique & Intensity Intervals

Running Technique, Warm Up & Cool Down:

One of my Vermilion athletes, Patricia Holmen, a team mate of Beckie Scott, who competed at the World Junior XC Running Championships, learned this from the Kenyan XC Running Team while training with them at Worlds = they do these dynamic range of motion exercise instead of stretching); 

choose a grass sports field or grassy park; 

barefoot jog on the spot for 3 minutes;

jog in a figure 8 pattern as if you are jogging around two cars parked a few feet apart;

repeat seven Kenyan xc run warm up/cool down exercises = 30 seconds each; 

skipping with giant front-back arm swing; 

side skip with giant side-cross arm swing x both directions; 

walking backwards with slow motion giant balancing steps looking over each shoulder for 15 seconds on each side; 

low skipping while lifting high knees towards arm pits; 

jogging slowly & kicking your butt every third stride; 

sideways criss-cross grapevine footwork rotating hips with arms pointing out sideways x both directions; 

backwards skipping & arm swing.

Running Strides Key Words:

"Listen to Your Feet Impact" = land like a cheetah & not like an elephant

Smile = positive endorphines

Chin Up & Hips Forward = looking forward

Tall = posture upright, not leaning forward

Relax = run smooth & relaxed

Breath = inhale & exhale complete full breaths

Run With Butt-Hips = use your largest muscle groups, not just leg muscles

Short Strides with foot landing under your body vs over-striding landing on heel 

Paw Contact with the ground with foot momentum

Kick Butt with heels coming up toward butt on follow through & recovery

Running Up Hills:

"Howdy Hill"  "Hello Hill" "Hi Hill" before base of hill for positive endorphins to climb & conquer the hill

Relax & Breath up the hill

Rabbit Run with short quick light strides up the hill, the steeper the hill - the shorter the strides, shifting gears like on a bike

Run with Butt-Hips

Arm Swing up the hill

Reduce-Control 80-90% Effort up the hill...pacing yourself to crest the summit and return to 100% race pace

Running Down Hills:

"Timber" falling forward from the ankles & not bending forward at the waist

Breath out and recover relax on downhills

Listen to Your Feet & land soft with minimum impact

"African Arm Circles" to counter balance to minimize impact, forward swimming arm circle with elbows by sides & circling hands

Hold Back on steep descents on training days, with slow short soft relaxed strides down the hill

Running Intensity Intervals:

Zone 1 x long slow distance grandparents pace = inhale every 5th stride; inhale 2 strides & exhale 3 strides

Zone 2 x easy tempo = inhale every 4th stride; inhale 2 strides & exhale 2 strides

Zone 3 x relaxed tempo = inhale every 3rd stride; inhale 1 stride & exhale 2 strides

Zone 4 x race pace = inhale every 2nd stride; inhale 1 stride & exhale 1 stride

Zone 5 = speed work x 5/10/15/20 seconds accelerations