Chapter 13:
The following gentle drills, which are used at my beach retreats and other individualized sessions, have helped thousands to run faster and more efficiently. They can also help you develop an efficient technique for easing into a walk break and easing into the run segment.
Each targets a few key capabilities. When you put all of them together, your running and walking motions are smoother and more efficient, and times are often faster in races. The drills also help you run lighter on your feet, while strengthening key muscle groups. When runners do these regularly, I’ve seen significant reduction of excess motion in feet and legs, with reduced impact. Running is easier when you run more smoothly, and the improved cadence of your feet and legs can also result in faster running.
The drills will stimulate activity in the conscious, executive brain. This will keep you focused on the task and exercise control over the emotional, subconscious reflex brain.
These should be done on a non-long-run day. It is fine, however, to do them as part of your warm-up and before a race, an MM, or a speed workout. Many runners have also told me that the drills are a nice way to break up an average run they sometimes call boring. To receive continuing benefits they must be done once or twice every week.
Everyone can benefit from doing the CD because it helps to pull all the elements of good running form together at the same time. The CD rewards you for finding an efficient but shorter stride with feet directly underneath the body. This makes it easy to transition into a walk break.
Over the weeks and months, if you do this drill once every week, you will find that your normal cadence slowly increases, naturally. During this drill you are shifting control into the conscious brain—counting, adjusting, and empowering the right side of this frontal lobe to find more efficient ways of running and easing into the walk.
Note: My Run Walk Run® timer will beep or vibrate (or both) and simplifies timing on this drill. It is available at www.JeffGalloway.com.
Warm up by walking for 5 minutes, and then running and walking very gently for 10 minutes.
Start jogging slowly for 1-2 minutes, and then time yourself for 30 seconds. During these 30 seconds, count the number of times your left or right foot touches (not both).
At the end of the 30-second interval ease into a walk for about 30 seconds.
On the second 30-second drill, increase the count by 1 or 2.
Repeat this 3-7 times. On each successive CD, try to increase by 1-2 additional steps.
If you reach a count that you can’t exceed, just try to maintain the previous count with a smooth motion.
Start each new CD with a blank slate. Whatever your count on the first one, just try to do more on the second.
In the process of improving cadence, the right side of the conscious brain coordinates a series of adaptations which help the feet, legs, nervous system, and timing mechanism work together as an efficient team:
Your foot touches more gently.
Extra, inefficient motions of the foot and leg are reduced or eliminated.
Less effort is spent on pushing up or moving forward.
You stay lower to the ground.
The ankle does most of the work, reducing leg muscle fatigue.
Your run will glide naturally into a walk.
This is another cognitive drill that keeps you focused on each component of running form. By using it 1 or 2 times every week, you develop a range of speeds, with the muscle conditioning to move smoothly from one to the next. The greatest benefit comes as you learn how to glide, or coast off your momentum directly into a walk break.
Do the AG on a non-long-run day, in the middle of a shorter run, or as a warm-up for a speed session, race, or MM.
Warm up with at least half a mile of easy running.
Many runners do the CD just after the easy warm-up, and then the AGs, but the drills can be done separately also.
Run 4-8 of them.
Do this at least once a week.
No sprinting! Never run all-out.
Don’t do these if you have an injury.
Stop immediately if you suspect that you are irritating a weak link.
After teaching this drill at my one-day running schools and weekend retreats for years, I can say that most people learn better through practice when they work on the concepts listed below—rather than the details—of the drill. So just get out there and try them! The glide segment of this drill has been the best way I’ve found to train someone to move efficiently from a run into a walk break.
Gliding—This is the most important concept. It is like coasting off the momentum of a downhill run. You can do some of your gliders running down a hill if you want, but it is important to do at least two of them on the flat land. Your goal is to use your momentum, if only for 5-10 strides, gliding smoothly into a walk break.
Do this every week—As in the CDs, it’s important to do them 1 or 2 times a week. If you’re like most runners, you won’t glide very far at first. Regular practice will help you glide farther and farther.
Don’t sweat the small stuff—I’ve included a general guideline of how many steps to do with each part of the drill, but don’t worry about getting an exact number of steps. It’s best to get into a flow with this drill and not worry about how many steps you are taking—especially on the glide.
Smooth transition—Each time you shift gears you are using the momentum of the current mode to start you into the next mode. Don’t make a sudden and abrupt change, but strive for a smooth transition between modes.
Here’s how it’s done:
Start by walking for 30 seconds. Walk gently as you would walk during a walk break
Ease into running with a shuffle for 8-10 steps. This helps you transition from walking into running after a walk break.
Next, ease into a slow jog for 8-10 steps and then a regular, easy pace for about 15 steps.
If you have aches and pains or have no time goals, start your glide.
Over the next 30 steps, those with time goals and free of aches and pains should gradually increase the speed to a fast but not all-out pace (approximately 5K race pace). Before an MM or a speed workout, gradually get into the pace you plan to run for that day.
Now it’s time to glide, or coast. Allow yourself to gradually slow down to a shuffle and then a jog using momentum as long as you can. You can train yourself to do this seamlessly.
Continue to ease yourself into a walk break. As you do this regularly the transition will become smoother and smoother.
At first you may only glide for maybe 10-15 steps. As the months go by you will get up to 20, then 30 and beyond. You’re gliding!
Walk for about 30 seconds as you would during a walk break.
Repeat. Be in the moment! Do 4-8 of these.
Learning a smooth transition between running and walking: As you do this drill every week, you will feel smoother at each mode of running. You’ll also develop a smooth and natural transition between running and walking…and running again (and again).
There will be some weeks when you will glide longer than others—don’t worry about this. By doing this drill regularly, you will find yourself coasting or gliding down the smallest of inclines, and even for 10-20 yards on the flat, on a regular basis. Gliding conserves energy, reduces soreness and fatigue, and helps you maintain a faster pace in races with less effort.