Run Clinic Recap
For many triathletes, November sees a shift of focus from the season that was to the season to come. This year, a number of TriMB athletes and programs were fortunate to start our build towards 2023 success with a big boost of help from Lucy Smith.
Simply put, Lucy is one Canada’s best runners. As a bonus, she’s also a triathlete and coach, currently working as Triathlon Canada’s Manager of Coach and Athlete Development. Bundle that experience and qualification up with the fact that she’s a great speaker and out-going people-person and there simply couldn’t have been anyone better to lead our run clinics earlier this month.
Here are Lucy’s Notes and Reminders as we start the training year…
Triathlon Manitoba run clinic notes – November 5, 2022
Pre Warm up: 3-way neck stretch, breathing stretch with arms overhead and side to side working on deep slow breathing.
4 elements of run form – cues to practice and self coach when tiring.
- Posture – stand tall. Visualize string pulling body up from top of head. Torso is a strong pillar with a slight lean forward (not bent at the waist lean).
- Arms and shoulders are relaxed. Hands are relaxed loose fists. Could carry a fragile object without crushing. Elbows 90 degrees.
- Feet – more weight over ball of foot than heels. Foot strike is light and quick – think quiet feet.
- Hips – a feeling of floating starts here. Visualize helium balloons to create a sensation of floating.
Activation before workout: promotes good posture and form and gets body and head into the game. Be precise, deliberate and unhurried.
- Marching or skipping A drill: hip flexors and quick feet.
- Walking hamstring stretch: hinge at hip and keep back flat, sweep hands beside the outstretched foot
- Fall forward running – starting from tall posture slowly fall forward and start dynamic stride
Stretching:
Hip flexor – 90/90 kneeling, tall torso, push hip forward (instead of lunging), same side arm actively pulling overhead to increase stretch and tall torso.
Calves – stretch and use calf raises on stairs to strengthen Achilles and feet.
Quads – keep tall posture, bent knee should be beside standing leg and pointing down. Active arm overhead will increase the stretch.
Cues – strong process oriented words to use to self coach. You have the agency to practice this, and this self efficacy leads to self confidence.
All energy forward
Quick feet
Strong arms
Light feet
What you practice gets stronger, so create the habits that make you a stronger athlete!
Lucy Smith
