Basic training for track athletes

Learn to stride 

Stride training is the fundamental training for all runners. Maintaining the stride rhythm is the key to reduce your timing.

What is stride?

Stride is a technique of running with your legs stretched to the maximum. Have you noticed the way athletes run? Some run with short steps while others run with long steps. Consider two athletes with the same talent (speed, stamina, body structure, etc), it is obvious that the athlete with longer steps will finish first. So stride is very essential for athletes. You might think it is easy to stride while running. But it is very difficult to change the style of running which you have been doing since childhood. First watch a few videos of athletes running, especially African runners and understand the concept of stride.

How to place your foot 

How do you place your foot when you run? Do you place your entire foot on the ground or just toes. Well the right technique is to touch the ground with just your toes. An athlete placing his entire foot on the ground takes a fraction of second more than the one who places just his toes and you know how valuable a fraction of second is in athletics.

Wearing spike shoes can help you in running with your toes. Spikes are shoes with metal spikes or studs screwed to the toe part of the shoe. Spikes provide maximum friction force without slipping. When worn for the first time few may feel that weight have been tied to their feet while running. Practice helps you in running freely. 

Training 

1. Try to stretch your leg and increase the distance between feet while running.
2. You might feel that you are focusing too much on your stride length but that is alright because striding becomes a part of you in 2 to 4 weeks.
3. In the beginning don't try to increase your stride length too much because stretching too much makes you to put extra effort and hence lose of energy and you might even lose your rhythm.  
4. Wear a good spike and run on your toes. Try increasing the stride length gradually week after week and you will be in good stride rhythm in a month.
5. After 2 to 4 weeks if you are not putting any extra effort while running then that means you are striding with ease.

 

Training for 5k

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