The "Quick Feet" Drill

Today’s newsletter is written by Letty from Marathon Media. Letty hosts both, the Marathon Running Podcast and LettyRuns YouTube Channel.

This week, let’s focus on a simple, yet incredibly effective, warm-up drill that can dramatically improve our running form, rhythm, and efficiency. This is the "Quick Feet" Drill, a brief, dynamic exercise that gets your muscles and nervous system firing before you even begin to run. It's a practice of intentionally focusing on a high cadence—the number of steps you take per minute—which is a foundational component of a faster, more injury-resistant stride.

In the rush to get started, it’s tempting to jump straight into our run, but a proper warm-up is crucial for both injury prevention and performance. The Quick Feet Drill serves as a dynamic wake-up call for your lower body. By focusing on taking short, rapid steps with a midfoot strike, you activate the muscles and neurological pathways that are essential for an efficient running stride. This practice is not about speed; it’s about tempo and rhythm. You are teaching your body to land lightly and quickly, spending less time on the ground with each stride.

Think about the feeling of a light, bouncy run where you feel like you're floating over the ground. The Quick Feet Drill is designed to give you a taste of that feeling right at the beginning of your run. It encourages you to shorten your stride and increase your turnover, which reduces the impact on your joints and conserves energy. By dedicating just 30-60 seconds to this simple drill, you prime your body to run with better form for the entire duration of your workout, making it one of the most impactful investments you can make in your running practice.

Why Practice the Quick Feet Drill?

• Improves Cadence and Efficiency: This drill teaches your body to take more steps per minute, which is a key factor in improving running economy and overall speed.

• Activates Key Running Muscles: The short, rapid steps activate the muscles in your feet, calves, and hamstrings, ensuring they are warm and ready for the demands of running.

• Reduces Injury Risk: A higher cadence and a lighter foot strike reduce the stress on your joints, helping to prevent common running injuries.

• Sharpens Running Form: The drill serves as a mental and physical reminder to run with a good posture, a quick leg turnover, and a light foot strike.

How to Intentionally Incorporate a Quick Feet Drill into Your Next Run:

• Find a Flat Space: Find a small, flat patch of ground, a track, or a clear sidewalk.

• Start with Good Posture: Stand tall with your shoulders back, looking straight ahead.

• Run in Place: Begin running in place, but with a focus on taking very quick, short steps. The goal is to get your feet to "pitter-patter" on the ground.

• Engage Your Core: Keep your core engaged and use a light, relaxed arm swing to help maintain your rhythm.

• Build Up Time: Start with 30 seconds and gradually work your way up to 60 seconds as part of your dynamic warm-up.

This week, I encourage you to add a new tool to your warm-up toolbox. By dedicating just a minute to the Quick Feet Drill, you can set your body up for a run that is not only faster, but also more efficient, joyful, and injury-resistant, one quick step at a time.

Happy (and nimble) running!