Feet On The Ground

Over and over I see elite swimmers struggle during dryland. Dryland is important for many reasons: flexibility, mobility, improved cardio, better posture, balance, improved body position, and last but not least, it helps prevent injuries. A great way to maximize your dryland workout is being sure on your feet, so we are stepping back to basics here with some RUNNING 101.

• Be aware of your foot strike. You should land midsole and then roll through your toes. There should not be any slapping sound!

• Have good posture. Just like in swimming your core should be engaged. That helps maintain proper upright position even when tired.

• Keep shoulders and neck relaxed. Running tight and tense will cause back pain and make running miserable.

• Arms should be at 90 degree angle. Bad arm swing can lead to slouching. Slouching leads to shallow breathing and can cause side stitches. 

• Don't clench your hands. Pretend you are holding an egg. Hands should be at waist height.

Interval runs are short, intense runs repeated several times with short breaks in between. For beginners they are a great way to ease into running, also allowing you to run faster and farther because you can build small periods of recovery into your sets.

Beginner Track Workout

• 5 minute warm-up jog

• Take 10 minutes to stretch and do running form drills (ex. high knees, butt kickers, grapevine)

• (4x400) Run 400 meters (about 75%) - Jog 400 meters

• Run 5 minutes cool down (about 1/2 mile)

• Stretch and do running form drills Hydrate

*Remember you can modify this depending on your team.