In todays sports culture and pretty much from day one speed has risen to the top. So much emphasis in athletics is geared towards faster! faster! faster! There are 4 keys to speed and they circle around these elements:
-Arm Swing
-Foot Position
-Body Position
-Ground Strike
Arm Swing
-Arms should be bent 90 Degrees and be sure to swing your arms through your shoulders.
There is so much to be said about the arms when it comers to running but when it comes to arm swing in order to have a positive impact on speed arms must not cross. We want to swing our arms forward and back with arms close to the body.
Foot Position
-Effective and efficient sprinting requires for the toes to be up.
Each day to my clients I remind them to keep their toes pulled up. When the toes are up it prevents braking and provides greater push through the ground. Not only do we check the toes the positioning of the heel is critical. The heel should be just in front of the knee which positions the foot to land under the hips and brings the knee up higher.
Body Position
-Body lean should be forward so providing a downhill running effect. Understand that when the body is leaning forward from the balls of the feet you are faster. Yep a simple adjustment in body position and increase your speed.
Ground Strike
-When you touchdown to the ground be sure to land on the balls of your feet. People often think the balls of you feet are their toes but that's incorrect. The balls of the feet start at the toes and work to where the foot begins to arch. When to feet hit the ground its also important to make sure you land under your hips for maximum push.