Foot Fire
A form exercise that promotes running on the balls of the feet and quick turnover
Instructions:
- Tell your runners to imagine they are standing on a hot stove. To avoid burning themselves, they'll have to lift and lower their feet very quickly.
- Control the stove's temperature and your runners' turnover rates by calling out "hotter" or "colder."
- When you call "Foot Fire!" your runners should move as fast as possible, staying at top speed until you cool the temperature and eventually "put the fire out."
Performance Points:
- Keep the feet about hip width apart with the knees and toes facing forward.
- Stay on the balls of the feet.
- Lift the feet straight up and down with no backward kicking motion.
- Don't lift the feet too high, but make sure they come off the ground rather than just shift weight from one foot to the other.
- Land softly and quietly.
- Maintain upright posture with the head up; avoid squatting or leaning far forward.
- Swing the arms from the shoulders and in sync with the opposite leg; otherwise, just use the arms for balance.
- Breathe and keep the non-active muscles, such as those in the neck and face, relaxed.
Training Specifics:
Duration / Reps:
- Do the exercise 3-4 times with 1-2 minutes of rest between rounds
- One round should last 3-4 minutes
- Call "Foot Fire" 3-5 times per round
- Each "Foot Fire" interval should last 15-25 seconds
When: Before the main workout (after the warm-up)
Benefits:
Promotes running on the balls of the feet and quick turnover for faster, more efficient running
