Part X · Running drills
High Knees Controlled
Run forward slowly, lifting each knee until the thigh is about level with the ground, toes pulled up, and land on the balls of your feet under your hips. Done at a controlled pace, it rehearses a tall body while the legs move quickly.
The one cue
Stay tall, knees up
The lesson
- 01
Start tall
On a flat path or grass, stand tall, up on the balls of your feet, eyes ahead. Elbows bent as when you run.
- 02
Knees to hip height
Run on the spot, then let it travel. Each knee rises until the thigh is about level with the ground, toes pulled up towards the shin.
- 03
Land under you
Each foot comes down on its ball, under your hip, quick and quiet. Travel slowly: about 20 metres in 20 seconds.
- 04
Controlled, not frantic
Quicker than marching, but every step the same. This is not the flat-out cardio version: if it turns into stamping, slow the beat until it is even again.
- 05
Opposite arm
Right knee up, left arm forward, and the other way round. The arms swing from the shoulder and set the rhythm.
- 06
The test
Quick, quiet, even taps, both knees reaching the same height, shoulders above hips. If one side lags or you start to stamp, slow the beat until it matches.
Watch for
- Leaning back to get the knees higher. The hips sit back and the feet land in front of you.
- Going as fast as you can. The steps turn uneven and heavy, and the posture goes.
- Landing on the heels. Each contact gets heavy and slow instead of quick and quiet.
- Arms hanging or crossing the body. The rhythm goes and the body twists.
What is the difference between high knees and A-skips? High knees switch straight from one foot to the other, like running, with no hop in between. That makes them quicker than A-skips, with less time to place each foot.
What are high knees for, and do they make you faster? They rehearse a tall body with quick, light steps that land under you, at a beat closer to running than marching or skipping. No study has tested them on their own for speed, so treat them as practice for the pattern, not a shortcut.
How many, and when? 2 × 20 seconds, about 20 metres each, with 25 seconds of walking between, on a flat path or grass. They come second in the drills at the start of a run, straight after marching, so the drills themselves are your warm-up.
Next drill
Carioca→Every drill up to here goes straight ahead. Carioca takes the same quick feet sideways: the hips twist with each crossing step while the shoulders stay facing forward.
From the book
14Strong feet. Strong everything.→