Part X · Running drills
Marching A-Drill
March forward on the balls of your feet, lifting one knee until the thigh is level with the ground, toes pulled up, then put that foot down under your hip. Also called the marching A-drill, it is the shape of a running step at walking speed, slow enough to feel each part.
The one cue
Toe up, knee up, stand tall
The lesson
- 01
Stand tall
On a flat path or grass, stand tall from head to heels, up on the balls of your feet with the heels just off the ground. Elbows bent as when you run.
- 02
Knee up, toes up
Lift one knee until the thigh is about level with the ground. Pull the toes up towards the shin and keep the heel tucked under the knee, not trailing behind you.
- 03
Step down under you
Put the foot down on its ball, under your hip, just ahead of the other foot. Then lift the other knee. Keep a steady walking rhythm; you will cover about 20 metres in 20 seconds, and less is fine. Never speed up to get further.
- 04
Opposite arm
Right knee up, left arm forward, and the other way round. Swing from the shoulder, relaxed, and never across your body.
- 05
Shoulders over hips
Your shoulders stay above your hips the whole time. If you lean back to get the knee higher, lower the knee instead.
- 06
The test
Every step looks the same on both sides and lands quietly. If you wobble or start to hurry, slow down until it is even.
Watch for
- Leaning back to lift the knee higher. The hips sit behind you and the foot lands out in front.
- Toes pointing down. The ankle goes soft and the foot slaps down instead of landing lightly on its ball.
- Hurrying. It turns into a jog and you stop feeling where each foot lands.
- Arms hanging or swinging across the body. The opposite arm and leg stop working together and the body twists.
What is the difference between an A-march and an A-skip? The A-march is the walked version. The A-skip adds a small hop on the standing foot each time the other knee rises, which makes it quicker and harder to keep clean, so the march is learned first.
What is the difference between the A-march and high knees? The A-march is walked: one foot is always on the ground. High knees use the same knee lift at a running rhythm, switching quickly from foot to foot, so there is less time to place each step.
What is the A-march for? It rehearses three parts of a running step at a speed where you can feel them: standing tall, the knee rising with the toes up, and the foot coming down under you. Slow and walked, it is the gentlest way into the drills.
How many, and when? 2 × 20 seconds, about 20 metres each, with 25 seconds of walking between, on a flat path or grass. It opens the drills at the start of a run, so the drills themselves are your warm-up.
Next drill
Ankling→The march is slow, so the ground contact is too. Ankling shrinks the step to almost nothing and speeds it up, so the ankle learns a quick, light contact.
From the book
14Strong feet. Strong everything.→