Some dynamic warm ups and core exercises from Mara Yamauchi

Mara Yamuchi is a two-time Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and one of the UK's fastest female runners of all time with a personal best of 2:23:12. Her sixth place finish in the 2008 Beijing Olympics is the joint best performance ever by a British woman in the Olympic marathon. She now lives in London and works a writer, commentator and coach

Running and Warm-up Drills

Key points to remember -

• ➢  Posture tall, looking forward, shoulders back, hips forward
• ➢  Key running points: glut activation, dorsiflexion of ankle
• ➢  Drills progress from sedentary to dynamic, and start with glut activations to ensuregood drills technique
• ➢  Benefits of drills:
  • More efficient running technique over time,
  • Better brain-muscle coordination,
  • Faster leg turn-over,
  • Faster muscle recruitment on demand,
  • Develops strength and fast-twitch muscle fibres,
  • Develops ankle strength to help stable foot plant,
  • Stronger push-off,
  • Overall better conditioning & consequent injury-prevention.
• ➢  Equipment: hurdles, ladders etc. - can be useful but not essential.

Glut activations

• Glut clenches both legs
• Glut clenches single leg
• Straight leg out to the side raises
• Hip rotations with bent knee
• Double leg squats
• Single leg squats
• Lunges forwards
• Lunges backwards
• Side lunges

Dynamic Drills

• A walk
• A walk up onto toes & pause at to
• A skip
• Lateral walk with knees bent
• Backwards walk folding lower leg at knee and push back
• B walk
• B skip
• Lunges with max height between lunges (aiming for triple extension) running with small, quick steps between each lunge
• Running with folding legs underneath hip, to mid-shin height
• Running with folding legs underneath hip, to knee height
• Straight leg running (small steps)
• Straight leg running (large steps)
  Combine (a) and (b) 10 steps of (a) then 10 steps of (b) then repeat Combine (a) and (b), right leg doing (a), left leg doing (b) then switch Hopping, for height/distance to progress
• Skipping for height
• Skipping for distance
• Two-hop change
• Bunny hops on the spot
• Bunny hops moving forwards

Foot drills and lower limb conditioning

• Tip toes (walk forwards)
• Tip toes (walk backwards)
• Heel walking
• Walk on outsides of feet
• Walk on insides of feet
• Sideways walking, rolling feet side to side, both directions
• Lunge walk: down into squat, then walk
• Rolling heel to toe walk
• Forefoot slaps walking up on toes
• A walk
• Toe yoga
• Foot taps (firm and slow)
• Foot taps (light and fast)

The following is a suggested 20-minute core exercise session