Become a more efficient runner, to run faster with the same effort and fitness level.  An economical runner is one who runs with little wasted energy. All effort is focused on forward momentum. Economy is as important for performance as how fit you are. Swimmers have known this for a long time. Water is a lot denser than air, thus exaggerates the need for good technique. Swimmers practice technique drills every time they take a dip in the pool. Runners can also improve their technique with drills.  For a 40 minute, 10 K runner a 3% improvement in efficiency means finishing 72 seconds faster. A 4 hour, marathoner with a 3% improvement will reach the finish line over 7 minutes faster with the same energy expenditure and effort.

There are many opinions on what “perfect” running technique is. By studying elite runners we can pick out some common forms. One of the basics is cadence, a measure of foot speed. Cadence is counted in strides per minute (SPM). Two steps, one left then one right, equals one stride. Elite runners average 90-105 SPM. Count your SPM on your nest run. If you are falling below 90 SPM, do some drills to increase your cadence. This will increase your efficiency. 

One cadence drill is called pick-ups. To do this, warm up well then increase your leg speed for 20 seconds. You do not need to increase the speed your body is moving much. Just focus on how fast your legs are turning over. Aim to complete 30+ strides in 20 seconds. Run normally for a few minutes and then repeat the 20 second pick-up. 

You can do pick-ups as a stand alone workout, or incorporate them into a standard run. The first time you try pick-ups, do three repeats. On each subsequent workout, add another repeat until your reach eight.