Dry-land Diagonal Stride Tips

Points to remember for dry-land diagonal stride:

Keep hips forward, think of squeezing cheeks together (1 loonie>2 toonies), feel the hip flexors

Lean forward from the ankles until almost falling forward. (Have a short aww moment)

Weighted leg should land with a slightly bent leg (use bone support not so much the muscles)

Land on the ball of the foot

Weight shift, so zipper (belly button) lands over the foot. Push hip over toe.

Keep the head up and look down the track, to keep butt from sticking out

Use a quick knee dip and push off, forward not up(boing)

No bear walking. Arms and legs work in opposites.

Keep elbow bent, swing elbow forward and back with bent elbow

Drive elbow back, rotates from the shoulder. keeping arm at basically at a 90-degree bend

Keep elbows out from your side (chicken wing)

Never plant poles in front of the ankle, always behind

Use the lats/back to power the poling, rather than the triceps 

Poles help us to continue our momentum (on snow this will be pole assisted glide)

Poles are for push not for balance

Practice eating and drinking in class and in training, so when racing it will feel natural

Take your poles with you when you run, even if you do not use them.

GRAVITY, CORE, BODY WEIGHT, and then Muscle.