Running 102 - Improve your Running without Running

In Running 101 I mentioned in Point 3 about training your legs outside running, below is my personal ways of training, I do them in bathroom (so u may also call it the Bathroom workout), I snap the following photos in gym so that the focus in on the posture I do, not about my naked bottom in bathroom.

If u are following the Point 1 and Point 2 in Running 101, u probably have figured out some postures gap in your running or perhaps some muscles needed to be strengthen to get that running posture. As I do not go to gym and I am lazy, so u may find the following work out doable at your bathroom time.

1. Butt Kick - U hear this alot ( I assume), while you are brushing your teeth, your legs are very free, so u can start kicking your own butt for that few mins (20 reps left, 20 reps right until your brushing is done etc). How do u know if u are doing it right ? refer to the photos below, the knee does not move, keep it pointing to the floor, only swing ur feet to actually kick your butt (if u have a small butt, kick harder to reach!!!) You should feel some pull at your hamstrings.

2. Improve your landing posture - In my case, I want to land right below my body and I want to land on the ball of the feet (or you may also call Chest of the foot), so I 1st do the following pose, then I lift my body up with one leg with that pose. The aim is to get familiar with how it should feel when I land my foot and where the impact should go, then the lift is to train those muscles. Same as above, do as many reps as u wish for both legs. If u see my the other leg, it looks like doing the butt kick too, so yes, you can do both at the same time. It is to simulate what happen during running, which is the butt kicking movement, except in this exercise, you may not have to kick, just maintain that pose. The benefit of this exercise also include improving your balancing and you will find that you work out more than just the calves. To do it right, your weight should NOT be on your toes trying to lift your body (unless you want to land with your toes during running, and starting getting some black toes and falling nails....), the center of the work out is on the ball of the foot, however, you may use your toes to balance your body.

Focus on the ball of the foot

3. Increase your Strike angle - You may have seen or read from some training videos or books that say the wider your stride angle, the more distance you cover in every strike, thus you cover the full distance in less steps and get less fatigue. The one I show below is an extension of the landing pose, once u have trained your leg strong enough, you may now push your butt kicking leg backward to increase the angle. As u can see from the photo below, my strike angle is about 90 degree. The key here is your upper body is not supposed to bend down, you are to remain as up right as u can, a slight forward is fine. If u ever have to lift your hand forward trying to balance yourself, don't do that, u are not doing yoga now, lift your elbow and pull backward, This will demand you to work on your abs and back too. 

When can u do this ? I forgot to mention you may do this when u are washing your face or shaving your misai...

Wide strike angle

 4. Strike Angle and Quads - Put yourself under the shower and it is time for some serious work now. As wider strike angle not only come from butt kicking leg pushing backward, your forward step will also increase the angle. A common mistake runners do in running trying to gain distance per step is kick the foot forward to reach further, they end up landing with heels and it does not help in gaining more distance either. The focus for this step in on the knee, lifting your knee up during your forward step will help to gain more horizontal travelling and yet land on the ball of your foot right below your body. Go watch world class marathoner's video you will notice that.

The following work outs will help you to strengthen some muscles and get into a wider forward strike angle pose. Notice that your upper body is upright too.

 Lift your knee, in a way that your body does not bend to meet that lift, your abs will be needed. Pay attention not to lift your knee with your foot bend under your butt, it has to be a 90 degree in all aspects. Looking from the top u should be able to see you toes in front of your knee.

With the help of mirror you can see clearer if you do it right

This is what u should be seeing from top

90 degree angles

I think if you do the 4 steps above, your bathroom time is efficiently spent, you may also continue to improvise those postures while you are in the shower.

PRECAUTION:
1. SAFETY - for a start always hold on to something - the wall, the basin etc, u don't want to fall in the bathroom.
2. SAFETY - the floor may be wet while you are doing your steps, just be mindful, this is not something you push for your limit.
3. SAFETY - think of yourself doing these with yoga mind, imagine your foot is planted on the floor and your center of gravity should be lower too.

Disclaimer:
This is personal sharing, it may or may not be aligned with any training guide professionally available out there, you don't have to agree with it and if you find it not useful, don't have to prove it or argue about it. 
Enjoy your work out. :)