How A-Skips Can Improve Your Triathlon Running Posture — Triathlete

You’ve likely heard it 100 times: Good run form all the time matters more to performance than doing yet another interval session. But “run tall” and “land underneath your body” can be hard cues to master mid-run, especially off the bike when your legs have their own ideas about what running should look like.

That’s where A-skips come in. This deceptively simple, slightly silly-looking drill – complete with an under-leg clap – exaggerates the exact mechanics you’re chasing on race day, so you can actually feel them before you try to hold them at pace.

“A-skips are one of my favorite running drills because they teach many of the things we’re trying to accomplish when we run well,” says triathlon coach Marilyn Chychota. “The drill itself isn’t the goal; it’s simply a way to exaggerate good running mechanics so you can feel them and then carry that feeling into your run.”

Benefits of A-Skips

Done well, A-skips with a clap can help you run tall with an erect posture while developing lower-leg strength, encouraging knee lift, and promoting an efficient foot strike. But the real payoff isn’t the drill itself – it’s what it teaches your body to do once you stop skipping and start running.

“The goal isn’t to become good at A-skips,” Chychota says. “It’s to become a better runner. The drill is simply a tool to exaggerate good running mechanics so you can recognize what they feel like and then carry that feeling into your running.”

That transfer is the whole point, and it doesn’t happen automatically. “The most important part comes after the drill,” Chychota says. “As soon as you finish your A-skips, start running and try to hold onto the same rhythm and posture for the first few minutes. That’s where the real learning happens. The drill builds awareness, but it’s transferring that awareness into your running that leads to lasting improvements in efficiency and economy.”

Who should do A-Skips, and how often

A-skips are a great drill for almost every runner and triathlete, regardless of experience or ability level. Whether you’re new to running or chasing a PR, good mechanics always matter, and this drill is low-risk enough to fit into nearly any training week.

Work it into your routine in one of two ways:

• As a warm-up before workouts and races
• As part of a drill routine after two to three of your easy runs during the week

Start with two 30-meter reps, progressing to 50-meter reps once you build strength and coordination.

Keys to performing A-Skips correctly

The biggest mistake Chychota sees is athletes concentrating so hard on the skipping pattern that they forget the running mechanics they’re trying to reinforce in the first place.

“Think about how you want to run: tall posture, knee driving forward, toe up, foot landing underneath your body, and a quick push back off the ground,” she says. “The skip is simply helping you rehearse those positions.”

As you perform the drill, prioritize quality over quantity. Stay tall through your posture, keep your hips underneath you, and make each ground contact quick and light. The movement should feel rhythmic and relaxed rather than forced or powerful. If you find yourself jumping high, leaning back, or reaching your foot out in front of your body, slow the drill down and refocus on smooth, controlled movement.

Coaching cues to remember

• Run tall
• Knee up
• Toe up
• Foot underneath you
• Be quick off the ground

How to perform an A-Skip, step by step

1. Stand tall with your chest open, eyes looking forward, chin down, and your core lightly engaged.
2. Begin moving forward with a small, controlled skip.
3. Drive one knee up to approximately hip height while keeping the toe pulled up toward your shin, bringing both hands underneath your hamstring to clap them together as your knee reaches its peak.
4. Swing the opposite arm naturally, just as you would while running.
5. Bring the foot back down underneath your body rather than reaching out in front.
6. Land lightly with a quick, springy contact before immediately driving the opposite knee up.
7. Continue alternating sides while maintaining a smooth, relaxed rhythm.
8. Focus on quality movement rather than speed.