Energy Leaks Hurt Runners by Paula Hunt

Energy leaks' hurt runners - By Paula Hunt
 
Crouching and bouncing a bright green 3-pound medicine ball against the cinderblock wall in front me will, I'm told, help me run faster. So will skipping backward, doing side lunges, gliding back and forth on a slide board and pumping my arms like a boxer.
I never actually run during coach Christian Corrales' one-hour adult fitness class at Velocity Sports Performance. Yet I'm here because I'm hoping the series of active stretches and drills that focus on my balance, strength, flexibility and coordination will lower my 5K personal record.
Improving your speed doesn't necessarily mean devoting more energy to increasing your mileage or your pace. Rather, you might be better off finding out where it's being wasted.
"Getting faster means getting rid of energy leaks," says Corrales.