WORKOUT
THE ECONOMY WORKOUT: HOW TO REDUCE ENERGY LEAK
By Jurgens Grobler
Most runners think running economy is something you’ re born with. In reality, it’ s something you leak.
Running economy isn’ t just VO₂ max, carbon-plated shoes, or fancy lab numbers. It’ s the practical question that decides how hard half-marathon pace feels: how much of the force you produce actually becomes forward motion. Every unnecessary bounce, every delayed push-off, every“ soft” landing costs energy. Over 21.1km, those small leaks don’ t stay small – they compound into a pace fade.
If you’ re chasing a half-marathon PB, improving economy can be a faster path to performance than simply piling on more mileage. Why? Because at half-marathon pace, you’ re rarely limited by maximal strength or top-end speed. You’ re limited by the ability to apply force cleanly, consistently, and efficiently under fatigue – and to keep doing it when your form wants to unravel.
WHAT ENERGY LEAK REALLY MEANS
Energy leak is force you pay for but don’ t get back. It usually shows up as:
• Excessive vertical oscillation( too much up, not enough forward)
• Hip drop or trunk rotation during stance( poor force transfer)
• Longer ground contact times( slow return of elastic energy)
• Loss of stiffness late in the race( spring system collapses)
The goal of economy training isn’ t to generate more force. It’ s to waste less of the force you already have, especially in the final kilometres when fatigue is high.
THE THREE PILLARS OF RUNNING ECONOMY
This workout targets three adaptations that reduce energy leak directly, in the order they’ re most transferable:
1. Stiffness and force direction Efficient runners behave like stiff springs. The ankle – Achilles – foot complex stores and releases energy quickly. When stiffness is low, you absorb instead of rebound, ground contact time increases, and energy bleeds away at landing. Economy work should teach the body to be snappy and quiet off the ground, not heavy and slow.
2. Posture and force transmission Leg force must transfer through the pelvis and trunk. If the torso is“ soft” – rib flare, side bend, rotation – force dissipates before it contributes to propulsion. A stable trunk is not just aesthetic; it’ s an efficiency tool.
3. Fatigue-resistant control Economy isn’ t usually lost at kilometre 3. It’ s lost late, when fatigue rises and the small technical losses start stacking up. As posture collapses, contact times lengthen, and stiffness disappears, pace becomes more expensive. You need to train economy when you’ re slightly tired – not destroyed – so you can maintain mechanics under pressure.
THE WORKOUT: PRECISION OVER PUNISHMENT
This is not a“ smoke yourself” strength circuit. The aim is elastic return, clean alignment, and repeatable quality. Done once per week during the build phase, it improves the mechanics that make your race pace cheaper.
The session starts with a short warm-up to prepare the spring system and set posture, then moves into two focused strength blocks: one for stiffness and force direction, the other for trunk stability and force transmission. A small plyometric block reinforces“ return” after strength work, and a short finisher trains control as fatigue creeps in.
If quality drops – contacts get loud, posture collapses, reps get sloppy – end the session early. Economy improves through precision, not volume.
HOW TO USE IT IN A WEEK
Place it on an easy day or non-key day. It pairs well with threshold or aerobic intervals later in the week, but avoid doing it within 24 – 48 hours of VO₂ max sessions, long runs, or heavy lowerbody lifting.
The payoff is exactly what PB-chasing halfmarathon runners want: shorter ground contact time, better force alignment, less wasted motion, and a lower metabolic cost at race pace. Same speed, less effort – or the ability to hold pace longer before form fades.
Final thought: Running economy isn’ t about doing more. It’ s about leaking less. Train stiffness, posture, and fatigue-resistant control in the right order, and you’ ll feel the difference where it matters: the final kilometres.
30 www. modernathlete. co. za