Hang on!  Time out!  I have lots to say about this!

First, thanks for posting this Holly.  I had no idea this film made it to the Lydiard Foundation website.  I saw it for the first time the week before Arthur Lydiard died.  He was in Dallas to give a lecture and Greg McMillan (McMillan Coaching, the guy who has that calculator), was the moderator. They showed the film that night.

There were a few of us older guys in the audience and many of us had read Lydiard's books, in which he describes this bounding motion for the initial hill workouts.  It's great that we have the film because it isn't easy to figure out what he is talking about in the books.  (Lydiard was often criticized because he was vague or imprecise about important details of his plans, which is why these later authors like Fitz and Daniels came along and filled the voids with their own far more rigid definitions and plans.)

There is one important factor that runners should consider when weighing the advantages of doing a workout like this:  Lydiard's runners all did it, and Lydiard's runners never got hurt.  And in fact, in response to a question from the audience, Lydiard said it again for perhaps the millionth time, "My runners never got hurt."

Notice the high knee lift of the runners.  Who could not benefit from a high knees drill like that?  They do them now in many track and cross-country practices.  And the additional strength work for all the dorsiflexor and other foot and ankle muscles prepares the runner for the much more intense workouts to follow.  Lydiard's hill work preceded the anaerobic work, so that the muscles, joints and tendons were prepared for this more intense work, and as a result, "Lydiard's runners never got hurt."

I take everyone's point who says "I would look silly doing this workout," but this is a great training discipline and a great film and has learning value.  Glad I know where I can find it now.  Thanks again Holly.  Spareribs

Walt, I didn't know you were from this area.  Just ran a race Sunday that started near Flagpole.

And McMillan only works if you do the work for that distance.  Sometimes people get fooled by it.  I take your point however.  Are you from TX?  Still live here?  Spareribs

Holly:

thanks for posting that hilarious video.  and Ribs.  thanks for posting your insight.  I am a fan of laydiard. I will have to try this when I am ready to start picking my speed back up

I would love to not get hurt 

Dave

Interesting. Maybe it's just me, but this strikes me as something that I'd need someone to watch me try for the first couple of times to make sure I'm doing them correctly.

Never got hurt?  Never?  I'm skeptical.

BTW, this reminds of a story.  This spring before a race I was slowly warming up with a buddy of mine and a group of local speedsters passed us, turned sharply off the road, and headed down a grassy hill towards some woods.  When they got to the bottom they did a U-turn and did this bounding drill back up the hill.  My buddy looks at me and deadpans, "Oh, drills.  I thought they were all going in the woods to take a leak."