RUNNING (as simple as pose,fall,pull)

"The mastermind behind CrossFit Endurance says the best way to train for a marathon is to run less and torture yourself more in the gym. Christopher Solomon laces up for a whole new level of pain"... more BRIAN MACKENZIE'S CONTROVERSIAL NEW APPROACH TO MARATHON TRAINING

Do you, like me, want to improve your running technique and times? Are you clueless on how to work endurance workouts into your exercise routine? Or do you just hate running and wish to improve your form to make it less painful and more enjoyable? I have been asked, "Sprinting vs jogging, which is better?" and never really knew how to answer it.  If you're like me you want both! Turns out it's possible to train for super long distances and log a fraction of the time without devolving into an ape...refer to my last post about Upper Crossed Syndrome.  But, before you can log those miles, you need to know how to run. This is where the Pose method of running comes in.

Who knew we needed to learn how to run? I have been trying my hand at Pose running and with some success.  Essentially the distinguishing characteristic of Pose running is that the athlete lands on the mid-foot, with the supporting joints flexed at impact, and then uses the hamstring muscles to withdraw the foot from the ground. This is the opposite of the heel-strike method that most of us use. For further reading on the prose and cons go here,"Posing" the question of proper running form. *The new or recreational runner does not have the foot and ankle strength and forcing them into this position might be bad advice.*  As with any new regime, start off slow. Anyhow, to the technique. 

In the 70's a Russian scientist, University teacher & University Track Team Coach Nicholas Romanov developed a method of teaching sport specific techniques. He called it the Pose Method. In the 80's it was successfully implemented into the training of many Soviet elite athletes with great results. But who's going to listen to a bunch of Commies, right? Aha! In the 90's select members of USA & UK Olympic, and Russian & Mexican National Triathlon teams and many other elite level athletes worldwide started implementing the Pose techniques with success. So there.

My turn.  I want to talk about running and how to make it less awful.

When I say regain position in #2, this is what I mean.
You need to make that 4 as quick as possible.on

The Pose Method looks at running as a technical skill of movement and believes it should be taught like one with its own theory, rules, practice exercises and more. Aerobic conditioning can only take you so far, while an efficient movement is necessary to achieve maximal speed and distance. Pose breaks running down into three simple parts: the running pose, the fall, and the pull. 

Pose –> Fall –> Pull.

1.) Pose/position - making a figure 4 with your legs is known as good position, your support leg should be slightly bent with the weight on the ball of the foot and the leg that is not on the ground should have the heel tucked as close to the glutes as possible with the knee no higher than 90 degrees.

If you cannot do this you will have a hard time picking up pose technique. This position will help you be able to fall (step 2) repeatedly. Without this good position things will get messy and feel awkward. A broken position will happen when you bend at the hips instead of keeping a tight rigid body and leaning (or falling) like a tree being cut down. If you try running with this broken position you lose the ability to do the work with your hamstrings, and glutes. Instead, your hip flexors will be the only thing propelling you forward. If you already have tight hips then this can turn into a nightmare for you, and might be the reason you hate running.

*Its not really about how you land but where. Your foot should land under your center of mass otherwise you will be slowing down.*

2.) Fall - you can’t be afraid to fall. You need to trust your feet enough to catch you. Slow runners are afraid to fall, fast runners are not. Let gravity help you, that is the most natural way to do this. Here are some facts, if you have a 5 degree lean that will equal a mile time of 4:08. Usain Bolt broke the world record running 27.7 miles an hour with an 18.8 degree lean, sounds huge right?

But expert Doug Katona (crossfit endurance specialist) and also science says human potential caps out right about 22.5 degrees before we fall over or cannot get our feet back underneath us to catch us. If a person used this 22.5 degree lean they would be running 100m in about 7.83 sec. Your ability to lean doesn’t mean you will run like the wind, the thing that determines this is your cadence. You have to be able to lean AND pick your feet up quickly (regain position) to pull off a decent mile time.

*As soon as your foot lands you need to be thinking about pulling it back up towards your glutes and into position as quick as you can.*

Leaving leg out like this can cause
hamstring tears.

3.) Pull - how fast you can pull your heel to your hamstring to regain the figure 4 position. The faster you pull, the quicker the cadence and faster you will run. The other part of this is how much time you spend in the air. Katona says “You can’t get hurt in the air, as soon as you put your foot down, pick it back up.” This is one thing that has always helped my running, I just try to think about spending as little time as possible with my foot on the ground (this is how I took my 5k from 7 min/k to under 6 min/k in one go). You want to use ground reaction forces to spring off the ground similar to jumping rope. If anyone has pulled a hamstring running it is probably because you left your foot on the ground for too long which leaves you with an excessive load on your hamstring. When your leg is stretched out behind you and you need to pull it in to regain position you can’t. You have to use your hip flexor.

There you go.  No more heel strikes.  Think of running like you would jumping because really, that's what it is.  Jumping forward through the air.  Do you jump on your heels?  I hope not.

Running is a skill that must be practiced and perfected. I've barely scratched the surface.  I highly recommend checking out the book, articles and discussions on Posetech.com for more information.  Like anything else, Pose takes practice. If you are planning on starting to pose, ease into it - 400m at a time- you’ll notice a greater ease of motion along with a new awareness of your calves! Good luck!

Here is a list of errors that occur from either trying too hard or from incorrect form. And remember, pain is the body’s reminder that you’re doing something wrong, so don’t ignore what your feet and joints are telling you. Common Running Errors and How to Correct Them:

• Landing with the heel first – land on the ball of your foot (BOF).
• Heel strike with a straight leg – recipe for hurt knee and joints.
• Landing ahead of the body, aka over-striding – keep your general center of mass (GCM) in line with your BOF.
• Using quad muscles instead of the hamstrings (push off), and pulling the swing thigh and knee forward and up - pull the leg up with your hamstrings.
• Landing on the toes with the body behind landing/foot – land on your BOF in line with your GCM.
• Landing with stiff ankles/leg – relax the ankles and let them absorb the impact.
• “Active landing” – don’t place your foot on the ground, let it fall naturally with gravity
• Overall muscle tension – remember to stay loose, not rigid, even in your neck, back, and shoulders.
• Active push/toe off, straightening the leg to propel the body forward – there is no need to push off and strain the calf muscle, just fall forward and let gravity do the work.
• Holding the rear leg behind after leaving the support – allow the foot to drop back to the ground.
• Leaning the trunk sideways or forward – lean from the ankles, not your waist, unless you want lower back pain.
• Keeping the shoulders up and stiff – just relax!
• Arms pumping – keep elbows relaxed and back, with the thumbs alongside your ribs.