Running Archives

Training: How to Keep Good Running Form for Long Distance

January 23, 2018

Long distance running seems to be a world away from sprinting. But if we look at the essence of running – they are one and the same. Running is running. While different distances do require different training plans, the running technique used, however, is the same. Your body’s mechanics and the work of gravity do not change based on the distance you decide to conquer.

So what are the major points of maintaining good running form for long distances?

Maintain Focus

Similarly to middle distance and short distance, first and foremost – maintain focus. Great running, after all, like excellence in golf, gymnastics or ballet is really a physical manifestation of extremely strong mental ability.

Remain completely and entirely focused. That is a practice area of its own and should be included in your regular training regimen. Do not allow your mind to wander. Many use long distances to “escape” from daily burdens and stress but the only way to maintain good form is to stay focused on your technique, especially when you’re just starting out.

Once you get into technique work more and after you’ve drilled and practiced for a while, your body will ‘memorize’ the pattern of required movement but in order to not stray at any point, maintaining focus on what you’re doing will still be necessary, especially so when running a long distance event, and, doubly so when running an ultra.

Do This Move

When running long distance, the longer the distance the more opportunities there will be for your technique to fall apart. In running, from the Pose Method point of view, there is only one actionable element that is entirely under your control – pulling (of your foot up). That is where your main focus should be. Using the mental command to pull will help you maintain necessary cadence and will help you to keep moving. If you experience pain you will also be able to adjust the technique on the go in order to eliminate the problem.

One of the most difficult obstacles will unquestionably be fatigue. As it sets in it will have an effect on your senses, on your perception. Maintaining focus on one action only – pulling – will be much simpler and easier and more effective than anything else you could attempt to do.

Pulling on time, pulling to maintain cadence will also help you to maintain short time on support. Fatigue leads runners to longer time on support which leads to increased load on entire body, knees will most likely feel it first. The action of pulling your foot up to change support accomplished by hamstrings, the workhorses of the runner, will be your ticket to finish line. No need to overload smaller muscle groups. This is where the importance of strength training gets highlighted again.

Stay Relaxed

The other important thing is to stay relaxed. Not “I’m on vacation” relaxed, but not tense, not agitated, not stressed. Everything is connected so maintaining focus on technique will keep your thoughts directed at one target and it will help you to stay together and not scattered.

The effect of staying relaxed will reverberate through your entire body. Your muscles won’t tense and spasm, your mind won’t go into distress mode – all things necessary to make it to the finish line miles and miles away.

Staying focused and relaxed will help you handle the psychological and physical stresses associated with long distance.

Technique: Head Position When Running

December 19, 2017

The head position is a crucial point in making the muscular system of the whole body engaged in a specific way. It could be more efficient or less efficient and balanced depending on the head position orientation. As a consequence, the movement of the body could be more efficient and better balanced or not.

Head

The reason for this influence lies in the anatomical and physiological structure of the head. With such organs as vestibular apparatus in the ears and cerebellum, directly defining and regulating the body’s position in space, the head has an exceptional influence on any movement. This regulation is accomplished by and through muscular work. First of all, through the neck’s muscles, which provide balance of the head, and extend their influence on the rest of the muscular system of the body.

The importance of this regulation of movement comes from very simple things. One of them is the relation of the body with support. What we call a balanced position of the body is actually the position of the body on support. It is a fundamental characteristic playing an undeniably important role in movement. Muscle work happens in the most efficient way when the body weight is on directly on support.

The head position is directly involved in this regulation and therefore defines all the muscular connections and movement of the body. When the head deviates from a proper position (tilts left or right, back or forward) then muscles engage in a wrong coordination and the body shifts from the support. That means that the movement of the body deteriorates as well.

These seemingly simple and obvious relations are violated very often. It most likely comes from having a blurry perception of the head position stemming from general unawareness of the body and weakness of the neck muscles, etc. Majority of people that enjoy running could do very well by going back to basics and sorting out their postural alignment when standing and walking.

Eyes

Our eyes exert tremendous influence on our head and body position as well. A common question and sometimes a point of contention is how far ahead are we supposed to look. Is it 5, 10 or more meters ahead or all the way to the horizon? What is the optimal length of our eyes’ focus? Opinions on this matter vary quite a bit, with many different suggestions based on different ideas, but all of them have only anecdotal evidence and very weak theoretical base.

The look of the eyes making your head position efficient isn’t related with any fixation on anything or any distance ahead. Instead it is related to perception. In martial arts this look is called: “you look, but do not see anything”. You should be ready to perceive information, but be not fixed on it. It allows you to keep the body position and muscular system in a ready condition.

Body Alignment

I guess it will be no surprise, if we say that the head position should be along the straight line going through the shoulder, hip and ball of the foot, providing for the body minimum muscular tension (just enough to keep the body at this position) perception of a stable balance and the pressure being on the ball of the foot.

This position is like that of the walking position of some tribal African women carrying heavy objects on their heads. This walking style is distinguished by smooth movement with low vertical oscillations of the body, allowing them to carry heavy objects for long distances. These women seem to carry themselves with outstanding posture and their movement looks very graceful.

These are small rules for the head position in movement and running that provide the foundation for efficient movement.

Training: Remedy for Fatigue When Running

December 12, 2017

“What do I do when I get tired when running?” This question came up and it reflected a very interesting mind-set regarding performance from coaches and athletes. Indeed, what can we do when fatigue emerges when we run? Do we have some options in how to deal with fatigue? Obviously not many options exist, nevertheless many coaches and athletes “hope” that there are some magic tricks to go around. Some choose to gamble by using something yet unknown to science.

Is it a question “what do I do?” when a tennis player, swimmer or any other athlete in any other sport get tired during their performance? Do they ask to stop the game or exit the race for a moment to get some rest? Not at all, no one has that kind of luxury, because this is the essence of sport – to find out who can overcome the most obstacles, including fatigue, in order to win.

Then, what can we do when we get tired when running? The answer is as simple as it is complicated.

First the complicated part. It comes from the complex nature of fatigue, which is never just physical fatigue, but has mechanical, anatomo-physiological, psycho-emotional, mental, and spiritual parts. Which one of these states is more “tired” is very difficult to identify, but there is something known from our experience and science about the relations between these parts and their influence on each other.

Psycho-emotional aspect of fatigue appears much sooner, long before real energy exhaustion in the physiological component of fatigue steps in.

Generally, from science and experience it is well-known that the psycho-emotional aspect of fatigue appears much sooner, long before real energy exhaustion in the physiological component of fatigue steps in. Our psychology reacts in advance trying to “prevent” the danger of growing fatigue and to convince our mind to stop the performance. Therefore the brain receives lots of signals of fatigue in the form of burning sensations, pain, and reduced strength of muscles.

Focus on the Action

How do we deal with this psycho-emotional component of fatigue? Simple, our mind has to (and I am emphasizing this) stick to the action. In different sports it’s a different thing, but the meaning remains the same. Action is something that allows us to continue our performance. In running, from the Pose Method concept point-of-view, it is the action of pulling the foot from the ground. Do we have any other option, or some trick to continue our performance? The answer is, clearly, no.

Action is something that allows us to continue our performance.

Our ‘business’ is to keep our mind from exerting a discouraging influence of our negative emotions connected to the signs of growing fatigue. We must remain focused on the action of pulling so we don’t have the opportunity to dwell on what feels like danger to our life, and prevent our mind from recruiting defensive mechanism of the body to shut down our performance. Our mind is supposed to stay focused on the action no matter what is going on in our perception. In the Pose Method of running the only action to stick with is the action of pulling the foot from the ground while you are falling forward from the Pose.

This and only this focus of your mind will allow you to avoid unnecessary energy expenditure and keep utilizing it into your running no matter how fast and long you run. It is the essence of training and racing performance.

Technique: How to Run on Ice or Any Slippery Surface

December 5, 2017

Ice is a demanding surface and most people feel and move awkward on it. Even athletes that seem to be adept at the most complicated of moves often find themselves struggling to stay on their feet to say nothing of walking or even running on ice.

Ability to run on ice (or any slippery surface) without the help of any ice traction devices has a certain irony to it. It unequivocally extinguishes all debate on running technique and effortlessly removes all thought up forms and variations of technique and leaves Pose Running as the only viable option.

Push off? Paw back? Extended stride length? That and other ideas, all propel themselves not forward but out of the window.

Running on ice leaves zero room for creative interpretation of what running is, or how to run. It doesn’t not allow anyone any false efforts for any reason. You can’t go easy or go too hard, the effort has to be just right. Sounds militaristic? No, it is simply pure, and in that it demands the same from the runner.

A while ago, an editor in chief of a rather big publication said: “If Pose Method works than Romanov should be able to run on ice”. Presenting Dr. Romanov running on ice at a skating rink. Keeping a few key things in mind – you can do it too.

How To Run on Ice

It is a good idea to be familiar with the Pose Method of Running before trying out these tips but you should be able to utilize these regardless. Perception becomes even more important when running on ice. It is a good idea to spend as much time and effort on improving your perception as you can.

Land under – precision, precision, precision. Land a bit ahead and you slip, land a bit to the side or a bit back and you slip. Your body and its weight will have to be right on top and aligned with the ball of your foot in the running pose.
Keep you running pose – your goal is to maintain your running pose. Focus on nothing else.
Move quicker – When you’re moving on ice everything becomes faster, more intense, condensed, if you will, and requires more focus. If you would like to keep on moving without slipping then you will have to operate within a much narrower space-time frame than normal.
Pull faster – Pulling your feet up with your hamstrings in a piston-like motion (up-down, up-down) will be even more crucial than when running on any other surface. Runners often think that pulling involves a prolonged effort to bring the foot up as high as possible, but in reality, and especially when running on ice, pulling action is more of a burst and the foot will come up on it’s own as high as your speed dictates, and will follow the effortless predetermined trajectory before dropping down again. All you must do is focus on a quick burst of a pull. This is where your utmost effort will be required, but to avoid injury, focus on the quickness of pulling not the effort.
Keep the rhythm – Timing and synchronization will also be essential. On ice you don’t have an opportunity to take long luxurious strides at your leisure. It’s all or nothing. You either get with the program and tap-tap-tap or you’re down.
Stay light on your feet – This basically sums it up. To stay light you will need to move across the icy surface according to everything outlined above. You will find just the right amount of muscle tension and will figure out how to stay relaxed over time. The right and slight angle of falling will reveal itself with practice

Chances are, nobody will attempt to run an ultra on ice, not even a mile. It is too intense. But it is possible to run on ice and is satisfying to know that you can do it. And as a tool of improving your running technique – running on ice is priceless. It will reveal all flaws and confirm all strengths and show progress. Have fun experimenting!

Theory & Practice: Athlete’s Muscles

July 25, 2017

I hear discussions of muscles and fibers and I wonder if people participating in the discussion are talking about doing something or is it a theoretical discussion of anatomy. If you’re studying anatomy or have scientific interest in the topic of muscles, tissues and fibers then it makes sense, but if you’re an athlete of any level or a coach – while it might satisfy some curiosity, it won’t serve practical purpose.

Types of ‘Knowing’

Within the context of athletics and training there are things we need and don’t need to know in a sense of practically useful information. It is human nature to want to know. However, just because we’re curious about various layers of muscles, it doesn’t mean we need to know, or that that type of knowing will be practically helpful for performing a specific task. As a matter of fact, certain types of information prevent people from seeing the big picture. It’s ok to amass information, but it is also important to not lose sight of the correct hierarchy of things.

Knowing various types of muscle fibers or singling out various muscle groups, their structure and their function will not make a practical difference and will not make you a better athlete. If you want to be better at running, throwing, jumping, lifting, swimming, etc – what you need to know is how to do it and what specific action(s) to take to make it happen.

Ego VS Body

Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, our body, our muscles “know” what they need to do and they do it. Our problems begin when we insist on controlling every aspect of our body moving in space and time. Add to that the fact that most people either have zero instruction or the wrong instructions on HOW to move and it is not difficult to see the potential mess we can get into.

While we think about what we assume our muscles should be doing in order to move our leg this way or that way, and we think of what muscles should be firing or working – our body and its constituent parts have already not only activated the necessary parts, but most likely have already finished the job, too. The speed of our thought, no matter how fast we assume we think, is a lot slower than any interaction that naturally goes on within a human body. So, unless it is your intent to slow yourself down, think only of the action that needs to happen to promote a particular task at hand, i.e. if you want to run, think only of pulling your foot up to change support. The rest of the elements of a particular athletic activity should be worked on and brought to the level of autopilot in training sessions.

‘Big Picture’ Hierarchy

The most logical place to start the hierarchy of movement is our environment. Our movement is not a random and independent twitching of muscle fibers. Our whole body is at the mercy of natural forces that make up our world and are ruled by gravity. It holds everything together. Gravity is the starting point.

Gravity gives us bodyweight. No gravity -> no bodyweight -> no movement. Gravity less than on Earth -> same body different weight -> dramatic changes in basic movement (Ex.: running turns into hopping)

Dr. Nicholas Romanov, founder of the Pose Method, demonstrates how our active muscle efforts are useless without the presence of body weight. How do you use your muscles when running? Have you ever been told to “fire your glutes”? In this video, watch how your muscles can be rendered useless when you can’t apply your body weight.

Muscles’ Purpose

All muscles are equally important. We should not take our body apart – these muscles are for running, these fibers are for speed, these are for cycling, and these are for lifting, etc. This is not how it works. This confusion comes from lack of understanding of how our body operates. Each muscle and muscle group perform their own important function, and, as we can see, they are all connected. All muscles work in sync. The synchronization includes the entire body and extends all the way to our heartbeat.

Now let’s zoom out to see the big picture. Muscles, along with tendons and ligaments, hold the whole body together and provide an intricate network of mechanisms that allow movement. ‘Allow’ is the keyword. Without our bodyweight, the same network of muscles still provides the same mechanisms yet movement either does not happen at all, or looks very differently.

As far as movement is concerned, our muscles mean nothing without our bodyweight. Muscles do not create or initiate movement. Muscles play the supporting role.

Recommended:

Theory & Practice: What Is Overstriding in Running?

April 18, 2017

Overstriding is a very simple thing, but it is still veiled in the cloud of confusion for one simple reason – it is impossible to identify and/or define something when you operate without a clear standard.

When you are told that you’re overdoing something (and that’s what overstriding essentially means) the question arises: how did you come to a conclusion that I’m overdoing something? I think I’m just doing it. What makes you say I’m OVERdoing it? Is my ‘doing’ different from your ‘doing’? Who is to say that my ‘doing’ isn’t better than yours? Maybe what I’m doing is IT and you’re underdoing whatever it is you’re doing.

This can go on indefinitely because in that conversation we operate with opinions which are usually far from a standard and while we are all entitled to our opinions and points of view, this physical world operates by and with a set of natural laws. These laws are a part of the foundation of the conceptual model that is known as the Pose Method. But first, let’s look at the word ‘overstriding’ itself.

The Term

Over / oh-ver/

above, beyond, in excess

Stride/ straɪd/

a long step or pace
the space measured by such a step
a striding gait
an act of forward movement, completed when the legs have returned to their initial relative positions

overstride / oh-ver-strahyd /

to surpass
to tower over; dominate
to stride or step over or across

The simple definition of the words that are used to create this term makes it clear as to what the word means and why it was chosen. Or does it? What does the action of overstriding mean and in relation to what is it considered to be an action of excess? We need a standard to compare this action to in order to get those answers.

What is Overstriding

The Pose Method® provides us with a clear standard for running and makes identification of correct actions and errors, as well as providing definitions & terms a simpler and easier process.

When you’re told that you’re overstriding – you’re going over a point that is defined as a norm, a standard. The running stride exists between the points of support and is comprised of flight and support phases. The flight phases could be the most enjoyable part of running, but it is the support phases that provide one of the most significant contributions to movement. As we change support (as our feet land on the surface we run on) the quality of that interaction largely determines the quality of our running experience.

Through research and studies we’ve identified the best, the most efficient way to move from support to support. All a runner needs to do is maintain the running pose while falling forward. When the runner stays in the running pose he or she, by default, lands on the best part of their foot and in the most ideal position which is under their body, under their general center of mass.

This brings us to a very clear definition of overstriding – within the Pose Method of running framework, overstriding is defined as landing ahead of your body, ahead of your general center of mass.

How to Visually Identify Overstriding

At a first glance it might seem as an easy task, and it could be sometimes in the most gross cases of overstriding, which is very common among recreational runners. But once you move up the ranks of pro athletes, it takes a trained coach’s eye to spot it. However, for the sake of simplicity and to provide straightforward guidelines, let’s keep the parameters, by which overstriding can be easily identified, as basic as possible for this article.

Look for the proper alignment. Look for the running pose and hip position over support. Your hips are your center, not your chest.
Don’t look for the footstrike type: regardless of what part of your foot you land on – forefoot, the entire surface of your foot (often referred to as midfoot) or your heel – you can still land ahead of your body. That is why at our seminars we always emphasize that it’s a mistake to focus on how and where your foot strikes the ground. The footstrike is only the result of correct action taken prior to the footstrike occuring.

But don’t go crazy measuring the inches. While numbers could be fun, and math can provide solid support in science, out there in the field when you’re actually running, the only thing you ever have is your perception. Work on improving your perception by doing the recommended technique drills.

The importance of having a standard is unquestionable. Without a clearly defined standard in running technique there is no overstriding, there is no explanation for or ways to prevent overstriding and all we can do is wonder. Having a standard in running technique allows runners to correct their technical errors, improve their technique and actually attain measurable progress.

Et Cetera: 5 Things You Should Know About the Running Pose

October 25, 2016

Every single person goes through the Running Pose when they go running, but not everybody is Pose Running. What’s the difference? Read on.

There is only one (1) Running Pose. The Running Pose that you go through is identical to the Running Pose of the runner next to you at the local race, as well as an elite runner at the championship or Olympics. The Running Pose is the key pose that is the heart of the running cycle. It is a single instance of a moment of stability on support that allows continuous movement when running.
The Running Pose is not the same as Pose Running. The Running Pose, which is the key body pose in running, is at the heart of Pose Running, which is short for the Pose Method® of running technique – the methodology for teaching and learning biomechanically correct running technique.
RUNNING FORUM BEGINNER’S GUIDE
The Running Pose is a discovery, but the Pose Method® of Running – is a proprietary technology that was developed. After years of coaching and teaching biomechanics at the university, researching and viewing hundreds of hours of footage of some of the best runners in the world, as well as recreational ones, Dr. Romanov discovered that all runners have one thing in common regardless of the skill level or distance – they all go through the Running Pose.
In order to teach runners of all levels to eliminate the unnecessary elements of running that also cause injuries (like heel striking for example), Dr. Romanov developed a method – the Pose Method of Running
Every single person who runs goes through the Running Pose, but not everybody is Pose Running. As mentioned above, everyone who runs goes through the Running Pose. However, not everyone runs using the Pose Method of Running. Since every single runner goes through the Running Pose, it is easy to take a single photo of a heel striker that happens to be photographed as he/she was going through the Running Pose.
That is why video analysis is essential. The video reveals what happens before and after the runner goes through the Running Pose. And that is what makes all the difference. Some runners go from Running Pose to Running Pose, that is what the Pose Method of Running essentially teaches, and others land on the heel or flatfooted, roll through, then attempt to toe off as they also attempt to produce full knee extension thinking they are propelling themselves somewhere as they waste precious seconds and significant effort on completely unnecessary commotion all the while increasing the potential of injuries.
To become a better runner all you have to do is eliminate the unnecessary movement between the Running Poses. As a runner, you already go through the Running Pose, so simply do less and not more, go from the Running Pose to the Running Pose. Isn’t it amazing that to run better, to reduce eccentric load on your knees by virtually 50% you are advised to do less?

Technique: Usain Bolt Can Top His Own World Record

August 14, 2016

Usain Bolt could run 100m in 9.11 seconds. Given his constitution, genetics and his running technique he has what it takes and then some.

The difference between calculated potential and actual performance is the athlete’s ability to deliver and especially do so when it matters the most. For example, Bolt’s performance in Berlin in 2009 vs the following Olympics in London in 2012 – World Championship (9.58) vs Olympics (9.63). Less pressure vs more pressure, plus additional factors of course.

Everyone from fans and sports writers to former world record holders and astrophysicists have been speculating about human potential when it comes to dashing for 100m ever since Bolt clocked 9.58. However, all predictions seem to still only hover around 9.4 with the maximum human potential claimed to be at 9.36… nobody dares to even utter anything lower than that because just a ‘blink in history’ ago 9.58 seemed out of reach. Researches even announced that they had to reassess their calculations because they couldn’t have predicted Bolt.

That was in 2008, so all eyes were on 2012 and we were amazed with the new 100m men’s Olympic record of 9.63. But in the world of sprint it’s miles away from 9.36. Running at that speed is beyond most humans. At least for now.

Tracking the 100m world records through the years it’s almost painful to look at the tenths of seconds involved, and most humans couldn’t be bothered. After all, some of us blink slower than that. But, 9.11 is possible, and at this point and time, if anyone can do it – it’s Bolt. Yes, his physique is a factor, so is his character and mind. But most importantly – his technique, it is his gateway to greatness.

The calculations that produced the 9.36 as the maximum human speed were pure mathematics based on accumulated data of best times posted. However, to calculate human potential based on what humans have been able to achieve thus far is to severely limit that potential. In order to correctly assess the possible potential what we need is a correct and clear conceptual model. In our case, it’s a conceptual model of running.

According to Dr. Romanov’s calculations based on the Pose Method of Running, Bolt is capable of running 100m in 9.11 seconds. Bolt has already demonstrated that his mind is as strong as his body. Yet to break his own records he would have to slightly adjust his technique and, most importantly, break through his own perception of his own potential.

There are no “handcuffs” stronger than the ones in our mind. He’s been talking about 9.4 for a while now. Though the world’s fastest man has been hampered by a recurring hamstring injury, which points to the fact that his technique is suffering and needs attention, he’s been able to produce great results and tonight he might surprise the world yet again. “I want to do more to make it even bigger“, a quote from Usain Bolt’s Olympic profile seems to point to his desire to achieve more. Well, he sure can. The only question is – will he be able to deliver?

Usain Bolt, the golden boy of sprinting, is set to entertain the world yet again. And there is nothing more fascinating and exciting than watching someone so gifted in action, racing towards greatness and looking to outdo himself.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do” he says. Well, young man, so are we. Godspeed!

Here’s a link to Dr. Romanov’s analysis of Bolt’s running technique and recommendations on what he needs to adjust in order to run even faster.

Training: How to Increase Running Speed in One Simple Step

June 26, 2016

Whether you can maintain your newfound speed for the required distance, say 40 yards or 100 meters, is a matter of training and your skill level. Whether you can run faster than Usain Bolt is a matter of your physical stats and genetic potential (p.189) in addition to training and skill level.

One thing is for sure, however, whatever your current running speed is, you can run faster immediately by simply changing just one thing. Nothing else will give you the same result.

Traditionally recommended things for increasing of speed in reality prevent you from running faster. The higher you attempt to raise your knees, the harder your attempt to pump your arms or hit the ground, the more you attempt to push off and toe off – the slower you make yourself. All of those things require extra effort and throw you off balance, so you end up exerting more effort without any increase in speed. You, most likely, have experienced that and know how frustrating it can be.

What you really want to do is:

stay relaxed yet focused,
apply minimal effort and
use natural forces to your advantage.

That’s natural running at its best.

Now, the question is: how do you use natural forces to run? To say ‘stay relaxed yet focused’ is to describe how you should feel not what you should do. So how do you instruct someone what to do in order to tell them how to run? That is what the Pose Method® of Running is all about. If you’re not familiar with it – go ahead and follow that link, it will make the following paragraphs clearer.

RUNNING FORUM TRAINING PROGRAMS

How to Increase Your Running Speed

Commonly given advice is more of an advice for a training session or on running form. You’re told to “warm up, stay upright, land on forefoot, focus on posture”, etc. While improving your running form will definitely make you faster and more efficient in general, it still doesn’t answer the main question – how do you actually increase your running speed? What do you do? Especially if you’re already in motion? Knowing how to do that will make all the difference during a race or the game.

Running faster is about your skill, not strength or power. A certain level of strength is absolutely necessary in order to withstand such a physically demanding activity as running, but your muscles do not produce your speed. Muscles serve a different purpose.

To run faster you need to master just one thing – angle of falling. It’s your ‘gas pedal’. Fall forward more – run faster. Fall forward less – run slower. Within the Pose Method framework, that is all that needs to happen in order to unleash your speed. Your speed is under your command when you learn to operate with the angle of falling.

By-products of Increased Speed

When you increase your speed several things happen as a result. The important part here is to understand where your efforts should be applied.

Stride Frequency will have to be increased. To maintain speed and to prevent tumbling over you’ll have to change your support faster. This is one of the reasons that strength training is so important for runners. In sprinting it is the intensity of speed, in long distance it is the extent of miles to be continuously covered that necessitates the ability to pull and keep on pulling your foot up in order to keep changing support in order to keep moving. A good thing here is that stride frequency of 180 and above activates a natural muscle-tendon elasticity mechanism
Keep in mind, that you can easily increase the frequency of change of support and still stay in one place. You won’t move forward until you introduce a degree of falling forward to your movements.
Magnitude of Pulling your foot from support and under your hips increases and do so by itself, i.e. no effort on your part is required. Due to increase in angle of falling and stride frequency, your foot will come up higher than normal, right under your buttocks. The key is to understand that you won’t need to do it, the inertia and other forces interacting will do it for you. In fact, the trajectory of your entire leg will map itself out.

Recommended Reading:

Gravity’s role in accelerated running – a comparison of an experienced Pose® and heel-toe runner. (International Society Of Sports Biomechanics, XXV11, 374-377, 2009)
Geometry of Running. (European College Of Sport Science, July 5-8, 2006 Switzerland)
Runners Do Not Push Off the Ground But Fall Forwards Via a Gravitational Torque. (Sports Biomechanics Journal, 2007)
Романов, Н. С. Роль силы тяжести в ускорении тела бегуна вперед / Н. С. Романов, А. И. Пьянзин, Е. В. Никитина, В. И. Васильев / Актуальные вопросы физической культуры и спорта: материалы Всероссийской научно-практической конференции. – Новочебоксарск: НФ РГУФКСМиТ, 2012. – С. 75–80 (0,31/0,08 п.л.).
The Independent Effects of Gravity and Inertia on Running Mechanics. The Journal of Experimental Biology 203, 229–238 (2000)
Muscle Activity in Running. The Extensor Paradox Experiment. Biomechanics of Distance Running. Human Kinetics Books, 1990
Bartlett, R., Romanov, N., Fletcher, G. A Case Study of Two National Standard Sprinters Completing a Pose and Traditional Sprint Start Technique. Journal of Athletic Enhancement, Vol 3; 2014 doi:10.4172/2324-9080.1000145

Training: Warm-Up & Cool-Down for Runners

April 5, 2016

From my own experience I know that very often small yet very important elements of the training session structure, that is, the beginning, which is called warm-up, and the end, which is called cool-down, are ignored and neglected by majority of runners. Reasons (or we may say ‘excuses’) given for this are always numerous: from efforts to save time to just admitting plain neglect. In general, the attitude towards those parts of the training session is as if neither carry any significance so why bother. That’s a mistake. But then again, it’s only a matter of personal responsibility. If you think you don’t owe it to yourself to do things the right way and not the lazy way, then what can I say.

The Warm-Up

So, what kind of role does the warm-up play in the training session? The answer is obvious – to warm-up the muscles, ligaments and tendons, and, here’s the part that not many consider- to prepare the nervous and cardiorespiratory systems for the specific workout. Normally an athlete would spend (depending on the upcoming workout, outside temperature and his/her own body condition) somewhere between 5 to 30 min on this task.

Warm-up should consist of all blocks of preparation:

biomechanical
physiological
psychological
mental and
spiritual

In Pose Method we use specific running technique drills to get the body into the right biomechanical structure of movement. Those drills also serve as a psychological and mental tune-up for the upcoming workout. Be mindful when following this progression. All these parts should be performed on a conscious level with an understanding of why we are doing it. It is foolish to train, or do anything for that matter, under the assumption that mindless motions of doing something will give you the results you’re looking for.

If you normally train by yourself and run alone, simply make sure to structure your sessions so you cover the above mentioned aspects. However if you train in a group and/or do group running sessions, make sure to set time aside for yourself to maximize your results. You can (emphasis on can) manage your busy schedule, keep your group runs and enjoy the social aspect of running. A little bit of effort and discipline goes a long way.

Here’s a good warm-up set of drills and exercises for a session that can become your regular practice. To put together a more extensive session, refer to the vast collection available in the original book The Pose Method of Running if you have it, and the Beginner’s Guide to Pose Running resource.

Key points:

Warm-up is about getting ready for the training session
Make it simple, quick but get your mind into it completely.
Emphasis on drills and elasticity exercises.

We should not do flexibility exercises in the warm-up part of the training session too often. That should be mostly saved for after the workout, for the cool-down part of the training session or for a separate training session altogether. But sometimes it is needed in which case make sure to do a warm-up flexibility routine before the actual warm-up and always keep your focus on moving your joints instead of stretching your muscles. Intentionally stretching your muscles is not a good idea. Muscles will do what they need to do when you focus on simply bending your joints. Correct intent and focus produce correct outcome.

The Cool-Down

The cool-down part of the training session has its own specific role as the process that should return your body to its normal condition, including its biomechanical, physiological, psychological, mental and spiritual conditions. When your training is done, it is very important to return all the “blocks” and levels of the body to their norm. This means recovering muscle strength, relaxation, tone, your technique and coordination, and proper perception of movement, and of course your mental state, emotional and psychological conditions.

So, cool-down is a multidimensional set of exercises and should be treated as seriously as the main part of the training session. Time-wise this part is not time consuming similar to the warm-up, but it could be a little longer if needed, because returning to the norm could be a more demanding process than getting going. There are more chances here to lose technique, perception, proper muscle condition and mental focus. So it’s a good idea to give more time to this part of your training session.

In the Pose Method we, again, use special running drills for cool-down with the purpose of recovering the specific conditions related to running technique and our focus should be on the main elements of running. But through these exercises we must also return our body’s strength condition, unless you want to wobble around on shaky legs for the next day or two. So, we additionally use special regimes of strength exercises to recover muscle tone & strength, tendon and ligament elasticity and coordination.

If the main workout was difficult with a load on the cardiorespiratory system, then we must use a light run (we are talking about a mile maximum for the majority of us) to recover these systems to the norm. Keep your eye on your form, just because it’s a light run to recover it does not mean you can drag your feet behind you.

Another thing to keep in mind about the cool-down is that it is not only the final part of your current training session, but it is also your preparation for the future training session, and that requires your mental and psychological focus and effort. Training is a non-stop process of moving from one training session to another.

Key points:

Cool-down is about recovery
Make it longer than warm-up
Emphasis on strength exercises (lighter load, less reps)
Wrap up with a flexibility routine (focus on moving your joints)

So, these seemingly simple parts of training, as you see, are not so simple at all, and they require your full attention and skill development, as any other part of your training. Start from this point and consciously build up your understanding of the deep meaning of these parts of your training process and it will take you to the next level of your training. I guarantee that. Enjoy this process of self-discovery and the newly found excitement that it will undoubtedly bring.

Technique: Proper Body Alignment in Running

July 8, 2015

When running, proper body alignment becomes even more important. Considering the level of impact associated with running we must be even more diligent. And also, what body do you think would move faster and more efficiently from point A to point B – the one that moves like a unit, well composed, properly aligned or the one that looks like it’s comprised of multiple independent parts that are misaligned and move out of sync? The answer is obvious.

What is the proper body alignment in running? The answer is the one that’s in harmony with the force of gravity.

Alignment happens from feet to your head. Starting from your feet, your body should be aligned along the vertical line up to the top of your head. Using the foundation of proper body alignment when standing, we take it a step further in running by slightly bending our knees. What does ‘slightly’ mean? Do light jumps in place on both of your feet. That’s your cue. That comfortable slight bend is IT. Your body should be aligned straight yet not rigid.

Regardless of your speed, everything you do when running happens fast. And the faster you run the faster the movements and the sequence of movements. Your ability to maintain proper body alignment should be automatic which means you should apply more efforts in making this happen before you run, when you warm up, when you drill.

In Pose Method there are plenty of drills and strength exercises that will help you achieve that. To maintain proper alignment in running you must, first, know what it is, and, second, your body must be ‘equipped’ to maintain it. Strength training is essential for runners. Your hips are the biomechanical center of your body connecting upper and lower and need to be strong. Your hamstrings are the ‘workhorses’, as Dr. Romanov puts it, they need to be strong. The calves ‘carry’ a fair share of the weight as you change support when you run, they need to be strong and so on. Strength training and proper body alignment go hand in hand.

We use our whole body when we run. Everything must move, look and feel as a single unit. No rigidness, instead – suppleness. Everything is properly aligned so nothing gets damaged, no moves are wasted, no unnecessary effort is spent. Imagine the perfect image of yourself gracefully and swiftly gliding across the land.

Did you know? The key point of the 2004 study “Reduced Eccentric Loading of the Knee with the Pose Running Method” was that the reduced impact on the knees by virtually 50% was produced by a specific technique (Pose Running) that included a specific body alignment. It wasn’t just the type of landing or just the bending of the knees, or just the high cadence. It was the total package, the complete technique.

Technique: Analysis of Usain Bolt’s Running Technique

July 7, 2015

After Usain Bolt’s victories with World Records in the Olympic Games in Beijing, and then in the World Championship in Berlin, our desire to understand the reasons and the basis of his phenomenal running is quite natural. Even a quick look of a non-professional is enough to see an obvious difference in running of Usain Bolt and his rivals. Bolt’s running is light, playful, relaxed and at the same time, impressively powerful. Listing of these elements, however, does not help us understand the reasons of such an impact on our feelings.

What is hidden behind the outer, visible picture of running that defines the superiority of this talented sprinter? What does he do better than others, and what parameter of the environment is he using that others don’t?

Let’s do an analysis of Usain Bolt’s running technique. There’s no need to prove that this is not about any one factor, but the system of factors, best seen in my opinion, during the period of support.

Physically with his height of 6’5 Bolt is practically the tallest athlete in the World’s history of sprinting. To some extent, though not directly, from my point of view, it is reflected in the length of his running step. In the final heat on 100m in World Championship in Berlin Bolt made 41 steps with an average length of 2.44m. His closest competitor Tyson Gay (height 5’11’’) made 45.45 steps with the average length of 2.20.

But the influence of the height on the step length would be too simple an explanation for his superiority. Behind the seemingly light and relaxed movement there is a different running technique separating him from his rivals.

To explain this different technique of running, let’s take a look at it from the point of view of the theory of Pose Method, which is based on principally different concepts from those previously accepted ones, the latter based on priority of muscular efforts, directed to active movement of legs pushing the body forward.

In my understanding, the most important factor is that Bolt uses gravity, to be more exact, gravitational torque, as the leading factor that allows him to more effectively involve all other forces, working as a whole and highly effective system for horizontal repositioning of the athlete with high velocity.

Simply speaking, in his running he uses rotation of the body around the point of support under the action of gravitational torque, which in essence is a free falling of the body forward.

Certainly it is happening in a limited frame of space and time during the period of support from the vertical position to the end of support. In reality, indeed, it is about a relatively small angle in space where the falling is happening. By our theoretical calculations these angles range from 0 to 22.5 degrees (starting from the vertical) for running with a relatively even speed.

The key running Pose, favorable for performing falling forward and allowing us to integrate all participating forces into one system moving a runner forward, is the Running Pose at midstance or vertical position, when GCM (general center of mass) is over the point of support.

On frames 1, 10 and 19, with a varying degree of approximation, Bolt is in the running Pose, starting from the vertical and maintains it to the end of support, which can be seen on frames 3 and 11, and also between 19 and 20, where this moment is missing.

Preservation of the Pose during the rotation of the body around the point of support proves that the body is rotating (moving) as a whole system. On the one hand, it allows for better conservation of momentum of the body and, on the other, it allows for the use of gravitational torque for angular acceleration of the body after it passes the vertical position. Indirectly, another proof of the body rotation on support is provided by the knee of the support leg maintained in bent position. On frames 1-4, 10-12, 19-21 it could be seen very well. I.e., he is not “pushing off”, but is “waiting”, “allowing” to gravitational torque to provide the angular acceleration of the GCM.

Therefore, Bolt is more effective in falling forward. Using a special speed table (developed together with professor A. Pianzin), which takes into account individual anthropometrical data of the athlete, his step frequency (cadence), etc., I got an average data of angles of falling of Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay in the final 100m of World Championship in Berlin. Bolt’s calculated average angle in 100m with the time 9.58 seconds was 18.5 degrees with the average step frequency (cadence) 4.28 steps per second (257 steps per minute), and Gay’s, with the time 9.71 seconds – 18.4 degrees, and step frequency (cadence) 4.68 steps per second (281 steps per minute).

Running sequence of Usain Bolt, please disregard the degrees and markers.

Image courtesy of Russian Track and Field Magazine.

At the fastest 20m segment of the distance between 60-80m, where Bolt had the highest speed 12.42 m/s with the step frequency (cadence) 4.4 steps per second (264 steps per minute), his angle of falling was reaching 21.4 degrees, the same as Gay’s with the average speed 12.27 m/s and the step frequency 4.8 step per second (288 steps per minute).

All of this makes sense, i.e., speaking in the language of physics; Bolt just more effectively transforms the rotational (angular) velocity of the body into horizontal.

In a simple way this could be presented as a well-known equation of relations between linear and angular velocities in rotational movement of the body: v=ωr, where v- horizontal velocity of GCM, r – radius of rotation of GCM, ω – angular velocity of rotation of GCM. He uses his advantage in height (radius of rotation) and maintains his body in Pose favorable for the action of gravitational torque, relatively longer and better, than other sprinters. Therefore, Bolt’s run builds up on highly effective combined use of factors for moving body forward.

GCM, at the same time, having completed its rotational movement by the end of support, continues moving by oblique trajectory in the air, similarly to that of a stone released from a sling, until the next landing in Pose.

Comparing Bolt’s running with that of his rivals gives us an opportunity to see that his technique essentially differs in details of the Pose and its maintenance until the end of support (which I call a standard), giving him a possibility to use such an external factor as gravity and his natural gift – height to the maximum. On frames 3, 11 and 20 where support practically finishes (ends), the position of the swing foot is close to the knee of the support leg.

It is necessary to mention here, that visually these differences in technique are very small, almost invisible, but is it those differences that create the base for our impression of his movement as light, relaxed and fast.

At the end of the day, it is not important how: consciously or accidentally did Bolt come to this technique, the main thing is that he performs it very well due to his talent. This technique allows him to use his genetic potential, natural gifts to the fullest and to develop his psycho-emotional and mental abilities to the highest level.

Some prognosis about his possible progress. If he manages to increase his average step frequency of running to the level of his rivals, just to something around 4.5 steps per second (270 steps per minute) having the same average angle of falling, his result on 100m could be 9.11 seconds. Isn’t it impressive? But he, so far, is dreaming “only” about 9.4 seconds!

Recommended:

Theory & Practice: Strength Training in Running

June 13, 2015

While the question ‘do we need strength training in running?’ is not a question anymore, the question, ‘what kind of strength do we need there?’ is still unclear. That is why I would like to discuss this topic in a short description of the logic of strength exercise use in running.

It is no secret that muscle strength is necessary in running to provide for the body’s ability to interact with the ground while your body moves from one support to the other. During support time gravity manifests itself as the body weight and muscles provide for its ability to interact with the ground.

So the precision of muscles’ development according to the body’s needs of interaction, is directly related to the quality and efficiency of that interaction. We have also to take into account the skill of interaction, that is the skill of using muscular efforts and all other forces.

What are the main requirements for this type of interaction, and what kind of strength training do these requirements call for? In Pose Method we distinguish three major types of strength and the corresponding exercises that provide for the required level of skill of interaction with the ground. The first is hip strength, the second – hamstring strength and the third – muscle elasticity.

Why do we choose these types of strength and these exercises to develop it? The answer is directly related to the Pose Method of running technique. The performance of three major elements of Pose Method technique – the running Pose, falling (leaning) forward from the Pose and pulling the support foot from the ground – depend on how well each specific strength is developed.

Hips

Hips strength provides for very efficient falling forward, because it allows you to keep the upper and low body well connected as one unit and therefore, fall forward faster. Hips exercises should be included in the training routine at least once a week, 4 to 6 different exercises according to your ability, with 10 to 20 reps in one set after the main training part.

at least once a week
4 to 6 different exercises according to your ability
10 to 20 reps per set, increase based on ability

Hamstrings

Hamstring strength is responsible for pulling the support foot from the ground, when the body ends its contact with the ground, and brings the foot under the hips in time for the next support, in order to start falling again. If hamstring strength is not developed enough, the support foot and the whole leg would be lagging behind until the next support and the body would not fall forward.

Consequently it would lead to reducing stride frequency and speed of running. The late (or ‘not on time’) pull of the support foot from the ground in sprint causes a hamstring injury. Exercises for hamstring strength development should be used at least once a week as well, with 10 to 20 reps in one set and up to 3-5 sets in one training session. It could be done as a main session together with other strength exercises, or after running training.

at least once a week
10 to 20 reps per set
up to 3-5 sets in one training session, increase based on ability

Muscle Elasticity

Muscle elasticity or springiness is the ability of muscles to quickly return to the length previous to impact. The other name of it is stretch-shortening reflex. Elasticity, according to scientific data, provides for quick interaction with the support and reduces oxygen consumption and energy expenditures during running. Elastic condition is achieved by keeping the body in the S-like shape on support, or in layman terms, by keeping the knee bent and never straightened and maintaining a short support time. The latter is related to high (over 180 steps per minute) stride frequency, executed by pulling the support foot from the ground on time.

Elasticity exercises are simply jumping exercises. There is a great variety of them, on different levels of difficulty and complexity but most accessible for beginners would be jumps in place on two legs, with jump rope or light weights of your choice according to your level. Jumps could be done twice a week after the main running session. The number of reps would vary from 10 to 30 and more, depending on the type of jumps. Sets would depend on your level of preparedness.

twice a week after the main running session
10 to 30 reps per set
1-3 sets in one training session, increase based on ability

As you see, all these different types of strength, in the final account, are providing for one thing – the ability to fall forward more efficiently and be a better runner.

Here’s an example of a full strength training routine for runners.

Training: Improve balance to increase speed

January 22, 2015

In general, better balance translates into a more coordinated effort and higher precision of movement regardless of sport, so working on balance should be an important part of any good training regimen for any athlete. But how does our balance affect our speed? The answer is – indirectly, but rather significantly and it’s not as complicated as it might seem.

Centuries ago a visionary extraordinaire Leonardo Da Vinci (1452–1519) wrote the following about motion, balance, and foot contact: “The legs, or centre of support, in men and animals, will approach nearer to the centre of gravity, in proportion to the slowness of their motion; and, on the contrary, when the motion is quicker, they will be farther removed from that perpendicular line.”¹

From the Pose Method® point of view, speed is determined by the degree of falling but in order to even start falling you have to be in the position of balance first. As you can see, balance is an essential part of movement. In order for movement to happen there has to be balance first and then it has to be destroyed, then you find balance again and to go anywhere from that point, that newly found balance has to be destroyed again… and voila! you’re moving.

Take a look at this video to help you connect the dots. Gravity – balance – movement – everything is connected. Improve your understanding of this topic, improve your basic skills and you will progress further and faster.

Balance

It is not sport specific. Balance is balance. There is, however, static balance and there is dynamic balance. In sports the dynamic balance is more obvious visually and mentally since this is what we see when the athlete is in motion. Only a fraction of a second is given for the static balance to happen, but it happens nonetheless. It has to occur in order for movement to take place and to continue. And because of such a limited time frame of its occurrence, it becomes much more important to get a better handle on static balance.

The dynamic balance is no less significant and is actually more difficult to perfect, but by working on developing your dynamic balance skill you will strengthen what is commonly the weak link. And we all know the old adage – the system is only as strong as its weakest link. The dynamic balance is interwoven with movement. If you only have a fraction of a moment to execute that chain of events, you better believe that you won’t be able to think about it, focus on it too much, etc… It will just have to happen as part of motion. So the better your balance skill is, the better your movement will be.

Within the Pose Method® framework, improved balance serves as a foundation for a better fall, which in its turn serves to produce better forward movement. Your ability to quickly and smoothly transition between the state of balance and the fall, will help you improve your speed.

Practice Balance

While there are many exercises that can be done to improve balance, here’s the basic drill that you should start with that relates specifically to running technique. And to increase the level of difficulty – do it with your eyes closed. (You have to be a subscriber to view these videos)

Here are another couple of good drills that seems simple and easy but reveal the weak spots.

4-Week Speed Training Program

To help you train and improve your speed, we put together a complete Speed Development Video program that will help you get faster in no time. Take a look at Day 1 training session.

You’re invited to try this entire program free for 7 days and see the results. Click here to sign up.

References:

¹A Treatise on Painting, by Leonardo Da Vinci, Chap. LXVIII.—Of the Centre of Gravity in Men and Animals.

Theory & Practice: What is good running form?

December 3, 2014

In running, more so than in other sports, the opinions on proper technique vary, but there is a more or less unanimous take on what represents good running form. That strange disconnect between these two very connected things promotes erroneous ideas and further confusion since it takes correct technique to produce good form.

Common Descriptions of Good Running Form

What are the normally accepted characteristics of a good running form? How are they described in conventional paradigm and why?

Effortless
Light
Smooth
Without muscle tension
With quick legs turnover
With short support time
With almost silent landing
With landing on a forefoot or flat foot
With landing close to the vertical line going through the GCM
With small vertical oscillation of the body
With small upper body movement
With slight forward lean or erect trunk position
Without any vigorous arms or legs movement
With a quiet and focused face

“How to DO it” VS “How it LOOKS like”

These kinds of descriptions come primarily from observation of elite runners and are based on some commonly accepted images of movement. What we have there is “this is how it looks like” without the “this is how you do it”.

This scenario is quite familiar to anybody who went through even a short time of training and racing in running. Yes, all characteristics are well known, but nevertheless remain inaccessible to most recreational and age group runners. A common opinion is: “there they are, and here we are”, separating “elites” and “us” as something completely different.

To accept this approach and consider a good running form as predetermined for and belonging just to elite athletes doesn’t make sense, besides, we’ve all seen some pretty terrible technique displayed by elite runners. So, a good running form is the result of learning the skill, but not something inherited from your birth. While we can accept the view that some people have more in their genetic makeup to learn quicker and better, it does not change the fact that everybody could and should learn good running form. Obviously, it’s very difficult to even grasp the idea of what the form actually is by just looking at the list of items described above, to tell nothing of being able to learn it.

A descriptive approach lacks systematic explanation and instruction which is necessary in learning process and doesn’t give any real knowledge as to why it happens in this or that way.

So what is good running form? Yes, we get the idea in general, about a smooth, effortless, light, etc. movement of the runner, but this is what we see, it is not what we understand and can actually reproduce. So where do we start? How do we get there?

What Does “Good” or “Proper” Running Form Mean?

There are things that are a matter of opinion and then there are those that are not. Presence of gravity is a scientific fact. When discussing proper, efficient technique and good form, we must consider gravity and take its effect on our movement into account.

Our form reflects our relationship with the environment where gravity is the leading component, which basically determines everything we perceive.

Good form that is commonly perceived and described as smooth, light and effortless, is just a reflection of how in sync with gravity our movement is. That movement comes by way of proper technique. Proper running technique is technique that takes gravity into account as part of its structure. This is the real meaning of the term ‘proper’. If gravity is considered then heel striking, knee lifting, pushing off, toeing off, lengthening the stride and such are out of the question.

We should learn and teach proper technique to make good form accessible to all regardless of whether they belong to the elite level or not, if only for the purpose of preventing and avoiding injuries.

Theory & Practice: Muscle Elasticity

May 13, 2014

What is muscle elasticity? If you were to stretch a muscle you would see it shrink back a bit. In plain words, it’s a natural ability to recover to original form upon the removal of the force initially applied. In physical activity it is the ability of muscles to perform work, specifically, to contract rapidly after and immediately prior to extension.

A human body is a mix of physics, geometry, psychology and all that good stuff, so we should not talk about muscles and their function as separate from the whole. Muscles are a part of our entire system, and as such, whatever functions they perform or whatever is going on, it does not happen on its own. There is a whole chain of processes happening.

What is Muscle Elasticity

So, actually, ‘muscle elasticity’ is an incorrect term to use. Muscles do not work independently, nor do they work under our command. The sooner you let go of what you imagine you control, the sooner you will discover what you do control and consequently you will move better.

In Pose Method all of the key elements that are of any significance or benefit are brought together. Everything is connected. The center of the method, the Pose, is the most ‘ready to go’ pose of the body facilitating optimum elasticity allowing for the most effective interaction with the support where the entire musculoskeletal structure is ‘loaded’ with potential energy.

When we talk about muscle elasticity what we should be discussing is a ‘muscle-tendon complex’. Tendons play a very important and active role in this process, but the muscles run the show, yet let’s not forget that the true master is gravity.

Muscle-tendon Elasticity Complex

The concept of muscle-tendon elasticity complex is a relatively new one and research with the correct goals is much needed. There are, however, already some very certain and obvious facts about muscles and tendons and how they work together making for a unique system. For example, it is a fact that tendons can stretch more than muscles. It is most likely because tendons were meant to stretch and muscles weren’t as much, muscles were meant to contract and relax.

Speaking of tendons, let’s mention the Achilles tendon, the biggest tendon in our entire body, which just happens to be located at the ankle, which is part of the ‘mechanism’ of movement like walking, running. So instead of being concerned with overloading the largest tendon of the body during running (if it is the largest tendon, is it not logical to assume that it was meant to and it can handle the loading during running? It’s not the loading it is how it’s done that causes the problem), why not question the integrity of the idea of loading the joints (knees) that were obviously meant to simply bend, yet it is often recommended to actively use them in some many other ways.

It is a requirement in Pose Method of running to keep knees slightly bent at all times, why? Besides the fact that joints bend and should not be in locked positions when in motion, especially during running, bent knees help to absorb the shock during movement. It is also a part of the ‘rules’ of the muscle-tendon elasticity complex.

How It Works

Muscle-tendon elasticity complex is the natural ability of your musculoskeletal system to ‘return to its original state’. When the limb of your body is moved in any way in any direction for any purpose, muscles and tendons accommodate by elongating or shortening at various key spots. When we move our limbs back to where the movement had started, it is easy to notice how everything goes right back to its shape and form, and place. When we pull the foot up with the hamstring we work with this mechanism.

Muscles and tendons work in unison and in tandem, each one however, with its own timing doing its own job. As should be expected and as mentioned above, muscle-tendon complex has ‘rules’. In order to ‘activate’ the complex and benefit from it, one must adhere to those ‘rules’ otherwise the effectiveness of the complex is dramatically minimized or completely lost. And worst of all – injuries happen. Muscle tears and tendon ruptures are consequences of breaking those rules and performing moves out of synch with gravity.

Muscle-tendon complex, like so many other processes in our body, happens in space and time. It is a rhythmic work of muscles & tendons combined with rhythm of loading. And, it is a biomechanical law that guarantees the magic – with high cadence muscles ‘come to life’, so to say, and work at the highest level of their elastic function. Without much effort on your part your body continues forward movement. Elite athletes, most of whom are naturally highly talented, instinctively run with high cadence. Their perception allows them to naturally sense the ease of movement provided by it.

With age muscle-tendon complex naturally changes, but the decline in elasticity is less for active people than for non-active. So keep moving!

Check out progressions of drills and exercises in our video program for runners aimed at developing your muscles’ elasticity to help you become a better runner.

Read more about muscle-tendon elasticity complex in the Pose Method of Running.

Did you know? The payoff to “elastic” running is that you can maintain a high stride rate without “going anaerobic” and using up your body’s available energy supply of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), the fuel of your highest intensity sprints. Elastic running gives you the ability to run faster for greater distances and still keep something in reserve.

References:

Alexander, A.M., 1988, Springs as energy stores: running. Elastic mechanisms in animal movement. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 31-50.
Cavagna, G.A., Saibene, F.P. and Margaria, R., 1964, Mechanical work in running, J. Appl. Physiol., 19:249-256
Cavagna, G.A., 1977, Storage and utilization of elastic energy in skeletal muscle. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews, 5, 89-129.
Cavagna, P.R., La Fortune M.A., 1980, Ground reaction forces in distance running, J. Biomech, 13:397-406.

Theory & Practice: Stride Frequency and Muscle-Tendon Elasticity Complex

May 6, 2014

Stride frequency is one of the most important parameters of running technique. Why is stride frequency so important? Why do we pay so much attention to it?

The frequency of our strides in running is really nothing more than the rate at which we change support from one foot to the next. When we change support, we start free falling and let the force of gravity accelerate us forward. Yes, gravity is a force that, here on Earth, is always directed downwards, but it is not correct to say that gravity acts downwards. It is better to say that on Earth gravity pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth. So no matter where you are on Earth all objects fall to the ground. However, in combination with objects and other forces, in running, gravity is the leading force in movement forward.

Acceleration due to gravity is a constant, but our ability to take full advantage of gravity’s pull is a function of our body’s free fall and our stride cadence. If you fall forward and don’t move your foot to create a new point of support, you will quickly find yourself face first on the ground. Lean very slightly and you can move your foot slowly to prevent hitting the ground. You’re still falling forward – you’re just not falling down. Increase the angle of your fall more and you have to move your feet faster to avoid hitting the ground with your face.

The less we do to counteract gravity, the less is the load we place on joints, ligaments and tendons, which in turn reduces our chance of injury.

The faster we change support, the less we do to interrupt the gravitational pull and the faster we run. Even better, the less we do to counteract gravity, the less is the load we place on joints, ligaments and tendons, which in turn reduces our chance of injury. It really is that simple.

The faster we run the higher is the stride frequency. The fastest 10K runners, for example Haile Gebrselassie or Kenenisa Bekele, in a final lap could run with up to 240 steps per minute, while fastest sprinters like Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Wayde Van Niekerk are way in 250-280 range and above.

RUNNING FORUM POSEtv

The magic number

So what is the minimum number or maximum number are we talking about? The answer for maximum is quite obvious – the higher the better. If you can go 200+ more power to you.

The lowest number recommended, however, is 180 and the idea behind it comes from research conducted back in the 60s. Such or higher level of frequency allows to use the elastic property of our muscles which doesn’t ‘activate’ until you reach it. It was shown by same scientific research that usage of elastic properties of muscles reduces oxygen consumption around 20% and increases efficiency up to 50%.

Interestingly, Jack Daniels, the respected American coach, noted in his book that there is data from his many years of practical observation that indicates elite runners tend to run with a stride frequency of not less than 180 strides per minute.

Additionally, a recently conducted research concluded “increases in step rate can substantially reduce the loading to the hip and knee joints during running and may prove beneficial in the prevention and treatment of common running-related injuries.”

Learn and practice it

So the benefits are right there, but how do we learn it? First we need to understand and learn to perform stride frequency as a part of running and that it serves the process of falling forward. We couldn’t move forward if we were to just pull the foot from the ground, we need to lean forward first. So lean first, pull the foot from the ground second.

Then we need to learn to pull the feet from the ground, and concentrate the efforts on feet only, not the legs, just feet. And learn to use hamstrings.

You can find a whole list of exercise for that in the Pose Running book and the video series. You can use downhill running with slight inclination. Run with the partner’s slight push on your back with his/her hand or pull with the elastic bands.

It is very helpful to use a metronome-like device to help you maintain the appropriate pace. And as you progress you can move the speed up to continue your development process.

Strength training

This is the topic where the importance of strength training for runners becomes apparent again. While it is true that running itself does develop some of the strength necessary, to fully take advantage of what’s already on offer by nature, a bit of effort is required on our part to bring it all together. Specialized strength training doesn’t take much but will give plenty in return.

It is important to remember, however, that high stride frequency does not demand a huge muscular effort. On the contrary, you should avoid unnecessary effort and tension. Improved strength of your muscle systems will allow you to quicken your movements and reduce the amount of time you actually spend on support, the faster you pick your foot off the ground, the faster you will run.

Read about stride frequency in greater detail in “The Pose Method of Running”.

References:

Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running. Bryan C Heiderscheit, Elizabeth S Chumanov, Max P Michalski, Christa M Wille, Michael B Ryan; Medicine and science in sports and exercise 02/2011; 43(2):296-302
Alexander, A.M., 1988, Springs as energy stores: running. Elastic mechanisms in animal movement. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 31-50.
Cavagna, G.A., Saibene, F.P. and Margaria, R., 1964, Mechanical work in running, J. Appl. Physiol., 19:249-256
Cavagna, G.A., 1977, Storage and utilization of elastic energy in skeletal muscle. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews, 5, 89-129.
Cavagna, P.R., La Fortune M.A., 1980, Ground reaction forces in distance running, J. Biomech, 13:397-406.

Theory & Practice: The Pose – How It Works

April 15, 2014

As mentioned in another article, when moving, our body goes through an infinite number of poses in space and time. Among the multitude of those poses there are those that play an essential role in forming our movement as a whole. Those poses are referred to as ‘key poses’ (or simply poses now), as Dr. Romanov named them, because they are at the center, they connect the preceding pose with the pose that follows, while serving as a conductor of energy and all forces involved, and producing the most efficient movement.

In the Pose Method the understanding of the correct hierarchy of interaction of the forces involved, with gravity in the leading role, allowed to put human movement in a certain perspective where all movement became defined as pose to pose by change of support.

Movement cannot happen without support. If our body does not find support (if the foot doesn’t meet the ground, for example) there will be no movement in any direction. Our body will be in a continuous free fall under the effect of gravity. If there was no gravity or the force was slightly different, than our planet would have a different look to it, we’d have a different appearance and a different way of moving.

Under the dome of the current gravitational field, the most effective single support is the one that’s centered, the one that brings balance yet is ready to destroy that balance in a blink of an eye. Applies to inanimate or living, we are affected by gravity in the same manner. No matter your body type, size, weight or your skill level, it remains true for all. In running, this is what the recommendation “land under your hips, under your GCM (general center of mass), or as close as possible to it” is based on.

When on support a body, any body, can move in any direction. It will move, or it will fall, in whichever direction it is tilted. The quality of movement however will be the outcome of the quality of the body position on support. If you’ve ever slipped on ice you have a pretty good idea of all sorts of random poses that your body goes through when losing support in an unexpected and disorganized manner and trying to find balance while being pull down by gravity. The sequence of events is simple – you fell down not because your body went through random poses, instead you went through those random poses because you slipped, but why did you slip? Because your body pose on support was off and ice leaves tiny room for error in movement.

The Trajectory of Movement

Before attaining support any physical body goes through the motions. If movement happens from support to support, then the path leading to landing on support started at the previous support. And in turn, the current support will determine the quality of the following support.

This is also how the trajectory of your moving parts is determined. No need to copy someone else. Go from pose to pose, change support, and the trajectory of your movement takes care of itself. The better the pose, the quicker the movement from support to support, the better the trajectory…the more efficient you are.

In order for all of this to work properly, the pose assumed by your body on support must have certain characteristics. It must be a pose of balance that offers stability yet does not affect the momentum of movement. It has to be compact and focused.

Mechanically the pose and change of support are identical for everyone. Though we are all unique, gravity affects us all in the same manner and the effective way to deal with it applies to all. While Ferris wheels in different locations are painted in different colors and have different design of passenger cars, the mechanical work of the main unit remains the same.

So the pose of the body while on support is everything. If yours resembles a starfish, while very stable, you most likely won’t move too fast. But if you’re correctly posed and change support quickly you will be fast, efficient and injury free.

RUNNING FORUM POSETV

The Pose

harnesses the power of elements of previous movement, and defines the consequent movements
defines optimized interaction of all forces involved
helps integrate all forces during the support phase
provides for the best interaction with support, and support is an essential part of any movement
significantly optimizes muscular efforts
utilizes natural properties of the entire muscular skeletal system like muscles’ ability to contract and relax, and their elasticity, etc.
eliminates extra unnecessary movement so less energy is spent
allows to move with sharp precision
simplifies teaching and learning of any technique

In running, or any other athletic activity, using pose allows us to tap into the natural forces at play. Physics and biomechanics performing in harmony. Key position allows us to flow within the natural forces and use their power, instead of clashing with them and suffering the consequences.

You get better results with less effort and don’t traumatize your body in the process.

Technique: Going Barefoot Has Its Benefits

March 4, 2014

And there are many. It will help you improve coordination, balance, perception, it will help you develop the foot muscles neglected and virtually atrophied due to wearing traditional shoes.

The health of our feet is vital. A minor deviation could negatively reverberate through the entire body inside and out. Our feet are also indicators of the health of the rest of our body. Modern shoe industry completely disregards this otherwise our shoes would look very different.

It’s not a panacea

Running barefoot is not a miraculous solution to your running injuries as many naysayers happily noted in the recent years. But nor is it a dangerous undertaking as some fearfully suggested.

It’s a good tool without any guarantees

Going barefoot will help you learn to run with correct technique. It won’t teach you the correct technique, however. That has to be specifically learned.

Barefoot is a good tool to develop better perception of the body weight, support, muscle efforts related to the body weight location on the support and consequently muscle strength of the lower extremities.

But at the same time, barefoot running doesn’t guarantee a proper body position on support, proper interaction with support, and proper muscle efforts in space and time. This particularly concerns the pulling action of the support foot from the ground that was never a consciously accepted part of technique in the history of running.

Barefoot running doesn’t create proper patterns of movement, but it provides a good base to develop them. We can use it in the same way that we use any other tool to develop proper movement.

Not a fashion statement

Running barefoot is exactly what it is – running without shoes, nothing more and nothing less. Humans have been doing it for a long while now.

To call running barefoot a trend is simply silly. If it’s a trend than it is the longest-running trend in human history. If anything is a trend than it’s the heavily cushioned, motion control, etc running shoes. That trend is roughly 40 years old. Whatever shoe style comes next – our bare feet are here to stay.

Choose the right question

Should you run with or without the shoes on? The much better and more essential question you should be asking yourself is ‘how’s your running technique’? Too much emphasis is placed on what we wear or not, instead of how we move.

Running shoes don’t inflict as much damage as incorrect movement. But running shoes is a whole other important topic that we’ll discuss in another article.

So, is it not logical to assume, that if we learn how to do something correctly than regardless of the circumstance, and especially regardless of the costume that might come along with the circumstance, we should be able to safely and adequately perform the task at hand? In this instance – run well, run long or run often, run fast(er), run without the shoes or with, run in any kind of shoe (even the combat boots will do) and avoid injuries?

RUNNER’S KNEE TREATMENT (Episode 3)
Injury Prevention + Treatment with the Pose Method

SHIN SPLINTS TREATMENTS (Episode 7)
Injury Prevention + Treatment with the Pose Method

What about science?

What about it? Numerous studies had been done on various topics to do with running barefoot (feel free to search online, the studies and articles are plenty), types of foot strikes and types of running shoes without any definitive or conclusive evidence and the results were all over the map.

When it comes to running, the beneficial & quite natural outcomes of running barefoot to take note of are:

significantly smaller steps
higher stride frequency
shorter contact time¹

Why do we consider those beneficial? In the Pose Method® when running technique is taught, those 3 things are specifically emphasized. So going barefoot will help you attain those necessary skills with less effort.

Very few studies have been done on running technique as a whole. Three of those (just to highlight a few) done with pose method of running at the heart of the matter brought hope to the millions of injured runners by showing evidence of dramatic reduction in impact on the knees^2,3 and improvements in pain and disability associated with chronic exertional compartment syndrome⁴.

It begs the questions: why haven’t there been more of those studies? Why aren’t more scientists looking to study running as a whole body movement not just the legs and where they land and what’s on or off?

HOW we run is the key

The most important and definitive conclusion any reasonable person can and should make based on all the studies to date and probably some personal experience is that it’s not what we choose to wear or not wear when we run, ultimately it’s HOW we run that changes everything.

References (more studies on Pose Method can be found here):

Calf Soreness

April 30, 2006

1Calf soreness or calf muscle pain is a rather common occurrence but not a standard one by any means. Some get it and others don’t. It often appears at the beginning of the learning process in the Pose Method of running and ‘bothers’ runners for around 2 weeks while they are adapting to the new neuromuscular coordination and to the new regime of muscle loading.

Is it possible to avoid this calf pain? Yes, and many do by following the recommended route of preparation instead of just diving in. Others have the luxury of skipping it simply due to already being prepared more or less. For example, if jumping rope is a normal routine for you, chances are you won’t suffer the calf soreness when transitioning to pose running.

How It Happens

The fact of having calf soreness (muscle strain) is the first indication of getting DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) syndrome, which appears 12 to 48 hours after exercising and is characterized by tenderness and stiffness of muscles. The discomfort is caused by micro-tears of muscle tissue for a simple reason – resisting gravity.

The mechanics of the injury are very simple. During landing on support the body moves forward and down towards the ground. The final muscle groups responsible for accepting the body weight are lower leg and foot muscles, and calves are the strongest ones of them.

Biomechanics of Movement

The main biomechanical goal of the body movement over the support is to provide redirection from the downward-forward flow to upward-forward one without losing momentum and horizontal velocity and even try to gain a little there.

So, in the Pose Method this is achieved by landing the foot close to the point of projection of the General Center of Mass (GCM) on the ground, and proceeding with falling forward with minimum or no braking, i.e. maintain the Pose position while falling forward and quickly change support.

The downward movement of body weight is supposed to be finished before the beginning of falling forward. But very often calves resist this downward movement by getting tense, which is caused by our desire to hold the heel in a certain position and prevent the foot from touching the ground. Why is this happening? The reasons could be different: wrong understanding and overdoing of the command to keep the body weight on balls of the feet, another one could be attempting the push off. It could be done on the conscious or subconscious level, but the result is always the same – overloading the calf muscles.

Biomechanical basis of it consists of counteraction of two forces, gravity and muscles activity, resisting the body weight, working simultaneously in the opposite directions. Who wins and who loses is not difficult to guess. The muscles suffer the consequences.

The downward movement of body weight is finished when the body’s general center of mass is passing over the ball of the foot on support. The logical consequence of it is the following: the faster the body passes through the vertical line over the ball of the foot, the faster the calf muscles are released from the body weight load. If during the downward movement of the body the calf muscles are not active by holding or pushing the body weight, then they receive less loading.

1) How to Avoid Calf Pain When Running

Don’t put too much effort into staying on the ball of the foot.
Don’t hold the heel above the ground, let it touch the ground and allow your ankle to move freely. The point is to keep your body weight on your forefoot.
Don’t do any active propulsion or push off with the leg and the foot. Keep your perception of the foot as being not loaded, but on the opposite, as getting unloaded, when you start running.
Do concentrate only on the pulling action of the foot from the ground.

2) How to Prevent It

Jump rope (lift feet, don’t push) on regular basis as part of starting your Pose Method of Running training routines. Do it barefoot and in shoes to get different perception of foot touching down. Stay relaxed. Start with the minimal number of jumps to give yourself time to get used to it and gradually increase the number of reps.
Do the prescribed running drills and strength exercises. If you want to follow a program – try our Strength Training for Runners, the Beginner’s Guide to Pose Running or Agility Training Program where we provide a structured approach & detailed instructions.

3) How to Fix It If You Got It

As the saying goes – this too shall pass. The temporary discomfort will go away on its own, eventually (give it about 2 weeks). It will do so faster if you help it, of course.

Use the above recommendations on preventing and avoiding
Do a warm/hot lower leg or full body bath with sea or Epsom salt
Don’t ice
Massage

Note: Light runs uphill or up the stairs are better and more effective than what’s called ‘calf raises’, a somewhat forceful exercises that can do damage to your calf muscle.

Keep in mind the difference between discomfort and pain. This applies to every situation where we deal with pain. You have to be honest with yourself to properly assess your condition.

a) Temporary discomfort is not the same as pain

Discomfort is experienced when we do something new, our muscles are not used to that type of loading, it feels a bit straining but bearable.

Pain is a much higher degree of discomfort and it’s a different ball game. The cringe, the grimace, the limp, etc should be your indicators. Pain is a signal that you crossed the line, you’ve done wrong (simply stated).

b) Discomfort goes away on its own, pain doesn’t.

While discomfort will disappear on it’s own typically within the two weeks window or less, the pain will either stay or keep rearing its ugly head. Pain needs to be addressed appropriately and in timely manner. Your technique, your movement needs to be reevaluated and corrected.

Bare Feet to the Rescue

It is very useful to do short runs barefoot to learn the proper neuromuscular coordination and to feel relaxation and looseness of the support foot and ankle. Jumps with the rope on one or both legs reproducing the Pose stance are good as well. These exercises teach you to synchronize the body weight moving down with relaxation of your calves. Start from these exercises and move on to faster and longer running without calf soreness.

RESEARCH

Diebal-Lee AR, Kuenzi RS, Rábago CA. Return to running following a knee disarticulation amputation: a case report. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2017 Aug;12(4):655-669. PMCID: PMC5534156
Pieter H. Helmhout, PhD, MSc, Angela R. Diebal, PT, DSc, Lisanne van der Kaaden, MSc, Chris C. Harts, MSc, Anthony Beutler, MD, and Wes O. Zimmermann, MD. Orthop J Sports Med. 2015 Mar; 3(3): 2325967115575691. The Effectiveness of a 6-Week Intervention Program Aimed at Modifying Running Style in Patients With Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome. DOI: 10.1177/2325967115575691
A. Pyanzin, N. Romanov, V. Vasilyev, G. Fletcher. International Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation. – Vol. 19. – Iss. 9. – 06 Sep 2012. Specifics in running kinematics developed by Pose Method in disabled sprinters with cerebral palsy. DOI: 10.12968/ijtr.2012.19.9.521
Gravity’s role in accelerated running – a comparison of an experienced Pose® and heel-toe runner. International Society Of Sports Biomechanics, XXV11, 374-377, 2009

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Maintain Focus

Do This Move

Stay Relaxed

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

Head

Eyes

Body Alignment

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

Focus on the Action

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

How To Run on Ice

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

Types of ‘Knowing’

Ego VS Body

‘Big Picture’ Hierarchy

Muscles’ Purpose

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

The Term

What is Overstriding

How to Visually Identify Overstriding

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

How to Increase Your Running Speed

By-products of Increased Speed

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

The Warm-Up

The Cool-Down

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

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Hips

Hamstrings

Muscle Elasticity

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Balance

Practice Balance

4-Week Speed Training Program

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

Common Descriptions of Good Running Form

“How to DO it” VS “How it LOOKS like”

What Does “Good” or “Proper” Running Form Mean?

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What is Muscle Elasticity

Muscle-tendon Elasticity Complex

How It Works

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

The magic number

Learn and practice it

Strength training

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CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

The Trajectory of Movement

The Pose

About the Author

CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

It’s not a panacea

It’s a good tool without any guarantees

Not a fashion statement

Choose the right question

What about science?

HOW we run is the key

About the Author

CONTINUING EDUCATION FOR HEALTH + FITNESS PROFESSIONALS

How It Happens

Biomechanics of Movement

1) How to Avoid Calf Pain When Running