#pose method

Happy Sunday! Last week, in our post entitled The Pose Running Method – Easy as 1-2-3!, we discussed how to gradually incorporate the method into your running form without disrupting your training schedule. We did this by introducing drills to target each phase of the method: Pose, Fall and Pull. This week’s post builds upon the knowledge we dropped on you previously by adding two more lessons that’ll bring it all together. If you haven't already, please check out our previous posts: Running Injury? Strike a Pose! and The Pose Running Method – Easy as 1-2-3! so you can follow along with the rest of the class this week :-)

Practice Makes Perfect

[caption id="attachment_438" align="alignright" width="300"] Drills Isolate Pose Phases[/caption] Remember that the goal of the lessons is to present challenges that build your muscle memory so that proper running technique comes to you without thinking about it. Obviously the drills aren’t exactly the same as running – they’re meant to isolate one specific aspect of the technique so you can solely focus on it. At first, you may feel a little silly doing them, but trust us – stick with it and you’ll see results very soon!

Lesson Four

Focus: The Pull Phase

[caption id="attachment_441" align="alignright" width="169"] Foot Direction in the Pulling Phase[/caption] Pulling is just a matter of raising your support foot off the ground directly under your hip. As you lean forward, your pulling leg naturally swings past your support leg as your foot begins to lower toward the ground to catch your fall. The mistake most people make in this phase is thinking they should be pushing off the ground - instead, think of pulling your foot off the ground.

Many Pose Method runners find they can run for longer distances with less fatigue the more they improve their pull phase. This is due to the reduced reliance on the quad muscles used to raise the knees.

[caption id="attachment_446" align="aligncenter" width="408"] Pulling Effectively Improves Efficiency[/caption] The following drills will help you better perceive actively pulling your foot underneath your hip. They will also reinforce a proper landing pattern as your pulling leg swings past your support leg and the leading foot is allowed to drop into position under its own weight.

Pony Drill

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKaeCW56bAo]

Front Lunge Drill

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNUhPGUgN18]

Lesson Five

Focus: Combining the Phases

This lesson focuses on putting the Pose, Fall and Pull together smoothly so you don’t look like your running like the Tin Man. In order to put all of the elements together into a smooth, efficient stride, you’ll need to take off those headphones and really feel what your body is doing when you’re running. Study the figure below until the images are imprinted in your mind. Start with Frame 3 – this is your foundational Running Pose and move on to the remaining frames - by now you should be able to match each frame with their respective pose phases. Hint: Frames 1 and 2 serve as guidelines to what happens just before your foundational pose. [caption id="attachment_449" align="aligncenter" width="407"] The Pose Running Sequence[/caption]

Frame 3 shows the foundational Running Pose.

Frame 4 shows the Fall phase.

Frame 5 shows the Pull phase.  Notice the difference between 4 and 5, how the swinging leg has moved forward, the foot is in-line with the hip as the body begins its fall.

Frame 1 shows the flight phase – occurring just after the Pull and just before the support foot lands.

Frame 2 shows the support foot having already landed on the ball and just before the heel is about to be raised.

Stride Perfection Drill

Review the video below until you feel comfortable with combining all of the running phases we’ve discussed. Hopefully, you can speak Australian ;-) [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvbhZKxAzPI] Then perform the following:

Run for 2 minutes using the Pose, Fall and Pull technique, combining each phase as fluidly as possible.  If possible, have a friend video your stride for a few seconds with their phone.

Rest for 1 minute and think about (or look at the video for) the following:

Is your foot striking the ground at the ball vs. the heel of the foot?

Are you letting your heel lightly “kiss the ground” when you land on your forefoot?

Is your pulling foot in-line with your support leg as you bring it towards your hip?

Am I leaning forward at the ankle of the support foot?

Is your leading foot landing under your knee vs. past your knee?

Run for 2 minutes adjusting your technique accordingly and ask yourself the following:

Pose Frame: Do I feel the pressure on the balls of my feet?  Is the foot of my swinging leg under my hip?

Fall Frame: Do I have a sense of falling as I’m leaning forward at the ankle?  Do I feel momentum propelling me forward?

Pull Frame: Do I feel my hamstrings engage as I pull my foot directly under my hip vs. lifting my knees higher?

Repeat steps 1-3 for a total of 15 minutes.  If you feel like you’ve struggled with any of the frames – just go back to lessons 1-4 and pick a drill that focuses on that frame and practice it for a few minutes.

Set aside a little time each day to focus on your running technique by doing drills. Practice while you’re still fresh and focus on your form and foot strike. Once you feel that your body is properly adapted to the running method – and it could take anywhere from a few weeks to several months - go for longer distances but be sure to maintain your new technique. Patrick:  One word of CAUTION! It's common for beginning Pose runners to feel soreness in the calves - that certainly was the case for me. It means your muscles are doing their jobs and absorbing the shock instead of your joints. Be sure to roll and stretch them after every workout and back off if you need to. You can build strength in your calves by jumping rope. All of the information presented in this post was taken from the “The Running Revolution” book or a clinic manual, both written by Dr. Nicholas Romanov. We highly recommend checking out the book, articles and discussions on www.Posetech.com for more information. We also suggest attending a clinic with a certified coach to ensure you’re properly running in the Pose method. That’s all for this week’s post on how to perfect your Pose Running Method technique. Remember that while the Pose Method of Running is a simple concept to understand, truly mastering it requires consistently working on your technique each and every time you go for a run. Have you switched to the Pose Method? What changes did you see? Let us know in the comments.  Keep on Running! Julia, Patrick & Jo-Jo (302) 727-5690 www.runandtrirb.com

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Five: Monday, April 28

1. The art of the long run

2. Short running glossary

3. Western States to be broadcast on livestream

4. Over-pronation and running injury

5. Effect of pose/chi running on running economy

Javier Gomez (ESP) finished up his season the same way he started it - winning. Despite soaring temperatures and humidity, Gomez collected his 14th World Cup title with an impressive ocean-side run. Aurelien Lescure (FRA) was second, while Dmitry Polyanskiy (RUS) took third.