Ok, I’ve heard a lot about the POSE method of running, but from what little I know about it, I can’t help but disagree. I feel as if the method takes some important biomechanical components out of the picture when we run.
Any thoughts on this?
I am not a runner, but whenever I have run it just naturally seems to closer approximate this form.
It really just makes sense to me that every time you land on your heel you are braking your forward momentum.
I’ve never heard of it but I just looked through the technique principles and I really don’t see much wrong with it, taking for granted it is meant for distance runners not sprinters.
Maybe I’d change my mind when I look into it more.
What exactly don’t you like about it?
[quote]Backlash79 wrote:
What exactly don’t you like about it?[/quote]
I’m not out there to say that it’s stupid and ineffective, but if we really understand how the body functions in patterns of gait, and running, then I don’t see why the emphasis in the POSE method would be to drive with more powerful hamstring force. I fear that in doing so, runners wouldn’t get the necessary about of extension through the hips to propel the rest of the chain. I also heard that the big toes shouldn’t be used for propelling forward when running. If we look at the foot and understand that before pushing off for our next step, the calcaneus switches into inversion, thus allowing the big toe to bend for propelling. That motion is a natural motion of the body, and I don’t understand why POSE method would take something like that out of the picture…
those are some of the things.
POSE is just minimal time in contact with the ground so propulsion comes from your body lean, not length of stride. thats how i see it. and if you look at olympic runners slow mo its pretty much pose.
see him gain on the other dude notice his time in contact with the ground is shorter so less force is wasted. just my 2 cents
whats your opinion on running on the balls of the feet as apposed to heel to toe I hear as many opinions on that as anything else. supposedly running on the toes is better?
[quote]Therizza wrote:
whats your opinion on running on the balls of the feet as apposed to heel to toe I hear as many opinions on that as anything else. supposedly running on the toes is better? [/quote]
I’ve seen that it depends. Long distance is a little different than a sprint. All I know is that as soon as our foot hits the ground, we should be in a dorsiflexed position at the ankle joint, which would put you towards the ball of your foot. I still have a little bit of learning to do on running form, so that’s the main reason why I was asking these questions…
Among all of the successful speed coaches, not one of them advocate the idea of a heel strike. Not counting the deterioration in speed you will have, the shock wave you send up your spine is horrendous. Your joints take a toll when you heel strike.
There is a reason why the Achilles Tendon is the strongest in the body. So strong, that in many cases the calcaneous will break off at the attachment site rather than the Achilles tearing. NOTE: I said many times, not all the time. This is a great style of running, whether its sprinting or distance.
Proper running form is not what many think. You want minimal time when the foot is in the air, since its only when it hits the ground where you get your forward propulsion. So high knees are a no-no, unless you are accelerating in a sprint.
POSE is meant for efficiency, energy conservation, and the maximum use of the anatomy we were given.
so would you recommend what some say that being running in a flat bottomed shoe as to allow for running more on the toe? i have tried this with regular running shoes but the heel lift makes it hard to continually stay on the toes.
In general I think POSE is sound. There is more that I agree than disagree with.
I strongly agree with the advice to run in minimalist footwear or barefoot, and to avoid conventional running shoes. This is very important.
I also agree that forefoot strike has many advantages over heel strike. However, POSE teaches that you should ALWAYS land on the ball of your feet in ALL situations, and I disagree with this.
The foot is a marvelously dexterous organ which is suited to land in a variety of ways depending on the situation. There is not one universally correct footstrike across all conditions.
An interesting article about footstrike that I think you would be interested in.
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/04/running-technique-footstrike.html
I think a shoe with a minimal heel would be ideal. Or barefoot as someone previously mentioned. This would take time getting used to, but once adapted will allow you to run faster, longer, and with much less discomfort. Today’s typical shoe have caused weakness within the ankle structure. Lord knows those Nike Shox are the worst. So you need to strengthen the connective tissues within the foot.
To those of you adopting this method; see you in the office. Adopting this style of running accounts for an awful lot of folks who have orthopedic problems related to running lately.
-Dan
[quote]buffalokilla wrote:
To those of you adopting this method; see you in the office. Adopting this style of running accounts for an awful lot of folks who have orthopedic problems related to running lately.
-Dan[/quote]
Is that because you just notice it more because it’s something people are saying? How many people come to our office with the typical running method injuries? Is the number of people coming in for POSE style running that many more?
[quote]Backlash79 wrote:
Is that because you just notice it more because it’s something people are saying? How many people come to our office with the typical running method injuries? Is the number of people coming in for POSE style running that many more? [/quote]
That is a possibility; people coming through with injuries due to trying to learn to be a forefoot striker (maybe not POSE specifically, though that’s a primary component) have always been pretty common though. People of course get other overuse injuries too.
We’ve actually had a person come through with knee pain because he was walking “like a ninja” and intentionally walking with a forefoot strike. Stopping this resolved the pain pretty quickly.
The thing that bugs me most, though, is that there’s no reason to run this way. The primary component of forward propulsion is NOT gravitational effects (a good runner only has about 4cm of COM displacement) but ankle plantarflexion, and running in this method results in higher O2 utilization at a given speed than traditional running.
The structure of the foot/ankle complex is also built pretty darn well for handling heel striking, but the increased braking impulse seen in POSE running is something it doesn’t deal as well with.
Why do it intentionally?
**edit - I say always, but I haven’t been in this field terribly long. Others that I’ve talked to who have been longer see it fairly often as well.
What other injuries have you been seeing in people trying to learn to be forefoot strikers?