Running...

don't just do it, do it right

Correct running technique is important. Without it we waste energy, move slower and risk injury. Improving our running begins with understanding it...

forward) and the PULL (pulling the support foot from the ground). Each element is dependant on the other. It's important to emphasise that The POSE METHOD is not a reinvention of running, and nor is it specifically about striking the ground with your forefoot instead of the heel as some believe. It's simply a way to eliminate superfluous movement and energy expenditure, leaving you with nothing more than is necessary to move forward with the force of gravity.

Change
The POSE concept is very simple, but implementing it successfully requires a willingness to change. We bring life-long bad habits into our running and we can be hindered by our perceptions of what we think were doing and what we feel were doing when we run. My job as a POSE METHOD Running Coach is to awaken your senses, alter those perceptions where necessary and through theory, video analysis, demonstrations and drills transform your running technique for the better.

Basics
Styles may vary, but fundamentally running is the same for everyone. Running is controlled falling. We fall forward thanks to gravity, creating horizontal movement of our general centre of mass, and our legs follow the body to prevent it hitting the ground -simple!

Stages
We cannot run until we fall, and we cannot fall until the body is positioned correctly to allow the fall. So the sooner were positioned correctly, the sooner well move forward. Correct running technique ensures this happens efficiently and effectively.

Coaching
I'm offering runners a 1.5 hour informal one-one coaching session for 30.00 introducing you to the POSE METHOD concept. This will arm you with enough knowledge and the correct perceptions to further develop your technique, with the option to return for further tuition. These sessions are ideal for both beginner runners wanting to avoid injury or developing bad habits from the start, and experienced runners interested in improving their running efficiency and speed.

Natural
Some still believe you shouldn't meddle with running technique, as it's best to let your body move naturally. Unfortunately, moving 'naturally' is often confused with moving habitually. This, by its very nature means we're unaware of the things we do wrong, usually involving working against gravity in some way. As gravity is the primary force in running we need to learn to embrace it, and there's nothing more natural than that!

Rewards
You'll run faster and longer in a relaxed and effortless way, with less chance of injury and a significant impact reduction on your knee joints. Who wouldn't want that?

Method
The POSE METHOD (created by Dr Romanov, a sports-science academic and former Olympic athletics coach) was developed to standardise and teach correct running technique. It focuses on three key elements: The POSE (body position), the FALL (body falling

Book your coaching session now Iain Denby

Pose Method Running Coach (Level 1)

E: id@idenby.co.uk T: 07944 059947

THE POSE METHOD

key elements

PULL initiates the change of support.

Once our body has fallen through its speed appropriate range its time to pull our support foot off the ground towards the hip. This signals the other foot to drop to the ground under the bodys general centre of mass, bringing the body back into Pose again. The pull is the only active thing the runner does, and the timing of it is critical for an efficient transition to the next step. Too late, and the leg trails the body, acting as a counterbalance to the next fall, and encourages the other foot to over stride. So the take-away message is: If you want to travel from A to B, stop holding onto A !

POSE allows you to fall.

In order to move with gravity, we must first position the body to allow gravity to work. This starts at mid stance with the Pose, where the shoulders, hips and forefoot are in alignment, the support knee is bent and the unsupported foot is positioned under the hip with the bodys general centre of mass over the ball of the foot. The Pose is a moment in time and space during the running cycle, the point where the previous stride ends and the next one begins. Every runner passes through this pose, but getting into and out of it efficiently is what distinguishes good running technique from bad.

Cadence This is also integral to efficient running. Its the number of strides per minute, or to be more specific, its a measure of how quickly the runner executes the Pose Fall Pull. It should be a minimum of 180 strides per minute. The reason for this is to do with the physiology of our tendons. Our tendons, like elastic bands, store energy when stretched. This energy must be released quickly before it dissipates to aid our muscle contractions.

FALL allows forward momentum.

The body remains in alignment as it pivots forward around the support foot via gravitational torque as the bodys centre of mass moves forward. The greater the lean the further we move, and the faster we lean the faster we move.