REAL STORIES by REAL PEOPLE
A collection of articles on various POSE and other running related topics written by and/or about Pose Method Certified Coaches and Pose Runners of all levels.
POSETECH.COM (USA)
April 6, 2006
My Experience with the Pose Method of Running
by Brian Altenbaugh
The other night I was attempting to demonstrate to some friends what I have learned through the Pose Method of Running. The only problem I find trying to 'teach' this method is that it is really difficult to do so simply or in a short period of time because it took me over a year to 'get' it and there are a lot of factors with which to consider. Many of these factors came to me as I was going through my explanation and some came on as precipitated by questions. But my concern is always that those listening will only hear a piece or two, or I may have forgotten another part; then they will go out and try to do this or change their running technique based on my few comments. The 'problem' is that folks want the new method to be something they can see easily, pick-up quickly, and eliminate all problems.
Learning Pose has been no easy task for me. After years of injuries, lack of recovery, surgery, and general difficulty with my toes, feet, achilles, calves, shoes, etc, I became a triathlete so that I could continue performing in endurance sports without running 7-days per week.
The running-only world lauds the activity as being 'easy': simply put on your shoes and shorts and go! Other than deciding whether a shoe 'feels' good or will correct some percieved or actual biomechanical defect, there is very little thought about running, especially technique. Most everyone believes that the way you run is a matter of genetics or biomechanics that you cannot change. But after years of injuries and the quarterly review of new shoes and my foot type, I realized that despite all the advances and new product developments in shoes over my 25 years of running, the situation was never getting any better? Even so, I loved running, so I was simply going to continue doing it to the best of my ability until the inevitable day when my body would say no more and I would have to finally stop.
But when I switched to triathlon, the advice was incessant about perfecting your swim stroke. Everything little motion of your body is considered from the perspective of whether it's slowing you down or speeding you up efficiently. The advice for the triathlete continues with the bike. The equipment is tweeked nonstop and every position on the bike and motion of the legs is fine-tuned to also gain that efficiency which will not slow you down and only speed you up.
Then I began to wonder why I spend so much time working on swimming and cycling technique and position, but in running never even thought about it, nor was it ever discussed, reasoned, or lectured upon? Was it because I had been doing it for a quarter century and knew what I was doing? If all the shoes I experimented with and injuries I continued to experience were any indication, I clearly did not know what I was doing. An interesting thought entered my mind: if I pronate too much, why am I spending so much extra money on shoes with bars and shafts and bridges, etc? Why don't I just try not to pronate? Heresy! One cannot try not to pronate, it is a matter of genetic programming and you should blame your parents and grandparents for all your problems! So I played a little with trying to run more on the outside of my foot, consciously not allowing it to roll inward to the dreaded pronated position. The only thing is that was not a very natural motion and led to much pain and new injuries.
So I researched further about how one could change the way they run and came upon Dr. Nicholas Romanov's Pose Method of Running. From my analytic side, this level of study into the biomechanics of running greatly intrigued me. His points that nobody ever really studied the proper way to run made sense to me, but it was hard to accept it in light of my 'experience.' But I was desperate to find a way out of the injury-prone existence which had become my athletic life.
The Pose Method of Running causes the runner to land on the balls of his feet directly underneath the hips with his knees bent. One does not 'try' to land on the balls of the feet, but it is a natural motion following pulling the foot from the ground and permitting it to fall back down. This action prevents the impact and shock wave that a heel strike in front of the hips sends straight up through the leg, beginning with the shins. Pose Running reduces the force of impact by 30%! This claim alone was enough to make me at least try a way that promised to reduce injuries. Another intent was to develop a more efficient running stride after coming off the bike.
I took a huge leap of faith, bought the DVD and book, and proceeded to practice the technique for the next several months. Granted it was easier for me to do this as it was Fall and the multisport season had ended for the next 6 months. For 3 months I did nothing but the drills and strengthening exercises - NO RUNNING of any kind! At the end of that period, I began to lightly run for a few minutes after 30 or 40 minutes of the drills. Most will find that level of commitment daunting and might want to continue their usual running routine while adding these drills to learn the new way; or maybe just add the new way to the current miles. This will be a HUGE mistake. This is a completely new way of moving and must be approached as if you are starting from the very beginning. I would say your time spent doing these drills should commence with only about 10% of the time you spend running currently. Then add no more than 10% each week for a couple weeks at a time. Every few weeks, cut back 25% or so, then head back up the 10% per week ladder again. There will probably be a lot of soreness as muscles, ligaments and tendons which your body is unfamiliar using in these ways are overworked. But then there will be recovery and over-compensation, if you allow it, so that the proper development will occur. Stick with it, be patient, and the long-term reward will be much greater than the short-term loss of your running miles.
Initially, I did have the requisite calf soreness spoken about in many articles and forum postings on the Pose website, but it went away shortly thereafter. I began to be concerned that I was not actually able to take complete advantage of the Pose method because I was still wearing heavily cushioned, stabilized soled shoes. These shoes absorb too much shock on impact and the foot doesn't know when to release as quickly. The thick padding on the back of the shoe also prevents the foot's heel from traveling as low as it normally would when landing on the ball of the foot. I probably exaggerated it even more by misinterpreting the 'not-running-on-the-heels' concept by keeping my ankle stiff to prevent my heels from going down to the ground. In fact, the natural motion should allow the heel to drop as low as it wants, even lightly touching the ground if necessary. Thick rubber or padding on a shoe's heel prevent this.
So I switched to my racing shoes which are actually classified as lightweight trainers - they were not like the true racing flats recommended for Pose, but I thought they would be a good transition to eventually wearing a nice lightweight track-type shoe. The racers still had some of the hard plastic stabilizers in the arch and some significant, but not as thick, padding in the heel. But the light padding in the forefoot and the relative lightness of the shoe did allow me to improve in my learning of the Pose method.
Many more months later and a near wearing out of the rubber on the sole of my lightweight trainers, I decided that I knew the technique enough to progress to an even lighter racing-type marathon racing shoe. Still not a track or middle-distance racing flat, but much lighter, responsive, and less padded and stabilized than even the trainer I had worn-out.
Even during that first year, I still had a lot to learn. By the end of that period, I had only worked my way up to a 90-minute run. Shortly after switching to that light marathon shoe, I discovered that something was still wrong with my technique. I began to experience heel pain on my left foot. I had plantar fascittis and a heel spur several years ago requiring surgery and a fasciotomy and nearly a year and a half to full recovery. This is the reason I learned to swim, started riding my bike more, learned the principles of periodized training and recovery, and became a more well-rounded cross-trained triathlete. I was not about to go through that again!
As it was now the off-season again, I went 'back to the roots' and began again with the drills, strengthening exercises, etc, in order to further learn the technique. There are a lot of points to learn and remember about the method and even though I thought I had it, it became apparent that I needed to relearn some things and focus on areas I had forgotten about.
One of the most visible measures of success I've noticed throughout this process is in my feet. I can run through transition or on the treadmill or around a track in my bare feet and suffer no adverse affect. That short barefoot jaunt from the water to the bike used to leave my feet hurting for days! I think this has been made possible through the gradual process of utilizing lighter and lighter shoes with less and less padding and motion-control devices. You might wonder why that matters or how that helps anything. If you've ever put on a pair of racing shoes, you'll notice immediately why it's better. They are so light and airy that you feel like your feet have had a ball and chain removed from them - which your clunky heavy trainers are.
Because of my injuries and surgery in the past, I'm always cognizant of being too aggressive and backing off at the slightest hint of overdoing it. My goal is to permanently change the way I run and to do so in the correct manner which will allow me to continue doing so as long as I want.
In the end, I liken this to learning how to play the piano. The instructor can show you how to hit the keys to make sound, and maybe you already think you know how to do that, like thinking you've learned Pose because someone showed you how to land on the front of your foot. But that 'sound' of the ivories is only going to become beautiful music with practice, practice, practice. And that practice should not start out with Rachmaninoff, like trying to do Pose for a 6-mile run right off the bat or while beginning a marathon training program. Learning to play the piano should start with something simple like Jingle Bells, like doing 10min of drills and a 400m jog around a track. Finally, to really master the instrument, you have to think in no other terms other than it or you will dilute your ability to play it well. So don't continue running your old way while learning the drills and the new way.
Click here to find out more about Brian Altenbaugh >>>
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