TIMING OF PULLING

I just returned from my Chicago clinic and saw that the same topic appeared again on the forum. What is the proper timing for pulling the foot from the ground? It is fascinating how can this "simple" action have such complexity. I am actually glad to return to this problem again with a clearer vision and the ability to explain it better based on some different approach to understanding and perception from accumulated experience and knowledge.

First of all, what is the essence of the action of pulling the foot from the ground? As we know, the pull is one of the three major elements of running technique in the Pose Method, together with the Pose and the fall.

How important is this element in running? This element is as important as the other two, because they do not exist separately, each by itself, but only together, each with its own role and function in the whole movement, all fitting the main goal - to move the body forward in the horizontal direction. The action of pulling is really the only physical action among them all, where we move the body part by our own muscular efforts. The pull's function is to bring the support foot, which is left behind during the body's fall forward on the support, to a position of alignment along the vertical line with the body's GCM (General Center of Mass) at the time when the next fall on the support is supposed to happen.

The thing is, that in order to make the next fall happen, all centers of mass of the body parts should be brought as close as possible to the vertical line going through the GCM and the ball of the support foot. This is the only condition under which the next fall can happen. Then, when the fall starts, and the body leans forward from the vertical line, the action of pulling happens. So, the question is: when are we supposed to pull the foot from the ground?

In general, the answer is - when we are falling forward. In reality, it is unknown, and what is interesting, we don't really need to know, because it is the function of falling or to be more exact, the function of the body weight being on the support. From the point of view of physics, we cannot move the loaded part of the body, i.e. the support foot, until the body weight is shifted from it. So, do we know the time when it happens? Not at all. Is it possible to track the moment of the foot unloading? Theoretically, it is possible through our perception of pressure on the ball of the foot. Practically, it's useless, because when we perceive the fact of unloading, we are already late with our action of pulling. In a fast run it'll cost us tremendously immediately. In a long run the cost will be accumulated over some time.

So, the question is how to make the pull on time, with no extra efforts, and no additional range of motion?

First of all, we need to understand the difference between our action as a physical movement and as a command. Neuromuscular pattern of movement consists of both parts, but, time wise, the physical part is behind the psychological, or, in another words, our commands are ahead of our execution of them. In a fast cyclical movement, delay of commands will consequently lead to the delay of the execution. If the command for the pull happens not on time, then the pull itself is delayed, and after that the whole cycle slows down.

From this point of view, it is important to understand what the timing of the command "pull" should be. In the Pose Method we give ourselves nonstop commands to pull through the entire cycle of running. There are no actually time breaks in our attention or focus on one or the other foot pull from the ground. We do recommend to focus on the pull of the foot from the ground without distinguishing between them as the right and the left foot, just the foot, the one on the ground. Basically it means that we have a command for a perpetual pull, but the actual physical action can only happen when the foot is unloaded from the body weight during its fall forward. The foot unloading is the "permission" for execution of the pull. So the pull happens as the function of unloading, which in its turn is the function of falling from the Pose and horizontal speed of the GCM.

Commands comprise the psychological structure of movement, the actual movement of the body or its parts are its biomechanical structure. We do not need really to know the biomechanical structure, but the psychological structure of movement is of primary importance to us for developing higher levels of skills of movement. How hard are we supposed to pull if the speed is changing from slow to fast?

In general, the answer is, according to the speed of falling, which means that the speed will "decide" how much efforts should be applied to the pull. The focus should be on "catching" the fall only, the recruiting part "belongs" to speed and fall.

In another words, the body (organism) knows very well how much efforts, and which muscles to recruit, and our business is to keep our focus on continuing to pull, no matter what, be it fatigue, fear, or any other destructive factors.

The common mistakes, observed in the beginners of the Pose Method, are as follows. They usually do not understand the hierarchical relationship between the fall and the pull. The pull doesn't exist by itself. The pull serves the falling, and not vice versa.

The efforts applied to the pull should be just enough to break the contact with the ground, the rest, that is the foot travel to the falling point (Pose), happens due to momentum and muscle reactivity, but not due to voluntary muscle efforts.

How high towards the hip the foot travels is the function of the speed. We have to be "lazy" with our efforts, but on time of falling. The latter means that our cadence could be high according to the rate of falling.

The falling rate means how often we lean forward. It doesn't matter how small or big fall (the angle of deviation of the GCM from the vertical line), it may be. We can fall quickly through the angle of 5 and 15 degrees, and it would be different speeds, but the same cadence. At the same time the range of motion of running with 15 degrees of deviation will be more, because of the higher level of speed.

Therefore, during learning it is important to have this structure in your mind to direct your focus and develop your perception, and build the hierarchy and proportion between the fall and the pull. And remember all the time, that your speed comes from falling and your pull should serve this purpose with maximum harmony.

Dr.Romanov