http://www.posetech.com/ FREE WEEKLY Expert Advice. Login here every week to read blog-style articles by a 2-time Olympic Coach Dr. Nicholas Romanov on various training related topics. You're welcome to email your questions to support@posetech.com and we'll make sure to cover the requested topic. This section is updated every Tuesday. en-us 2009-11-24T12:03:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000802.html Pose Swimming requires a similar to a traditional "tool kit", but tools included come with slightly different specifications. We don't recommend going all out and spending a fortune, but it is important to get all the recommended equipment. Dr. Romanov does not currently favor any particular brands. As with any other sport, at the beginner level the focus is on the technique, so all equipment is geared for that purpose. Swimming Paddles. Extremely important from the very beginning, the swimming paddles will help you learn proper perception of support in water. It is very important to select the right kind,... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2009-11-24T12:03:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000796.html Today we continue the topic of gear suggestions for the beginners. Let's look at the stuff necessary for the sport of cycling. As with running, swimming and other activities at the beginner level it's important to first focus on learning the "how to" part, the technique of your chosen sport. Getting the right equipment is important, but it doesn't need to be the best at first and it can be done without draining your savings. Plus it would be a complete waste if you were to damage your super equipment due to your not so super, beginner level skills. Tri... POSE CYCLING posetech 2009-11-17T13:28:48-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000794.html "Running boom" is not only not slowing down, it is actually getting yet another fresh bout of wind in it's sails (for the fiftieth time). And that of course is paralleled by yet another new wave of running related products. We decided to specifically address this topic because there is so much confusing information out there and so many products are unnecessarily recommended. To any beginner the task of getting the right gear could seem like a daunting challenge these days. So many products, so many brands, so many choices overwhelm our senses and normally we resort to one of... POSE RUNNING posetech 2009-11-10T12:47:21-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000791.html After Usain Bolt’s victories with World Records in the Olympic Games in Beijing, and then in the World Championship in Berlin, our desire to understand the reasons and the basis of his phenomenal running is quite natural. Even a quick look of a non-professional is enough to see an obvious difference in running of Usain Bolt and his rivals. Bolt’s running is light, playful, relaxed and at the same time, impressively powerful. Listing of these elements, however, does not help us understand the reasons of such an impact on our feelings. What is hidden behind the outer, visible picture of... SPEED posetech 2009-11-03T09:26:03-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000788.html What is Ground Reaction Force (GRF)? Newton's 3rd Law of Motion states that "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." According to that, when we walk or run, every time our foot lands, there is what is called a 'Ground Reaction Force' produced. Some go as far as to claim that "The ground reaction force is an important external force acting upon the human body in motion. We use this force as propulsion to initiate and to control the movement." (Read more) It could be considered a pretty important external force acting upon the body in motion.... VARIOUS TOPICS posetech 2009-10-27T11:58:17-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000785.html Did your mom ever tell you to sit up straight and stop slouching? Did your grandma tell you to keep your head up and not look down? If they did - thank them every day, because lots of people never get such valuable advice and enough pressure to follow through and maintain. Holding proper body posture and using proper body positioning has an encompassing effect on an individual physically, physiologically, biomechanically, emotionally and psychologically. It is not a readily seen connection, but it is a very powerful one. For a young individual, learning early on how to move right will... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2009-10-20T10:19:47-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000783.html Human history is a continuing story of accommodation and adaptation to change. How humans perceived and reacted to change guided the development of societies and shaped the world in which we now live. Perception itself — the ability to recognize and analyze change — became the fundamental tool in human relations with the forces of nature, upon which mankind’s survival depended. As human history progressed and the development of modern creature comforts like secure housing and continuous food supplies insulated us from the day–to–day vagaries of life in the wild, the need for the highest levels of perception were eroded... PERCEPTION posetech 2009-10-14T07:48:41-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000779.html "To do or not to do" - same topic different sport, but much like the highly debated "push off" in running, the rolling of the body in swimming is a no-no. There are several reasons for that. Number one is the fact that rolling takes away from falling (can't use gravity without falling), i.e. rolling interferes with movement forward. Need we say more? From the Pose Method point of view, swimming is nothing but change of support in water. Due to the nature of movement happening during the change of support, minimal to no body rotation is desired in order... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2009-10-06T11:15:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000777.html Quadriceps femoris muscle, or simply - quads, is a large fleshy muscle group covering the front and sides of the thigh. It has four parts: rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius. They originate at the ilium (upper part of the pelvis, or hipbone) and femur (thighbone), come together in a tendon surrounding the patella (kneecap), and insert at (are attached to) the tibia (shinbone). (Encyclopædia Britannica) Quadriceps group is among the largest muscles of the human body and is essential to many movements routinely performed on daily basis. We do what we do and do not give... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2009-09-29T10:58:20-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000776.html What is muscle elasticity? Well, if you were to cut out a muscle, put it on the table and stretch it, you would see it shrink back a bit. In plain physics, it's a natural ability of some things to recover the original form upon the removal of the force initially applied. However, a human and his body is not all physics, it’s physics, chemistry, biology, psychology and all that good stuff, and last time you checked you probably noticed that your muscles are under your skin. Which should immediately suggest that muscles are a part of your entire structure,... MUSCLES posetech 2009-09-22T14:11:29-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000773.html “Stretchability” means stretching to full extent or beyond (to extend, force, or make serve beyond the normal or proper limits; strain), flexibility means bending without breaking (capable of being bent, usually without breaking, susceptible of modification or adaptation; adaptable). Flexibility is what you want. As we have stated numerous times before, flexibility does not mean 'stretching muscles'. Stretching of muscles has no place in sports. What you want and what everyone is really talking about is called FLEXIBILITY. But since there is no clarity on this subject and terms 'flexibility' and 'stretching' are used interchangeably there are many problems arising... FLEXIBILITY posetech 2009-09-15T11:10:29-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000770.html More likely than not, you have already tried other ways of helping yourself. Well, this little guide over here is not like any other. This is not a diet plan, you will not find numbers/ratios/portions in here. What we want to tell you is very different and it will help you. STOP TRYING TO LOOSE WEIGHT. Yeah, you read it right. If you're overweight and want to do something about it, the first thing to do is to stop trying to loose weight - get it out of your head. Do not make it your goal. Trying-to-loose-weight is the... WEIGHT-LOSS posetech 2009-09-08T21:16:00-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000768.html Today we continue the topic of forming better eating habits. As we mentioned in the previous article, counting calories and carbs and such, is not what you should be doing. It's a waste of time to play that charade. Drinking too much water (or any liquid) is also a mistake. It's all about finding a fundamental balance. Nobody can give it to you - you have to find it, and changing your understanding and concept of food will help you do it. Easy access to food enables bad habits. If you had to go chase it or gather it before... NUTRITION posetech 2009-09-01T15:34:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000766.html We have written a while ago about eating before training, and nutrition and running. Today we'd like to bring to your attention your eating habits in general. Before we can talk about bad eating habits, we should define good ones. So, what are good eating habits? Those are the ones formed by maintaining the perception of balance. Perception is fascinating. Have you ever noticed how babies operate with food? They demand it when they need it and couldn't care less about it when they are not hungry. They eat certain foods and do not want others, some times they eat... NUTRITION posetech 2009-08-25T09:46:23-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000764.html History was made this past Sunday in Berlin when Bolt set yet another world record. When he did it in Beijing in 2008 by clocking in 9.69 - the world gasped, screamed and then celebrated, but many wondered if there were drugs involved, if he could do it again or if it was just a fluke, etc. Usain answered by sealing the deal with another world record. Many expected him to win and for many it was only a question of "how fast will it be this time?" What many don't know and others choose to ignore, is that the... VARIOUS TOPICS posetech 2009-08-18T07:40:14-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000762.html You're only as old as your joints are. This is one of the oldest Chinese proverbs. People of one of the world's oldest continuous civilizations have known this for centuries and had shared their wisdom with the rest of us. The proverb literally means that joints in bad condition will age the entire body and that in turn will age the person emotionally and mentally. Flexibility to joints is a like air to your lungs. The moving joints of your body were meant to move and keep moving. Joints natural path of movement is to bend, i.e. to flex.... FLEXIBILITY posetech 2009-08-11T14:36:40-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000759.html Enough has been written about work-outs and how to stay in shape, training, routines, etc. There are so many ways - it's not even possible to start counting. Most of us, however, find them boring after a while and hence unable to put in the needed continuous effort. And it is not surprising, we as humans were not meant to run in place on treadmill and still not get anywhere, or stand in front of the mirror counting the reps with free weights. Here's one activity that some of you might find interesting and a remedy for your athletic boredom.... FITNESS posetech 2009-08-04T16:36:14-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000755.html Keeping things simple yet engaging, challenging yet doable, consistent and not tiring is key. You don't need to become a coach, all you need is 15-30 minutes a day to have a break and have some fun. When was the last time you checked who jumps higher or throws better? Have you done a handstand lately? There are many fun things you can do, the point is to create a fun game out of practicing basic human movements. Running. Start with the basic drills (like the pose stance, pony, tapping, change of support). The key is to practice balance... KIDS posetech 2009-07-28T14:55:15-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000752.html TECHNIQUE posetech 2009-07-21T14:07:12-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000747.html We say the word "support" every day, we use it to express various things like friendly support (I support your idea), emotional support (I support you, no matter what), etc. We look for support of our ideas by finding the necessary information, we look for support like a step stool or a ladder to step on to reach for a burnt light bulb to change it, we offer our shoulder to cry on to support an upset friend, in search of support in a form of approval, a child shows off his newest cool dance move to a happily clapping... POSE METHOD posetech 2009-07-14T13:02:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000745.html Today's article was prompted by an advertisement on TV about a Class Action Law suit connected to a problematic hip replacement product. Apparently it has caused some serious problems, so if you're among the people that received that hip replacement now you can sue the company. That's great. That's exactly what everyone hoped to hear. A simple search online revealed that the available hip and other joint replacements do not last too long. For that reason it is advised to not have the hip replacement surgery too early in life, unless it is really necessary. The scary part is that... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2009-07-07T16:57:37-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000743.html In Pose Running it is recommended to hold your ankle in a neutral position, meaning your ankle should not be flexed, locked or forced into any specific position at any specific angle. Just let it be. This alone will help you eliminate quite a few potential problems that inevitably lead to injuries. A neutral position of an ankle is the relaxed position that does not require any deliberate action or muscle activity, nor does it require any focus. What you should focus on are the strengthening exercises for this area (muscles, tendons and ligaments) and running drills before you run.... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2009-06-30T15:54:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000740.html When people talk about the Pose Method of Running, the tendency is to simply equate it to a forefoot landing. Folks with better knowledge and understanding of the Pose Running technique, know that forefoot landing is only a small part of a bigger scenario. That bigger scenario is the following: when moving, your body goes through an infinite number of positions or poses in space and time. Some are the result of proper positioning and others are the ones that lead yet again to proper positioning of your body. In the center of that we have one key body pose... POSE METHOD posetech 2009-06-23T13:50:43-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000737.html Running and exercising in hot and sunny weather can be fun and beneficial to your overall well-being, if it's done right. There is always that "if", isn't there? Sun is necessary for all living things, but in large doses it can be severe. Sun is good for your eyes, your skin, your overall health, so if you prepare for your training the right way - you will have a good workout, a bit of a healthy tan and an option to go for it again during your next session, compared to torturing yourself and suffering a heat stroke, getting... TRAINING posetech 2009-06-16T21:30:19-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000735.html It is a well-known fact that most people need about 7-9 hours of sleep every night to recuperate from stress of daily activities. And it is a similar situation in sports - people participating must always remember to get adequate amount of rest between training sessions. There are those of us that couldn't handle more than a couple of days of exercising or running a week. Then there are those few that have the innate need to be active and train 5-7 days a week. The overwhelming majority of people falls into the middle category that requires an equal amount... VARIOUS TOPICS posetech 2009-06-09T15:57:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000734.html One of the most common questions to come when discussing running technique is "how come elite runners heel-strike?" A very simple answer here - nobody taught them any better. First of all, not all elite runners land heel first. As a matter of fact, the best ones showcase forefoot or midfoot landing. It might seem otherwise because of the photos used in magazines, advertisements, etc. All of that is simply an orchestrated effort by the shoe manufacturers and their cohorts to sell the shoes that they make. Press is plugged into this because of millions of dollars in paid advertising,... VARIOUS TOPICS posetech 2009-06-02T11:12:48-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000731.html POSE CYCLING posetech 2009-05-26T10:30:47-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000729.html The loss of proper support in swimming results in all kinds of extra movement which impede the desired movement forward. To efficiently and effectively move forward, all moves executed have to be precise and compact. Excessive movement up and down signifies an error in swimming technique connected with the incorrect perception of support. The entire significance of support is to allow for movement to happen. So it's not about the support per se, it is about movement where correct support is a vital component. Exaggerated up/down movement in swimming could be equated to active landing or/and push off in running.... SWIMMING TECHNIQUE posetech 2009-05-19T13:17:40-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000727.html We use the word "standard" on a daily basis, we're all very familiar with its meaning. A "standard" is an approved and generally accepted model of something, a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment, an average or normal requirement, quality, quantity, level, grade, etc. What does having a "standard" offer us when it comes to human movement in sports, when it comes to running, swimming, cycling, etc.? PRECISE MODEL TO LEARN. With a standard model to learn, a student avoids the potential pitfalls of a wondering mind. Experimenting on top of a learned standard is... TECHNIQUE posetech 2009-05-12T13:11:04-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000722.html Every now and then we hear triathletes say: Oh I'm not a good swimmer, so I save my energy/strength for bike and run, or something along those lines. The irony is that you actually spend more energy, if your technique is poor. It does not matter, if you feel or if you think you're saving energy, in reality it takes more efforts and more energy from you to cover the distance with a so-so technique. With proper swimming technique, however, you could learn to swim faster and move easier in the water. In most of the cases, there is always... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2009-05-05T09:32:39-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000721.html To understand the point of your legs doing the kicking motion in swimming, you have to have a clear picture of how your body moves forward in water. Just to dispel the rumor, kicking does not produce forward propulsion. It is merely one of the factors that collectively contribute to forward movement. In Pose Swimming, movement in water happens just like movement on land. As a matter of fact, ANY movement here on Earth is nothing but a CHANGE OF SUPPORT. From the Pose Method point of view, your hands do the Moving change of support and your hips follow... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2009-04-28T15:32:52-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000715.html If you watch footage of great swimmers like Michael Phelps, Ian Thorpe and others, you will notice that everybody has their hands very relaxed. Here are some still images from this video of Michael Phelps. By the position of the fingers one can see how relaxed his hands are in the water and fingers are merely there to provide a bigger "surface area" for support (hand) and for appropriate balance on that support. The role of fingers in the swimming scenario is to provide larger support surface and better balance on support. The position should be straightforward, slightly open... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2009-04-21T13:38:22-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000713.html How to reach your peak performance? It is a journey. There are various points of view, but they mostly focus on things that are really secondary factors as well as the resultant ones. From the Pose Method point of view, training requires a categorically different approach to the conventional paradigm of training. The basis of the training program should be the focus on technique - the skill of doing. This skill development is and should remain the most important element of training. In the past you probably thought of your training in terms of physiological factors such as breathing, heart... TRAINING posetech 2009-04-14T15:36:53-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000711.html An article in UK's Runner's World’s February 2009 issue prompted this one. It is addressed to all runners of all levels and coaches that subscribe to the belief that running form is "God given" and should not be touched, or that there is no perfect running form. The fact that the author of the article mentioned above managed to contradict himself several times will not be dwelt on. Considering, however, the number of people that will read it and accept it as is, coming from a biomechanics expert from a reputable University, it is easy to see how simple the... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2009-04-07T06:36:50-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000708.html DOMS, aka Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness syndrome, normally appears 12 to 48 hours after exercising and is characterized by tenderness and stiffness of muscles, as well as pain in the affected areas. It is not sport/activity specific, nor is it limb specific. It can happen to an athlete of any level participating in any sport, or non athlete. Weight lifters, rowers, gymnasts, runners, jumpers, swimmers - everybody is at risk. DOMS is tradionally associated with accumulation of lactic acid in muscles, which is not correct, and it has been confirmed by a number of latest studies (references available upon request).... MUSCLES posetech 2009-03-31T18:24:24-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000704.html Breathing in triathlon swimming is different from any other type of swimming for two major reasons - 1. nowhere else will you go head to head with hundreds of other athletes and 2. do that in an open water. How hectic can a swim start get? Let's put it that way. A stronger swimmer that happens to be behind you will swim right over you if he has to. You might and most likely will get hit by someone’s hands flying through the air. You might get a bruise or two, ingest some seawater and get pushed around a bit.... BREATHING posetech 2009-03-24T07:52:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000703.html Anybody can learn to swim better. First step? Drills. Dryland drills to be precise. Dry land is our natural habitat and this is where we can comfortably learn one of the most important things in movement of human body - perception of body weight. It is as important in swimming as in running and other sports. Why do we need to learn the perception of our body weight (not to be confused with body mass)? Because in the gravity controlled environment like ours, movement is nothing but change of support. And he who can change support better than others will... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2009-03-17T07:18:55-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000700.html There are three main components of development of higher level athletic abilities: 1. Improving your body physically, 2. Improving your perception and 3. Improving your skill level. Everything else either falls under these three categories or is a "side effect" of development of all or any of the three. All three are very interconnected and are very important, but nothing is as powerful and significant as perception. A slight change in perception can change everything. In running, Bannister's famous Mile run in under 4 minutes (3 min 59.4 s) is one of the most famous examples of breaking barriers by... PERCEPTION posetech 2009-03-10T09:17:41-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000698.html After posting of today's segment, this latest article was discovered. "Tiger has admitted to Golf Digest that the injury first occurred when he partook in "X-Games-style" activities as a boy growing up in SoCal". Golf looks like a very laid back type of game and it is indeed a lot less demanding than, say, running. While it is still somewhat physical, people normally do not expect to incur serious knee injuries that lead to surgeries. According to the Encyclopedia of Sports Medicine and Science, "there has been an increase in sports related injuries, particularly to the lower limbs". Rupture of... GOLF posetech 2009-03-03T14:03:49-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000695.html Anabolic steroids (aka dope) are artificially produced male hormones known as testosterone, they are illegal now in sports and should remain that way. Steroids are also being banned in production of food nowadays. (Who knew they were doing it to begin with?) Steroids can make women infertile, leave men impotent and cause serious birth defects. Steroids can have a negative impact not only on your body, but your life too and cause premature death. Here are things that you must know to see a complete picture. DRAMATIC INCREASE IN MUSCLE MASS. That's why the bodybuilders are hooked on steroids. Schwarzenegger... VARIOUS TOPICS posetech 2009-02-24T19:48:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000692.html When there is no coach in the picture to help you train, make various training decisions and evaluate your training and your progress, it is important that you yourself know what's going on and how to keep an eye on everything you do and how things pan out. The best part is that you really don't need to know all the details. By following the basic guidelines you can successfully conduct your own training sessions, avoid over-training and achieve good results. There is a "Golden Rule of Norm", formulated by Professor Anokhin in the 50-60s in Russia, that goes along... TRAINING posetech 2009-02-17T14:28:44-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000691.html Feeling tired after training is something that is desired by some elite and amateur athletes, approved by coaches and is often recommended as part of a good and effective training session. As if you're not tired - you didn't train enough. Luckily, not everyone agrees, as common sense dictates to some that being tired is not part of a normal program. A feeling of being tired after training is not a good thing. Period. It doesn't equal a good training session. It doesn't mean you improved. It doesn't mean you gave it all you got, at least not in a... TRAINING posetech 2009-02-10T10:57:45-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000688.html Cold weather could be a nice thing, but it could also mean sniffles, aches, spasms and fevers that we could do without. We all know to dress warmer, that's common sense (at least to the majority of us), but is there anything else you should consider? Absolutely. WARM UP INDOORS. This is an important part of training in general, and it becomes crucial in cold weather conditions. Warming up indoors oppose to taking your entire training session outdoors, will help you benefit more from the warm-up process and will help your body function better. If you've ever walked out of... TRAINING posetech 2009-02-03T09:45:21-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000685.html If you ask us - it is pointless and is actually slightly damaging, especially if you want to run fast. The irony? This is one of the most popular running drills for speed. The popularity of this drill is due to the visual misconception of the movement that happens during running. What looks like an active move, is a by-product of another move in reality. Let’s see, what running is. Running is a movement in the horizontal direction. Movement in the vertical direction has a different name - jumping. Now, back to the high knees drill - an exercise that... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2009-01-27T10:54:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000682.html Running is a key component of physical fitness and perhaps the most important aspect of conditioning for wartime duty. (Pfc. Christopher Gaylord). So it is shocking to know that an overwhelming majority of military service men and women, as well as incoming recruits, get injured while running. It surely doesn't happen due to the lack of desire to run better, or lack of preparation, or lack of physical strength, etc. It mainly happens because: 1) most of us were never taught how to run properly; 2) those who were taught, were taught to run in an inefficient, injury-prone manner. Running... MILITARY posetech 2009-01-20T15:55:19-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000678.html In general, better balance translates into a more coordinated effort and higher precision of movement regardless of sport, so working on balance should be an important part of any good training regimen for any athlete. But how does our balance affect our speed? The answer is - indirectly, but rather significantly. Now let's break it down to expose the inner-workings of fast movement. Centuries ago a visionary extraordinaire Leonardo Da Vinci (1452–1519) wrote the following about motion, balance, and foot contact: "Motion is created by the destruction of balance, that is, of equality of weight, for nothing can move... SPEED posetech 2009-01-13T11:31:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000676.html How's going barefoot connected to being healthy? Very directly. Lots of people have already found that out and are enjoying the benefits. Going barefoot holds many good things for everyone without exception. It will help you improve coordination, balance, perception, it will help you develop the foot muscles neglected and virtually atrophied due to wearing traditional shoes. Anyone even remotely familiar with Chinese medicine, or at least acupuncture, knows how vital the health of our feet is. A minor deviation could negatively reverberate through the entire body. Modern shoe industry completely disregards that, otherwise our shoes would look very different.... BAREFOOT RUNNING posetech 2009-01-06T23:57:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000674.html A friend brought a pair of Newton running shoes one day and asked to check them out. Before handing them over, he explained that he already cut a chunk off both soles. Considering the price of $175 a pair, it was a painful experience. Having heard about runners "shaving" the soles of their shoes before, it wasn't much of a shock, it was more of a disappointment. The goal of this article is not to disqualify these shoes (this brand is not the only problem), but to simply show, yet again, that no technology, no shoe, no gadget can ever... RUNNING SHOES posetech 2008-12-30T19:24:45-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000672.html POSE SPEED SKATING posetech 2008-12-23T15:11:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000670.html Cross country skiing has a 'traditional' || and 'ski skating' \ / techniques , where the latter one is considered to be the more efficient one. While there are differences between the two styles of skiing, the fundamental parts of movement are the same. Let's use the ski skating technique to look at what's going on in the technical department of skiing, since certain things are more obvious and easier noticed, while ski skating. While same things are happening in traditional skiing, as far as technique is concerned, they are less obvious there, as the straight || position of the... POSE SKIING posetech 2008-12-16T14:38:51-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000667.html Here on Earth, there are rules and regulations that were "written" by Nature and were in effect way before Adam and Eve came around. Many of those "rules and regulations" have to do with gravity and it's not a surprise, since gravity is the leading force in movement and in life. If gravity didn't work the way it does - none of us, not even the planets in our solar system would be here, or at least not in that shape and way. Is it not a puzzle that as powerful as gravity is, as omnipresent as it is and... GRAVITY posetech 2008-12-09T09:32:16-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000664.html Many of us can get away with lots of incorrectly performed movements during the day. But when any action is performed in an incorrect manner a thousand times, the negative effects will be felt, without a question. Let's take for example a person who has to walk miles and miles on a daily basis. While not too many of us would bother to even wonder, if there is a correct way to walk, somebody stomping out miles on a daily basis has already changed the shoes from casual to athletic and has been looking for other ways to better handle... POSE WALKING posetech 2008-12-02T13:13:01-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000662.html Got varicose veins? Try compression socks/stockings - they could help you! These specialized long socks are made out of strong elastic material and fit tightly from the foot to the knee/thigh. They are helpful in dealing with certain vein problems, but could have an adverse effect of eventually affecting the leg muscles and their natural work. As an old saying goes: too much of a good thing is always a bad thing. Who should wear the compression socks? Anyone who needs them, really. From the runners to the workers of various professions performing their tasks standing, and everyone in between.... VARIOUS TOPICS posetech 2008-11-25T10:26:43-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000661.html Training is a very individual process and training programs are always very individual masterpieces. They are specific structures of volume, intensity and exercise used in training, distrubuted over days and weeks of the cycle, allowing to achive cumulitative effect at the end of the cycle in a selected direction (exercise, distance). A knowledgeable and experienced coach can skillfully lead his athlete to better performance level, better results and a longer career in sports. Majority of people however do not have the luxury of working with a coach and are left to make training decisions on their own. Obtaining a good... TRAINING posetech 2008-11-18T12:40:21-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000657.html The subject of training for specific distances in running is not as simple or "obvious" as it might seem. Preparing for a marathon? Then you should run one during training! Getting ready to do a 10K? Then it only makes sense to run 10K during training. Have an 100, 200, 800m race coming up? Keep running until you believe you're getting faster! Right? Wrong! A final goal of anyone running any race is to try to run it with a good resulting time, or faster than before. But simply running more miles will not make anybody a better or faster... TRAINING posetech 2008-11-11T23:35:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000654.html As many other parameters of cycling that are traditionally thought to be depended on something else, the size of the chainring is also determined more by the level of your skill of riding rather than anything else. There are three main factors in cycling that separate the better cyclists from the rest of the pack: 1. Skill of movement (ability to use your bodyweight to your advantage). 2. Muscle strength and 3. Aerobic capacity. At the elite level, the latter doesn't play that big of a role because all elite cyclists have more or less similar aerobic capacity. If you... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-11-04T16:04:20-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000652.html What do swimming, golf, tennis, running, dancing or playing a musical instrument have in common? Give up? All these activities are taught through a series of drills! Back on the subject of drills, we'd like to re-emphasize their significance. Many naively think that drills are not important or that they are not for them. So when experiencing set-backs or no progress at all, they don't make the connection between improving technique and perception through drills, choosing instead to alternate routines or try something new, doing "whatever" hoping to get "somewhere." Technique is the cornerstone of an outstanding performance. And drills... TRAINING posetech 2008-10-28T12:03:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000650.html The proper bike fit and set-up is vital to your performance on the bike. Top cyclists in the world refine their bike set-ups and positions on annual basis. If you haven't properly set up your bike yet, it is something you would want to do sooner rather than later since an improper set up can result in injuries, besides being the cause of mediocre performance and slow racing times. All the experts in the world agree that the objective of a proper set-up is "to maximize a cyclist's efficiency, comfort and performance potential". However, all experts have different opinions on... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-10-21T14:19:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000649.html This article is not just for runners, or just for triathletes, or cyclists or any other athletes in particular. This is for every athlete who needs speed. How to become faster is probably the "hottest topic" of all time. Lots of material is available for reading, lots of advice, lots to consider. But let's sort through the clutter to expose the fundamental truth. What is it that can help us become faster now, and even faster over time? It is our technique. Our skill of movement. Who else agrees? Joe Friel, the author of "The Triathlete's Training Bible". In his... SPEED posetech 2008-10-14T15:11:56-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000647.html Unweighting in cycling is simpler than it sounds. To unweight your foot is to remove the weight of your body from that foot by shifting the weight to the other foot. When you see cyclists "throwing their bike from left to right" during races - what you're witnessing is maximum application of the person's bodyweight to the pedal by way of bodyweight shifting, which produces faster movement forward. The level of skill of transferring the bodyweight determines who goes faster. Unweighting is also often confused with active pulling of the foot up. The fact is - you can unweight your... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-10-07T14:25:17-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000644.html Riding uphill could be what breaks or makes your race. Majority of cyclists, amateur and pro, find it to be one of the most difficult parts of riding. This task, however, can be made easier if you know precisely what you're doing. Then it becomes a question of not pure survival but the level of skill. Instead of simply hoping to make it at all, a cyclist with a correct game plan and a trained ability to execute it is looking forward to the climb because this could be a chance to break away and maybe even a ticket to... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-09-30T12:28:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000641.html An improvement in the quality of cycling exhibited and experienced by an athlete comes partially by simply obtaining a better picture of what cycling is. Riding is not something you do to a bike, it is something you do with a bike. A combination of a rider and a bike creates an elegant system for human movement, and in a sense, the marriage of a cyclist to bicycle created the first cyborg, the original man/machine combination. Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Terminator and Professor K. Warwick. For such a seemingly simple device, the art (or science) of riding a bicycle... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-09-23T10:57:16-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000639.html Observing training of various athletes, teams, groups, etc, it is noticeable that there is a strange tendency to focus on some essentials and to completely ignore the rest while training and practicing. It is not clear what guides some coaches and athletes to select what aspect of which technique to work on, but it is painfully clear that the fundamentals are often being completely ignored. Ever heard a coach instructing his student by saying: "Hold the ball like this, with your index finger on point and then just throw it as far as you can". WHO is going to explain... TRAINING posetech 2008-09-16T15:44:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000637.html Breathing technique is part of the overall sport specific technique in any sport. That applies also to any other form of human movement. There is an optimal way to breathe during any activity, though in some it doesn't really matter, where in others it's crucial to overall performance. Breathing technique in swimming is of paramount importance because it can directly and significantly affect athletes performance. Just as with the swimming technique itself however, there is no consensus on the breathing technique for swimming. What we have are several approaches that bring in various logic behind them, and we have experiential... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-09-09T12:01:18-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000634.html The typical thinking today is that the stronger the better, the bigger the muscles the more physical strength you have. That is not correct. Our muscles are a part of a larger mechanism, by themselves they cannot and do not produce power or showcase strength. We will write more about it in the forthcoming articles and books, in this article we'll try to give you a simple image of what you need to aim for in swimming. Swimming technique taught through the Pose Method is primarily about change of support. As your body moves through the water, your arms work... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-09-02T12:15:32-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000632.html This is a very general and basic sample of a training session. Dr. Romanov's training sessions are precise and calculated for each individual athlete he works with, so while all of them use the same techniques, they train according to different programs. Just to offer you some guidance in making your own training sessions for now, below are a few recommendations for beginner level swimmers. A sample training session for runners is also available, click here to read it. 1. WARM UP. Just like a running session, or any other training session for that matter, every swim session should start... TRAINING posetech 2008-08-26T13:35:28-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000630.html POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-08-19T16:20:38-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000627.html SWIMMING TECHNIQUE posetech 2008-08-12T17:10:31-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000625.html Cadence in swimming has the same parameters as cadence in running. But compare to running, in swimming we have to consider the addition of body of water to the equation and that changes things slightly. For example, muscles' elasticity kicks in at 180 or higher in running, but in swimming muscles' elasticity doesn't work quite the same, while it is undoubtedly present and working, it's effect is somewhat muted because of the presence of water in which the body has to move. So what is the ideal cadence for swimming? There is no ideal, but there is an optimal cadence... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-08-05T11:09:08-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000622.html Pain in shoulders is a rather common injury in swimming. It could probably be equated to knee injuries in running. While there are many explanations available to justify the pain, there is really only one true problem - incorrect technique. So whatever you're doing with your swimming technique, if there is pain present - you need to adjust your technique. Pain should never be a part of your training. There are just a few things not to do to avoid pain in shoulders. DO NOT ACTIVELY PULL WITH YOUR ARMS. A much promoted so-called "pulling" action is one of the... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-07-29T08:52:18-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000615.html We've noticed that this topic was recently among the "hot" ones in magazines. Advice given was all "do it, it's good for you". Don't we wish it were THAT simple. An ultimatum like "don't do it" simply won't do it, so let's lay everything out in the open and you decide what it is you want and how much are you willing to pay to get it. Yes, you read it right, there is no such thing as a free breakfast, everything comes at a price. There are elemental constants and there are passing trends. While this is not... TRAINING posetech 2008-07-22T16:05:15-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000612.html In this article we'll focus on the swimming paddles for beginners, since virtually everybody reading this article is considered a beginner when it comes to pose swimming. We will write about the use of paddles for advanced swim training in the future articles. Dr.Romanov does not favor any particular brand, so we'll give you pointers regarding the specific shapes and sizes that you should be looking for or staying away from when selecting your swimming paddles to start learning pose swimming. Pose Swimming is all about change of support just like pose running and pose cycling. If there is no... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-07-15T15:18:05-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000609.html This article is written primarily for complete newbies and beginners, but it could also be helpful to experienced and competitive Triathletes. The open water swim is considered by many as the hardest and worst part of Triathlon. Some are completely put off by it - hence the invention of a sport called Duathlon where swimming is eliminated altogether. But since you're reading this article, we bet you're looking for ways to make the mayhem of the swim a better experience for yourself. Below are a few suggestions that will help you succeed. Technique, technique, technique. As with other sports, you... TRIATHLON posetech 2008-07-08T15:42:31-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000604.html There are plenty of reasons to work on achieving a proper technique in any sport of your choice and there are even more reasons to work on maintaining that technique. These tasks require focus and dedication, but the return on your investment of time and effort could be of unprecedented heights. One thing is for sure, if you ignore your form, it will not get any better and will most likely only get worse over time, but if you work on it, then at the very least you can bet on staying injury free and in the best case scenario... POSE TRAINING posetech 2008-07-01T17:09:48-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000602.html Do we recommend clipless pedals? No and yes. It depends on a couple of things. We don't recommend using clipless pedals to beginners and anyone looking to improve their cycling technique. These devices would not help in development of proper perceptions needed in cycling technique and they would actually simply get in the way since those things require their own getting used to. "Falling over" seems to be one accepted funny "hurdle" on the way to pedaling with clipless technology. It also takes a precious second or ten to get out of them so you would benefit on shorter distances... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-06-24T18:12:30-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000600.html Gravity is now mentioned everywhere - advertising, articles, interviews, etc. It is talked about in relation to running, walking, shoes, bras, and a few other things. All of that is great and it shows that trends are changing and we, as a human race, are becoming even more aware of what's really going on around us and how we fit in. However, gravity is still very much the elephant in the room and it is treated as something that "applies to this but not to that", "it is here, but not over there". Fact is - gravity is a silent... GRAVITY posetech 2008-06-17T17:36:24-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000598.html There are different recommendations offered and almost all are based on the same facts. It is how these facts are interpreted that makes a difference. You could be riding like Lance Armstrong or simply spinning your wheels based on conclusion you make. It is a known and an accepted fact that somewhere between 12noon-6pm (if you look at the position of the pedals as a face of a clock) is a “power” part, but some say to follow all the way through the 360 degrees of the circle, and others say to pull the pedal through and back up to... POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-06-10T14:47:44-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000596.html Yes, you can swim as good, as those Olympians do. You can learn how to operate your body in the water as swiftly and as smoothly. The task might seem daunting at first, since despite all the research, study and theories, there is no consensus on proper swimming technique and conventional academic swimming instruction varies. On top of that, the naturally talented ones can't really tell us, what they are really doing. (When Mark Spitz' coach, legendary Dr. James Counsilman, asked Spitz to describe his technique, Mark's detailed answer that followed was very different from what he was actually doing... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-06-03T16:11:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000593.html 1. REMEMBER GRAVITY. If you thought that since this is swimming there's gonna be no talk about that whole "gravity thing" - think again. Gravity is here to stay, at least for now we hope. If gravity goes - so will we. We feel it's presence and work through our own body weight. But remember that our body weight is not our body mass. Our body weight plays a significant role in our movement - any movement. Swimming is no exception. Contrary to the traditional view of swimming technique as a "pull arm through a specific trajectory/push the water with... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2008-05-27T08:00:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000590.html Icing was always a part of athletes’ life, but never to the extremes it is today. It almost seems to be the most recommended treatment for injuries, especially so in running. One can find heat application being recommended also, but not nearly as much as it should be and sometimes not for the right reasons. Icing or cold therapy with ice is recommended primarily for numbing the pain and reducing the swelling. Since pain is our body's signal that there is a problem and swelling is reduced by freezing the tissue, in reality icing does nothing more than masking... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2008-05-20T11:40:40-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000587.html The topic of a correct or good posture has been touched upon in many of our previous articles but we never talked about it in detail. So, in this article we'll go over the definition of a proper posture from the Pose Method point of view and it's role in running. Everything starts with gravity. It is at the top of the "correct hierarchy of things" that we keep referring to in our articles. If it wasn't for gravity we wouldn't even look the way we do, to say the least about the way we move. While it's an omnipresent... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2008-05-13T08:48:30-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000581.html To know the answer to this question, one has to understand the purpose of the "pull" in running. In the Pose Method of Running, the pull is the last element of the technique that allows for the most efficient transition from one foot to the other. That's the purpose, now let's elaborate. Running is nothing but "change of support". If all we need to do is change our support, then the ultimate goal is to do that action with the least possible effort. Actively working just one group of muscles - the hamstrings - fits the purpose. So to run... POSE RUNNING posetech 2008-05-06T09:53:40-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000580.html Proper strength conditioning helps you create and maintain your ideal body and is a vital step on your way to an injury free lifestyle in sports and in general. Good strength training can add that extra "umph!" to your movement when you're out and about simply handling your business. Proper strength training regimen is very important and will also help you develop a great looking, super performing and well balanced body without any "bodybuilder" bulges or endurance athletes' trademark muscle-free frames. In running, when the objective is to move the body forward through space and time, every fiber of your... POSE TRAINING posetech 2008-04-29T08:37:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000575.html In the sea of advice on sports techniques available these days from various sources, it is easy to get lost and forget what's important, what's not important and what simply "comes with the territory". To truly understand the importance of acquiring the proper technique, one must clearly see the benefits of doing so. To many, technique is nothing, but a word that is so often used by others. My technique, your technique, technique this, technique that... before you know it, technique becomes a trendy topic and a blur. So, let's cut through the clutter and clarify the true significance of... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2008-04-22T17:36:32-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000574.html The answer to this question is really a lot simpler than it seems, but still so many runners are plagued with various knee injuries. Today we answer this question for you, hoping that you will benefit right away and continue running with pleasure instead of pain. So, how to avoid knee problems in running? First, you have to understand the correct role of the knee in running and, second, use the proper running technique. Just think, if you don't know how to use something and don't understand the intended way of using it, there is a strong chance that you... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2008-04-15T09:01:17-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000571.html Have you ever wondered what really makes a champion? What are the characteristics, what are the qualities that one must possess to be a champion? Our innate physiological abilities predetermine our position in competitive sports, and for the most part not much can be changed. But there are other qualities and abilities that we can work on and experience great improvement. The basic requirement to success in sports is of course technique, technique and technique. But assuming that you got a handle on that, this is what Dr. Romanov considers the next level of development of a champion. State of... POSE TRAINING posetech 2008-04-08T08:12:01-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000564.html With various running styles available these days, it is now common to hear forefoot, ball of foot, midfoot (still can't digest this one since midfoot is actually the arch of the foot and it's not possible to land on it, but hey, I guess such mental imagery can help some?) or flatfoot striking recommended over the heel striking style. So, today, let's talk about what we can safely call "the worst way to run" - heel striking style. Before we go any further, let's state what the problem with heelstriking is. Majority of runners are heelstrikers and running is associated... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2008-04-01T18:03:17-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000563.html RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2008-03-25T12:48:32-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000560.html MUSCLES posetech 2008-03-18T12:39:43-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000556.html Dorsiflexion is a common occurrence and it is not clear for many whether dorsiflexion is good or bad in relation to running. From the Pose Method point of view dorsiflexion is not good and it does not produce any benefits in running. Dr. Romanov considers it a BAD HABIT that needs to be corrected, "dorsiflexion is a foot movement upward produced by the activity of the front part of shin muscles...We see it often in heel striking runners as a preparation for landing on the ground. By this movement the runner's heel becomes a leading part of the foot during... LANDING ABNORMALITIES posetech 2008-03-11T13:51:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000554.html There's been a need to write on this topic for quite some time now. It is a pity to witness so many lost in a maze of tibias, femurs, gluteus maximus, etc. In an applaudable attempt to understand the movement of the human body, some unwittingly cross into a very specialized territory of human anatomy and physiology. Yes, it is very interesting and fascinating, but dissecting your body is completely unnecessary if your only goal is to be a better athlete. And more often then not, it brings more confusion than clarity and understanding. There are different kinds of runners.... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2008-03-04T10:40:48-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000547.html MARATHON posetech 2008-02-26T22:24:33-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000543.html This article is written for everyone who is struggling with various aspects of the Pose Method of Running. You could be a beginner or someone who has been attempting to learn the Pose Method of Running for some time. Whatever stage you're at - read on, this particular article is your "green light" to go ahead and allow yourself to be great. As the title suggests - all it takes is a leap of faith - faith in yourself and your innate abilities and talents, as well as faith in the Pose Method of Running. Yes it is so... POSE RUNNING posetech 2008-02-19T22:51:03-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000541.html A recent post on the forum summed up a topic for today's training article. Some beginners seem to have trouble understanding how to go from Pose running drills to actual running and going for a particular distance. There was valuable advice given by the Pose Coaches and forum members, but all of it was rejected as "non-answers". This is not the first time it's happening. So let's take a look at this situation and try to get to the root of the problem. How does one transit from drilling and running short distances to "simply running" and running longer distances?... POSE RUNNING DRILLS posetech 2008-02-12T21:23:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000539.html Today we bring back the topic of raising physically well-developed children. Majority of parents recognizes and understands that while everybody is born with a certain potential, whatever it is, it needs to be developed and worked on regularly. It takes attention, work and time to help your children develop the various essential skills. Before developing the skills, however, children need to develop their bodies to provide adequate physical strength to support further development, where everything is in good balance – good strong arms, legs, feet, etc. The entire "system" needs to operate in unison, for it is only as... KIDS posetech 2008-02-05T14:18:55-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000537.html Just like the rest of the Pose Method techniques, the Pose Method of Throwing is a system for teaching human movement (throwing) through key body positions or poses that allow for the best and most efficient movement/energy transfer in our gravity controlled environment. POSE THROWING posetech 2008-01-29T19:04:21-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000535.html
What is "training" for you? Here's what it should be - a process of developing of your various skills.]]> TRAINING posetech 2008-01-21T23:58:18-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000533.html This is a rather interesting topic and it has occasionally come up on the forum in the past. Reading about it again recently, prompted this topic for our "Training Tuesdays" this week. What is sound and how can we use it, in our case, to learn to run better? PERCEPTION posetech 2008-01-15T23:40:46-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000531.html NOT EVERYBODY HAS IT – AND IT'S OK. No you're not weird for not wanting to eat early in the morning. A lot of people skip breakfast, and it's ok as long as you're not hungry. Don't eat if your body is not asking for it. Why stuff it with something it doesn't yet need? IT HAS TO BE EARNED. Food is our source of energy. In order to have the need to replenish the energy, we have to spend it and have the space available for new stuff to come in. That is natural and healthy. NOT THE... NUTRITION posetech 2008-01-08T16:51:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000528.html Today we'll talk about how to become a better cyclist. As with the sport of running or most other popular sports for that matter – anybody can pretty much do it. So it's HOW we do it that makes all the difference. Below are the 5 steps to becoming better at cycling recommended by Dr. Romanov. Follow these and ride like never before! POSE CYCLING posetech 2008-01-01T19:59:46-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000527.html What sounds like a marketing ploy is actually an old but forgotten truth. Jumping as an activity, as an exercise, is one of the three basic ones that are considered "the natural physical movement" of a human being. Those "natural movements", running, jumping, throwing, and other natural activities collectively called "Track and Field" were part of the Olympic Games since the beginning. Jumping as a movement is listed along with other natural human movements, but the effect that it has on the human body, puts jumping in a league of it's own. Compared to other athletic activities, the effects of... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-12-25T21:22:09-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000525.html It is interesting that if you look for the definitions of this word in the modern dictionary, you can really get a good idea of the true meaning of it. The reality is however, that while it is not hidden, it is overlooked. The general meaning of the word "FIT" can be summed up along the lines of being "suited to the circumstances", "meeting adequate standards for a purpose", "physically and mentally sound and healthy", "in harmony with". So, what circumstances should we be suited for? According to today's prevalent point of view, we should focus on developing specific body... FITNESS posetech 2007-12-18T14:27:32-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000523.html The general claim is that stretching will help you warm up and relax your muscles, and it's good for you. It is actually believed that it is important to stretch before training or racing. Sorry to disappoint you but stretching does not do any of those things. To warm up before training, you need to actually do a "warm up" routine. Instead of relaxing muscles, stretching actually tenses them and can tear the muscles, so if you feel sore and tense after your stretching routines, now you know why. STRETCHING posetech 2007-12-11T16:17:59-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000521.html
It is necessary for every athlete to be aware of these important signs of being overtrained.]]> POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-12-04T14:47:03-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000520.html When you decide to take up something new and exciting, it is always tempting to go all out and "fully prepare" by getting the most expensive gear that is not always needed at first and is not necessarily better than other less expensive products. Today's article is written for newbies in attempt to help sort through the clutter of information on gear and focus on what really matters when you're just starting. TRIATHLON posetech 2007-11-27T18:33:35-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000518.html
Glutes or gluteus maximus is the largest and most superficial of the three gluteal muscles in each buttock that arises from the sacrum, coccyx, back part of the ilium and adjacent structures, that is inserted into the fascia lata of the thigh and the gluteal tuberosity of the femur, and that acts to extend and laterally rotate the thigh. It makes up a large portion of the shape and appearance of the buttocks. ]]> HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2007-11-20T00:44:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000514.html This article is for complete beginners in the sport of triathlon, but it could also serve well the athletes that have been doing triathlon for a while and would like to improve their results and take their performance to the next level. Wherever you currently stand - this article is your first step towards success in Triathlon. Name dropping tends to get people's attention, so besides the 3 National Tri Teams officially using it, here are a few star athletes that have been implementing the Pose Method in their training for several years now: Andrew Johns, Tim Don, Hunter Kemper,... TRIATHLON posetech 2007-11-13T15:44:00-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000511.html Let's begin with a simple fact - 99% of people (coaches, athletes, doctors, physical therapists, almost everybody...) do not have a proper understanding of the role of the achilles in running. We all know what it is and where it's at, but not how it works. We're not talking about observing achilles at work and then describing what we think we see, we're talking about knowing it's intended function and how it's supposed to work in running. HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2007-11-06T17:52:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000508.html When it comes to technique and training, it is very common for novice runners or athletes in general to believe that what they think they see is what is really happening. Do we see things as they really are? Or do we only see what we know and understand? When a person in a position of influence speaks - people listen and accept it “as is”. We "filter" lots of information that way. But in the absence of a leading opinion, we're left to decipher everything by ourselves. If we do not have knowledge of a particular subject, then our... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-10-30T15:37:31-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000506.html RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-10-23T16:54:01-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000503.html When first starting with the Pose Method of running, majority experience calf soreness. While it is a common occurrence, it can be prevented and avoided. Follow the guidelines below to glide through the "beginner stage" and to build a lasting foundation to provide for a great running technique. START JUMPING ROPE AS SOON AS YOU DECIDE TO LEARN POSE RUNNING. This is one single best step you can do to help yourself! Start doing the jumping rope exercise as soon as you decide, and continue on while reading and learning. Start lightly and gradually increase the duration. You can also... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-10-16T19:34:53-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000501.html Runners always ask about Dr. Romanov's training routines - what's included, in what order, how many reps, etc. While all real training sessions are built around each athlete that Dr. Romanov works with and everything is suited to fit his/her particular needs and goals, there are basic guidelines that will work for everyone. For runners who are already familiar with and can execute the Pose Running Technique fairly good, Dr. Romanov recommends to follow the below described basic structure of a training session. It will help you build a solid foundation and develop good training habits. It is easier to... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-10-09T11:05:16-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000500.html Do babies need shoes? If yes, then when and what kind? It seems to be a big hustle for parents to choose the right ones, and what is interesting that the whole hustle is about their look rather than anything else. By the time the baby makes its first steps with his beautiful little feet (at the age of 9-10 months) the sleepless mom is more concerned about the shoes as a decoration than a tool of improving his ability to walk. Do we think that this aspect doesn't mean anything for babies? Do we think that they are too... posetech 2007-10-02T17:51:48-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000496.html The head position is a crucial point in making the muscular system of the whole body engaged in a specific way, which could be more or less efficient and balanced depending on the head position orientation. Therefore, as a consequence, the movement of the body could be more or less balanced and efficient, as well. The base for this influence lies in the anatomical and physiological structure of the head. With such organs as vestibular apparatus in the ears and cerebellum, directly defining and regulating the body's position in space, the head has an exceptional influence on any movement. This... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2007-09-25T18:40:39-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000493.html It is quite a frequent injury in runners, and not only the beginners, or amateurs, but in elite, as well. It happens during running on an uneven surface, on trails full of rocks, roots, hidden holes and at a sudden change of surface. Most often ankle sprain goes laterally – outside, damaging ligaments and tendons of the foot, which could take a runner out of activity for quite a long time. In severe cases it could last a month or longer. But the most bizarre thing about ligament and tendons is that they keep this memory for a very... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2007-09-18T10:33:55-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000491.html Isn't it an interesting question? The list of runners' concerns could be easily extended, but the concern of "how to run" still would not be there. If I start teaching somebody how to drive a car from a perspective of what he is supposed to drink, which shoes he is supposed to wear and so on, but not from the point of view of technique and skill of driving a car, I wouldn't last too long as a teacher in this field, have no doubt about it. But guess, how many people have a luxury of being a coach in... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-09-10T23:54:17-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000489.html This element is the foundation of the Pose Method of running and basically is the model of Pose technique. As a model it is a very simple form, a position simulating very closely, but not fully, real running. Change of support is the function of falling forward from the Pose, which is a vertical and balanced position of the body on support. As you know, you can't move forward unless you move out of balance-lean forward. This is where the forward movement comes from. But this is only half of the deal. If you don't get back to the falling... POSE RUNNING DRILLS posetech 2007-09-04T20:45:03-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000487.html I recommend this exercise at all my clinics, presentations, private lessons and consultations. Why is it so useful for running, and especially for the development of running technique? What benefits can we get from such a simple exercise? How can you use it and incorporate into your training routine? To illustrate some positive aspects of this drill, I would use boxing as an example, where jumping with rope had been very popular since the beginning of this sport. When was it “invented” and by whom is unknown, at least to me, but it became one of the most easily recognizable... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-08-28T01:02:01-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000485.html In the Pose Method of Running we use many different exercises and tools to learn and teach the key elements of running: Pose-Fall-Pull. One of the most efficient tools for this matter is the stretch cords, which we are using to develop a proper perception of all three elements. I call them framing exercise, because the goal is to develop a perception of the Pose and other related elements. I would like to repeat again that the logic of the Pose Method of Running is to utilize external forces through use of key elements. But in order to do this,... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-08-21T16:06:43-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000483.html Just to illustrate how urgent this problem is I would like to quote a member of the Pose Tech running forum, named "roobarb" (I have no knowledge of the real name of this member) replying to my article on the web site: "I couldn't agree more with what was said. My daughters do sport but I never felt like pushing them because I watch the coaching people receive and the skill of movement is not only not taught, I don't think many coaches do even know it exists." Yes, it is the ever-present problem, which is not recognized yet by... KIDS posetech 2007-08-14T10:12:46-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000481.html Certainly it is a profound problem, not the one for a short article on our website, but, nevertheless, I want to touch upon this subject even if only on a surface level just to start a topic for much longer and deeper discussions, which would possibly lead us to a better understanding and more serious steps in our discovery. I just returned from the National Basketball Tournament in Orlando, Florida for kids 14-15 years of age. It was interesting to see so many talented kids playing together, representing different states, schools, coaches’ teachings and philosophies. As much I enjoyed watching... KIDS posetech 2007-08-07T09:06:50-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000479.html Culture - latin cultura - fineness of feelings, thoughts, tastes, manners, etc., civilization of a given people or nation at a given time; development of the mind or body by education, training, etc., behavior that is socially taught, rather than instinctive or individual. Thorndike-Barnhart Student Dictionary, HarperCollins Publishers, 1992 p.270. My daughter's advice and discussion on Pose Tech's Running Forum initiated by Poser123 made me think about this topic, which was supposed to appear anyway in the long run, as an urgent necessity. Why do we need to talk about the Pose Method, especially in relation to running, in connection... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-07-31T12:06:22-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000475.html The question of how to land the foot in running is not a new one developed just recently. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century there were developed several different points of views. For instance, P. Bokin in his book "Walking, Running, Jumping And Other Kinds of Natural Motion of Humans," published in 1910 in St. Petersburg, Russia, discusses flat foot landing, which he considers to be the most useable, heel landing, useable sometimes, and toe landing, very rarely used in running. He sincerely believed that landing on the heel allowed the runner to... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-07-24T08:40:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000474.html Why is there a battle over how we are supposed to land in running? Why has such a seemingly simple question become so complicated and the subject of discussion? During the running boom of the 70-ies through the 90-ies it has become a well-known and well-established opinion that landing on the heel is the only option to run properly, with less injuries, more economically, etc. Any other options were rejected for no obvious reasons or for some made up reasons such as: landing on the forefoot is only suitable for elite runners, etc. Well, there was no scientific proof or... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-07-16T22:37:32-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000471.html The knee is an anatomical part of our body called a joint. The knee is one of the most important joints of our body. It plays an essential role in movement related to carrying the body weight in horizontal (running and walking) and vertical (jumps) directions. In general, the importance of knee joints can’t be overestimated. In fact, it is so obvious, that there is no necessity to try to prove it. But besides this obvious fact, there is also some other information about their function in running, which is very valuable and should be understood. Traditionally, in the conventional... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2007-07-09T23:22:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000469.html Does running in combat boots make our run different, and if yes, what is this difference? On the one hand, it seems, it should be different, but on the other, knowing the fundamentals of the Pose Method philosophy, you feel, it shouldn’t. Where is the truth? What is the point of discussing this problem? What relevance does it have for us? Obviously, running in combat boots is not your every day exercise and it is not for every one. It is restricted to people of specific professions working under specific conditions and in specific circumstances. Nevertheless, the task of running... MILITARY posetech 2007-07-02T23:08:03-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000467.html POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-06-25T23:29:55-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000464.html It would be logical after discussing a bad running form to move to a good one. What are the characteristics of a good running form? How are they defined in conventional running paradigm and why? Mostly a good running form is described loosely. It looks like the one that we discussed in the article on a bad running form, but possessing only positive attributes. These kinds of descriptions mostly come from observation of elite runners and are based on some commonly accepted images of movement described as: Effortless Light Smooth Without muscle tension With quick legs turnover With short support... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-06-19T09:14:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000462.html When we talk about running technique, there inevitably comes a question about good and bad running technique. If we can’t distinguish one from the other, than there is no way to correct what is wrong and to learn what is good. This problem existed, in one way or another, in all spheres of our life, throughout entire history of humanity. It was always resolved, in every field, by developing a standard at each step of historical development. Application of this standard made it possible to recognize any deviation as an error or mistake and make a step to a higher... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-06-12T18:28:56-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000460.html "Necessity is the theme and the inventress, the eternal curb and law of nature." Leonardo da Vinci Endurance. Conditioning. Fortitude. Perseverance. Willpower. When the word 'triathlon' is mentioned in polite conversation, the above qualities are most likely to be associated with the sport. With images of epic struggles on the lava fields of Hawaii seared into the collective subconscious, the popular view of the sport is that it is one prolonged exercise in prevailing against the odds and enduring massive suffering until the finish line is reached. This is understandable since, with the exception of the avowed non–swimmers among us,... TRIATHLON posetech 2007-06-05T15:51:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000459.html There are lots of people coming to our forum and asking what to do when they don't have a luxury of stopping running completely, and taking some time off, for example some army guys, who cannot just stop running, because they have to do it 3 times a week with their battalion, or some high-schoolers, who train with their school team. So what would be my advice for people who want to start learning pose, and want to get on the right track, but can't stop running? How and where to start and how to go on? Well, it is... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-05-29T11:56:29-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000458.html Just came back from my last, one-week, trip to New York with some fresh impressions from my clinic in La Palestra, a private club, located just across the street from Central Park. An impressive city as always, full of life with lots of everything: shows, shops, restaurants, skyscrapers, crowds of people, lots of celebrities and lots of runners in the park racing and training. New York is always at the top of everything regardless of the field and is also a good litmus test for new things. Twelve years ago I was doing my presentation on the Pose Method of... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-05-22T21:05:02-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000457.html As we discussed before in the previous articles the idea of the existence of the same technique for everyone is still alien for most people. When we speak about the difference between an average Joe and an elite runner, it seems enormous. On the surface, for the naked eye it looks very different, indeed. In “average Joes” we can see slower pace, lower cadence, visible efforts applied and no harmony of movement in general, while in pro runners with their fast pace, high cadence, effortless and harmonic movement, everything seems to go just easier and smoother. Well, it is certainly... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-05-15T13:56:50-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000455.html Conventional, everyday experience plays an interesting game with our mind when it comes to our knowledge about running. We are so accustomed to our vision of “obvious“ differences in technique between sprinters and marathoners that we do not bother ourselves to get any other opinion on this matter. It seems that everything, from your personal experience to pictures from ancient Greek vases and modern art, photographs in magazines, and books, images in movies and TV tells us the same thing again and again - that there are elite runners and everyday joggers, sprinters and marathoners, etc. So our motto:... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-05-08T18:42:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000454.html Common vision of running as a difficult and almost impossible physical exercise for overweight people, which could crush their bones, joints, ligaments and tendons, is unfortunately confirmed by reality. In spite of obvious benefits running could bring to their cardio-respiratory system and consequently for their overall health, the possible injury side of this exercise scares away people with overweight condition. Is there no hope? Are these people condemned from running once and forever? The answer is no, there is hope and this hope is the Pose Running technique. One of the most asked questions I am faced with at my... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-05-01T16:35:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000452.html WHAT IS RECOVERY? By Thorndike-Barnhart Student Dictionary (Harper Collins Publishers, 1992, p.924) recovery means “coming back to health or normal condition.” This is the main meaning of this term, but the problem is to know what is the normal condition or in other words – the standard condition. The sport science has no distinct definition of this term, it is too descriptive to be usable in our training. Nevertheless, we are operating with this term, using it more or less close to it meaning. We are guided mostly by our feelings: “I am tired, I need a rest to get... RECOVERY posetech 2007-04-24T20:23:39-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000449.html Modern technology allows everybody to have and easily use video cameras letting us have a look at ourselves from aside. It is particularly important to do when we are talking about movement in order to get some feedback. So the idea of having a feedback is very good, if you know what to look for. Video analysis, being a seemingly simple thing, will not give you any result, if it does not contain an accepted standard to compare your performance with, and if you do not have special knowledge for performing such analysis not only qualitatively, but also quantitatively. There... VIDEO ANALYSIS posetech 2007-04-17T02:23:06-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000448.html HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2007-04-11T02:39:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000447.html In general all newcomers to the Pose Method have similar problems. It is lack of perception, lack of general and specific strength, low level of skill of execution of the major elements of the Pose Method - pulling the foot from the ground, not enough elasticity for interacting with support (ground) in an efficient manner. There is a tremendous confusion about the easiness or difficulty of learning the Pose Method and about the simplicity or complexity of its concepts. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify, at least some basics, to prepare you theoretically for learning the Pose Method. First of... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-04-03T15:39:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000445.html Every once in a while we read on Pose Forums statements like: "well I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing but I still have aches and discomfort, and it doesn't feel right and I just don't understand what the problem is." It sounds like a dead end and I'm sure it must feel like a confusing dead end to what you thought was going to be a solution to your running related dilemmas. Now let's examine this situation. When you say "I'm doing everything I'm supposed to be doing" do you know for sure that you're doing everything the... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-03-27T20:53:05-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000443.html First race brings many questions and uncertainties, lots of expectations and worries about your skills and an ability to be where you would like to be, concerns about which shoes you need to wear and the weather. Only one thing is certain - that everything is uncertain and the nagging question inside: “What to do and what to remember?” doesn’t let you find peace. Well, you should know – you are not alone experiencing this hectic condition, but knowing that won’t make you feel better. You’re still starving for knowledge and a desire to reduce unknown factors. First of all,... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-03-20T17:18:14-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000439.html "I have not been able to run for almost three months now with the ball of foot pain, sort of like a neuroma. I went to a physio and the thoughts were that it is not a neuroma and not a stress fracture. It remains a medical mystery. I had severe pain under the second metatarsal joint and paralysis of that toe. The whole thing started with a lot of arch pain and then settled into that extreme metatarsal pain. I have minimal arches to start with. The fifth metatarsal is also a bit sore, but not nearly as extreme."(Lynn)... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2007-03-13T14:01:46-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000438.html RUNNING SHOES posetech 2007-03-07T02:14:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000437.html This topic popped up on our website seemingly from nowhere, with an attempt to give an explanation for its use as a facilitator of the Pose Method. Some description of backward running came from an article on our website and gave an idea of using its biomechanical similarities as the base of positive implementation of backward running into teaching Pose. Certainly I am familiar with this article, but I never paid any attention to this similarity and never saw backward running as a facilitator of the Pose Method technique, even though I occasionally used it myself in teaching and training... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-02-27T21:05:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000434.html This must be a very important question for everyone who is running, if we are returning to this topic again. The question of how to breath is not new at all and appeared in works of Plato and Galen, Avicenna and later E. Kant. They emphasized the importance of breathing for human health and particularly the way of breathing. The act of breathing was an object of intense attention in philosophy of yoga, in religions of ancient Egypt and in Buddhism. We have grasped something from the past; modern science has tried to understand the essence of breathing for our... BREATHING posetech 2007-02-20T20:26:37-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000432.html I guess, many people run on hard surface, but some have no other choice, but concrete as their “preference”. Conventional medicine put running on hard surface as one of the most important causes of injuries. And at first glance it seems to be a logical conclusion. Indeed, isn’t concrete really a hard surface without cushioning, which could create an impact on our body? It is difficult to say “no” in this situation. But is this true? How many people still run on the streets of New York, London, Paris, etc. and have no problem with the surface they run on?... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-02-13T12:09:22-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000430.html There are lots of myths about drinking ice-cold water (hydration) and regulating the temperature of the body. No question, a glass of ice-cold water on a hot day gives you tremendous satisfaction by cooling your mouth and stomach. But does it really satisfy your thirst? Does it deliver water immediately to all your tissues and cells? Does it cool down your body, and reduce its temperature? I have no idea where these opinions come from, either from somebody's personal experience of cooling perception or just from anecdotal info passed from one friend to another. Theoretically, according to "The Biology of... NUTRITION posetech 2007-02-06T17:02:00-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000429.html Very often, may be more often than I want to see, I observe people running out of what could be considered an acceptable running technique. The thing is not so much about running technique itself, but about movement in general, which, to put it politely, could be described as lacking basic culture. The whole picture appears to be consisting of lots of different movements barely connected with the main movement – running. When you look at a good dancer, or any other skillful performer, you can see only the leading movement without noticing other small details accompanying the main one.... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-01-30T16:43:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000424.html How do we learn everything? Obviously, in everyday life there are lots of things we can learn by - books, manuals, instructions, and sometimes just by common sense. It refers to learning to work on a computer, cooking food, assembling some simple gadgets at home, using some machinery, etc. Even exercises could be learnt by video/book instructions. Last several decades saw the development of ideas in health and wellness by using exercise and fitness which are now accepted as a part of everyday life. Sport education materials are produced on a high business level. It almost eliminated the necessity of... POSE TRAINING posetech 2007-01-23T20:48:12-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000421.html Needless to say, how important this topic is for runners of all levels. It usually takes one quite a long time to figure out his best individual diet through positive and negative experience of using tons of advise from different sources (books, magazines, web sites, coaches, athletes and friends). I am not going to advise you any certain diet, but I would like to set up your mind in a certain direction to help you find out the essence of this problem. During your experimental time you could find something suitable for you, but you’ll still want to have something... NUTRITION posetech 2007-01-16T18:08:20-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000420.html The reason we turn to this topic is a continuous discussion on Pose Tech running forum about relations between the Pose Method and running economy. The cause of this discussion was an article in Journal of Sports Sciences (J Sports Sci. 2005 Jul;23(7):757-64.) ”Effect of a global alteration of running technique on kinematics and economy”, Dallam GM, Wilber RL, Jadelis K, Fletcher G, Romanov N., with a conclusion that the global change in running mechanics associated with 12 weeks of instruction in the pose method resulted in a decrease in stride length, a reduced vertical oscillation in comparison with the... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2007-01-09T15:51:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000419.html It is typical to have this kind of discussions around running and any other movement - how to use these or those muscles to make our movement/run, bike, swim, throwing, etc, better. There is a ton of advice to "squeeze" one group of muscles or the other. On Pose Tech's running forum in discussion "Butt Running" it goes to squeeze the butt or low abdominal during running and then it goes to development of these muscles. And each one is telling that this one "helped me" and perhaps "could help you". Who is right and who is wrong? May be... POSE RUNNING posetech 2007-01-02T01:40:20-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000418.html I hoped that I made things clear about drills in my previous article "To drill or not to drill?" We use drills to develop our perception; what follows are the by-products, which we call coordination, agility, muscle strength, quickness and so on. But from the discussions on the forum I see that this was still not enough to make your drills more meaningful and easier to perform. Are we missing something? I think so. I think we are missing something tangible to bring more sense into your "drilling" procedure. Let's look at the performing of drills in a simpler way,... POSE RUNNING DRILLS posetech 2006-12-26T17:24:14-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000417.html Why are we going back to this topic? Well, the importance of it comes from several points: First of all, this is a useful exercise for developing our perception of support. Second, this is a very good, specific to running, strength exercise. Third, it is a very good workout for our cardio-vascular system. There are obviously pros and cons for the use of running on sand, as anywhere else, and we need to understand the positive and negative sides of it in order to make the most of it for our training in running. If we start from the negative... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-12-19T14:01:54-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000414.html A proper foot position on landing is a very important part of your running technique but ironically it is not the one that you should focus on. Proper foot landing should become your second nature. For that to happen you need to do it many times over and preferrably do it right each time. How do you repeat one move again and again? You do drills that are designed specifically for that. But let's start from the beginning. What is the proper foot position on landing? On the ball of your foot with the body weight centered over it. The... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-12-12T15:23:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000411.html How to breathe in running? Deep…Smooth…and Quiet! I am just kidding. In spite of the fact that breathing is a "natural" and "automatically maintained" process in living organisms, it would be a mistake to think that we know "how" to breathe. It is a question for many athletes, elite and recreational runners and just for normal people. It is really important, I would say, vitally important for our existence. Breathing is a question of life and death. Just a 2-3 minute break in our breathing function could cost us our life. And most of us are well aware of that.... BREATHING posetech 2006-12-05T15:38:44-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000406.html Click here to see more images at washington.edu Hips are several pelvic bones performing several important anatomical functions such as a support for internal organs and tissues, for vertebras or spinal column, and a place of attachment of the leg's bones. Another important thing is that hips are an interconnection place for biggest muscle groups of the trunk and legs and at the same time they are a biomechanical center of the body, which means that application of all forces providing body's movement occurs through this place. Yes, this information is clear enough to consider hips as a very important... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2006-11-28T17:18:49-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000405.html Improve your balance with IndoBoard! The fact that we are returning to this topic for the third or fourth time tells me that somehow it has not been addressed satisfactorily. Discussions about the arms work in running continue and the essence of this is continually debated in terms of the "intricacies" of the angle of bending, positions of holding and even the level of tension in the hands and fingers. Such debate goes beyond a reasonable approach and basically points - on the one side - to an overestimation of the work and role of the arms, and -... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2006-11-21T15:20:26-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000404.html Yes, it is a problem to be at the desk all day. There are lots of negative consequences from this if do not know how to deal with them. These problems can range from mild fatigue in the lower back through to soreness in the hips, sciatic pain or even piriformis syndrome. The strange thing is that all of these problems occur from simply sitting for a long time in the same position - a position not seemingly "dangerous". In the beginning this position creates only a slight discomfort and nothing more - but left unchecked it will cause any... POSE TRAINING posetech 2006-11-14T02:01:27-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000403.html Running injury know by the name "runner's knee" is an injury with the pain located on the tendon below knee cap. This tendon attached to the knee cap and to the knee extensor muscles - quads. This injury has highest rate in running community and goes up to 35 % of all injuries among runners. Originally this kind of injury was associated with high jumpers and called "high jumpers knee", but because runners over numbered with occurring of it "priority" with the name was given to them. What is the essence of this injury? Mostly it is the pain in... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2006-11-07T18:44:12-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000398.html Dorsiflexion is a foot movement upward produced by the activity of the front part of shin muscles. At this position the front part of the foot is higher than the rear part in relation to the horizontal plane. What's good or bad about dorsiflexion activity? Why do we need to talk about it? It is both a simple and complicated problem in running. Where is it coming from? As I mentioned above, a mechanical part of it consists of moving the foot upward, but how much value does it have for our running for most runners is unclear. We see... LANDING ABNORMALITIES posetech 2006-10-31T14:32:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000397.html Feet pronation is one of the most frequent problems in running. It is a foot position on support rotated in opposite direction of supinated foot, with the bottom to the lateral and the top to the medial side. Landing on the ground side is the medial rear (the heel) part of the foot. During such landing the ankle joint is shifting to the medial side. The questions here would be the following: Why are runners landing this way? Are there any benefits they gain? If not, then what is the reason to continue to do this? Is this about genetic... LANDING ABNORMALITIES posetech 2006-10-24T15:04:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000394.html Supination is the position of the foot before landing with the foot oriented to the ground with the lateral part. We are not concerned about supination from midstance, because body weight is already off from the BOF and hence there is no excessive load on the foot. Touching the ground happens on the lateral edge of the foot. By itself it is not a big deal and it doesn't really threaten you, if it doesn't go to some extremes in terms of putting your body weight on the lateral side of the foot instead of touching the ground. Supination is... LANDING ABNORMALITIES posetech 2006-10-17T14:47:49-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000393.html I hear and read this all the time – I just want to run! I can’t be bothered with learning the technique! Why complicate simple things like running! I just want to go out and enjoy the run! And so on, so, I believe an article on this subject is due. Here's a very basic generalization of things and it’s a good start for everyone looking for a “quick, no obligation, fix”. Yes it is possible to run good not using a 100% pure Pose Method technique. I do it! I’m a recreational jogger, I run to “relax” and “get... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2006-10-10T13:27:06-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000392.html We have been discussing this topic for a while on the forum, but, I guess, for many runners the importance of using this device for the improvement of their running technique and running performance is still not clear. So I have to get back to this topic to bring more light and understanding to this matter. Let's start from far away, from a general notion that all our life contains some rhythm or many different rhythms such as heart beats, breathing, work and rest, day and night, a moon cycle, a year, etc. Our running is just a small... POSE TRAINING posetech 2006-10-03T12:49:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000390.html I had a request to discuss this topic a long time ago from one of our clinic's attendees in London. He had a job requiring all day staying on his feet and had lots of problems due to such overloading. It is not just about feet, but also knees, hips and low back, but for now we'll talk only of feet problems. It is obvious that staying a long day on your feet has negative consequences. It is nothing new. Everybody is aware about this and can predict that it will happen one day. So the discussion will not go... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2006-09-26T01:41:39-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000388.html There are a lot of problems related with our understanding and not understanding the role of feet in running. The range of these problems goes from slight soreness to heavy injuries. I am not getting into the injuries now, we'll discuss them at a later time, let's talk about our understanding of what do feet really do in running? The major problem is to understand what they do and what they do not do. From this point of view our next questions are the following ones: 1) how much and to which part of "what they do" do we have... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2006-09-19T17:07:53-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000385.html Certainly, it is not about obesity problem among runners, but it's similar to it from a common sense point of view: what to eat and how to eat? This topic always comes up in our discussion, no matter how much I try to avoid it. In running this is the most provocative and uncertain topic (after technique, of course). After the question about the mileage you need to run, the next one will be certainly be: what and how I am supposed to eat? I am usually getting into sarcastic mood at this point, because we are supposed to know... NUTRITION posetech 2006-09-12T13:22:41-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000383.html This news shocked me to the depth of my heart and soul in the morning of September 4, 2006. It was the first news I got on the Internet. Crocodile Hunter, the incredible Ausie, Steve Irwin, is gone forever. He was only 44 and could have a long life ahead with his mission of wild life conservation. He was a real man with his own mission in life, it was his destiny, as I can see it now. Was it a freak accident or something beyond our understanding? We can only guess now. It left us with all our thoughts... posetech 2006-09-05T11:09:28-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000380.html Note from the editor: This article is dedicated to the parents that are coaching their offspring and could use some help. Let's talk about the basics of teaching your 10-15 years old kids to run. From parenting to coaching - First Essential Steps Admit the unpleasant reality: your kid doesn't know how to run. You can get an evidence of it by just comparing the video of your kid running with the video of an elite runner. As the guidance you can use the video analysis on the Pose Tech web site. You need to have an agreement with your... KIDS posetech 2006-08-29T14:41:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000377.html Why do we need to talk about this topic? What is balance? Do we know the definition of it? What is important about balance in running? The word sounds very familiar to us. We seem to be so much involved with balance in everyday life, that it seems like we know what it means. We use this word when we talk about everything around us: music, painting, building and movement. Balance of the size, balance of notes, and balance of colors. It is a commonly used concept related to many aspects of our life. What is the meaning of the... BALANCE posetech 2006-08-22T13:16:05-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000375.html This topic was discussed on our forum already and an article was written, nevertheless, we are returning to this theme again because new questions are raised. The essence of these questions is: Is flexibility equal to stretching? Flexibility is defined as our ability to bend in our joints. It has 3 major parts: Mobility of joints. Elasticity of ligaments and tendons. Muscles relaxation, providing their lengthening ("stretching"). All three parts require a separate approach and development in one single body. Stretching is a wrong name for flexibility, because the meaning of it is to forcefully pull muscles, tendons and ligaments,... FLEXIBILITY posetech 2006-08-15T12:56:12-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000373.html All these on-going discussions on our running forum about the Pose Method® create some fear and hesitation in newcomers about the complexity of the Pose Method®. So, is the Pose Method® simple? Yes, it is, on the one hand, and it's not, on the other. The concept of the Pose Method® is indeed very simple, it has just three elements: Pose-Fall-Pull. Most of our readers are familiar with these concepts theoretically and practically, but why do these simple things become so difficult? The major obstacle is people themselves, with their desire to get everything easy, almost for free. But, as... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-08-08T02:06:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000372.html What is the best S-like body shape you should have in running? This seemingly simple question became a topic for discussion because of no clarity on this matter. I do not see any problems in posing any questions as long as they allow us to understand things better and clearer. This question indicates the lack of comprehensive description of the running Pose, which makes it difficult for newcomers to understand and learn the Pose Method, so it's necessary to return to its explanation with more depth and clarity. The original running Pose was based on the description of a mid-stance... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-08-01T01:00:23-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000371.html According to the dictionary (1), shin splints is a term used loosely to describe an "over-use injury characterized by dull aching pain, associated with exercise, felt along the shins, either to the inside or outside of the main shin-bone ("tibia"). Shin splints in medical terms are called: "posterior and anterior tibial bone strain and fibular bone strain"(2). With some sense of humor T. Noakes in his book "Running Injuries"(2) wrote:" In the 1900s, before the running revolution, there was really one running injury. As long as you were a runner, and you hurt somewhere between the big toes and the... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2006-07-25T12:19:54-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000370.html Body Temperature Limit One of the most vital components of a successful training in the heat is an ability to sustain the temperature of the body at a level allowing its efficient functioning. Professor T.Noakes in his book "Lore of Running"(1) wrote: "To live, we humans must keep our body temperatures within a narrow range (35 to 42° C) despite wide variations in environmental temperatures and differences in levels of physical activity. However, during exercise, the conversion of chemical energy stored in adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into the mechanical energy that permits exercise is extremely inefficient; as much as 70 per... POSE TRAINING posetech 2006-07-18T12:30:44-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000369.html It seems to be a simple question, but the answer is complicated. Heat is a complex problem, which should be approached from the points of view of your mental, psychological and physiological conditions, your technique, your food and drink, your outfit, shoes, your time of training and training load, the weather conditions during the race you are preparing for. Heat could be complicated by dry or humid air. If you live in a place where heat is normal, such as Arizona, South Florida, or Texas and you are supposed to race there, it is one story. But if you live... POSE TRAINING posetech 2006-07-11T14:17:26-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000367.html An interesting question, isn't it? On the one hand, as we all know, everyone who learns something is doing it through drills - in swimming, tennis, golf, etc. On the other hand, it is boring stuff, especially in running, where our common sense doesn't even speak of drilling at all. In running we just run, and now we have this new fashion - Pose drills. Is it really so necessary to go through this "trouble"? And if there's no way we can do without it, then what's the minimum, we have to do? The problem sounds something like that, I... POSE RUNNING DRILLS posetech 2006-07-04T12:13:37-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000365.html Pulling is the second most important element of the Pose Method of Running. No matter how many times we said that pulling should just be enough to break the contact of the foot with the ground, over-pulling, or pulling with too much effort is still an issue for Pose runners. The essence of over-pulling is very simple: most runners do not feel or perceive how much is enough to break contact with the ground and in what direction the pulled foot goes. The right perception of the pulling effort and the pulling direction is still a blurry thing for runners... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-06-27T00:37:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000362.html To many newbies and occasional runners this might sound like a dumb question. But seasoned runners know that wearing the shoes right is just as important as wearing the right shoes. Most of running related injuries comes from bad running technique and bad running shoes. Plenty was written on the subject of running technique, and we've talked about getting the right shoes. Now let's discuss how to wear those shoes. Dr. Romanov's recommendation on this matter can be summed up as follows: Wear running shoes in your size, i.e. don't leave a lot of room for toes Lace them up... RUNNING SHOES posetech 2006-06-20T14:12:33-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000361.html What is range of motion in running? Is it equivalent to stride length? These questions appear again and again on our running forum. How are we supposed to understand these terms and how are they related with our running technique? Behind these questions stand our past experience and understanding that fast running is somehow related with longer stride length or bigger range of motion. We consider these terms as something similar, almost synonymous, though have some doubtful feeling that it may not be so. But because we use them freely and interchangeably in our everyday life and nobody argues about... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-06-13T02:15:04-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000358.html POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-06-06T18:23:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000357.html When we think about fast running or how to run faster our common sense image is about muscle power, efforts, stride length, strong push off, full leg extension, some kind of huffing and puffing. These are all "symptoms", which we are familiar with and easily associate with fast running. So when we are getting into a necessity or desire to run fast we are trying to replicate these "symptoms". In layman terms, just copy them. But it is very strange to do this because looking on running of elite athletes we are observing just the opposite. There is no huffing... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-05-30T11:22:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000355.html There is no question that we need to know how to run slow, because it is the biggest part of our exercise, no matter what we are training for: racing or health improvement. But from my own experience I found out that paradoxically, it is difficult to run slow with a perfect technique. I found out that a slow run creates mechanical and psychological difficulties of executing the major components of the Pose Method of Running. And as a consequence, it could create anatomical and physiological discomfort and even lead to injuries. So what are the difficulties of slow running?... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-05-23T00:44:09-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000354.html The first step is important in any running because it sets a proper or wrong pattern of repetitive movement and basically defines the whole run. So, we could say that our run is as good as its first step. Most runners have no or very slight idea about how they do the first step. It comes from a seeming insignificance of it and most coaches and athletes are usually not paying too much attention to it. And indeed, why we should pay attention to the first step, when a whole running technique is something that we consider natural, meaning that... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-05-16T00:50:07-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000350.html There is a certain interest in the Pose Walking (PW) technique*, which I am trying to satisfy through our short video clip and the present article. There is no possibility to present all aspects of this topic within this short article, so it’s just a brief introduction and some instructions. In spite of quite a significant difference between running and walking they have similar or common mechanical and biomechanical premises. Because we live in the gravity field we subordinate to this law no matter what kind of movement we produce at the moment. Walking in this case is no different... POSE WALKING posetech 2006-05-09T01:09:41-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000349.html There is a discussion on the Pose Tech Running Forum about the foot landing, which goes around Jeremy Huffman´s comments on this matter. I found it interesting how many interpretations and explanations came up during this discussion. There are some proper visions of this problem, but without any system of reference, which doesn´t allow us to accept this or that point of view expressed by the opponents and allows the use of quite different interpretations and “excuses” for landing this or that way. Nevertheless, the underlying reasons for all our actions are in our reality and our relations with this... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-05-02T01:35:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000346.html It was always a very interesting topic for me since I began developing the Pose Method in the mid 70s. At the beginning of the 80s I did expert analyses of running technique of school children from the 1st to 10th grade through several schools during normal PE lessons with my colleagues, university teaches and highest qualification track and field coaches in my town in Russia. We were looking for the data of how many kids were running close to what we called a standard by comparison with technique of the best runners of that time. The results of these... KIDS posetech 2006-04-25T01:09:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000345.html In all these conversations and discussions about how we run there is always one point missing: what is common in running of humans and animals? May be even simpler: what is common in running of kids and animals? How do they do it? Our understanding of the way we move, and particularly, of the way we run in historical retrospective, can be reduced to the conclusion that we do it by our muscle work. We are so much accustomed to this vision of running as a result of muscular power production that anything different from that immediately sounds as a... KIDS posetech 2006-04-17T23:10:44-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000342.html Increased heart rate in running during learning the Pose Method technique is a very common occurrence and it brings up many questions about this matter. Why does the heart rate go up? Is it a normal thing? When does it come back to normal? How does this increased heart rate affect our training in the Pose Method of running? In general, the heart rate level is an indicator of our efforts and energy costs to do some work. The reasons influencing the heart rate could be divided into two major groups - physical (mechanical) and psychological (emotional). The physical... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-04-11T00:31:39-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000340.html What does it mean to have strength in running? Does it affect your ability to run longer or faster? Is weight lifting a necessarily part of training in running? Those are not simple questions. There are tons of questions like these, if we start thinking in this direction: What level of strength is enough for running? What is this strength about? Is it about muscle size or something else? How many exercises and which ones of them are enough to keep strength condition on a level facilitating your running ability. I am not going to answer all these questions now,... POSE TRAINING posetech 2006-04-04T00:32:27-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000335.html I know that this topic is very sensitive and I have to come up with something helpful for people who are stuck between their desires to lose weight through running and not being able to run. This is a vicious circle for many people who got into this unpleasant situation. Is it possible to overcome this kind of obstacle? My answer is "Yes", but you have to go through some restrictions and discipline in your life. What we'll talk about is a common sense level, but it requires your commitment and mental focus. The body weight loss is a by-... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-03-28T11:56:43-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000333.html This question came up during a coaching meeting in the Netherlands and it reflects a very interesting mind-set regarding performance from coaches and athletes. Indeed, what can we do when fatigue emerges in our run? Do we have some options in how to deal with fatigue? Obviously not many options exist, nevertheless many coaches and athletes "hope" that there are some magic tricks to go around, gambling with rising fatigue by using something yet unknown to science. Is it a question "what do I do?" when a tennis player, swimmer or any other athlete in any other sport get tired... POSE TRAINING posetech 2006-03-21T14:15:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000331.html Downhill running looks deceptively easy. However, from the experience with extensive downhill course such as Boston Marathon, it is very well known how devastating it could be even compare with the flat course. What is the problem lying beneath this? First of all, it is a skill of a runner to know how to use to his/her advantage and how to avoid trouble running downhill. What is the advantage of downhill running? Oh yeah, everybody knows how easy it is to "fly", "roll", downhill by gravity pulling until you can't handle it. So, from one side, you don't need to... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-03-14T12:11:35-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000330.html An interesting topic came from our readers who are trying to fit long running workouts into their daily routine as before and after day time office job workouts. But for this matter they have to run from home to the office with a backpack, which brings some discomfort, if we do not know how to adjust our run accordingly. What kind of adjustments can we do to make running with a backpack comfortable without sacrificing anything in running technique? Nothing really should be changed in major elements of running such as Pose-Fall-Pull, jus some adaptation to the specifics of carrying... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-03-07T01:03:44-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000329.html Old habits die hard. - Proverb Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that carry them far apart. - Confucious Habit is "a tendency to act in a certain way or to do a certain things; usual way of acting" as it described in Thorndike-Barnhart Student Dictionary (Harper Collins Publishers, 1992, p.496). Our habits are part of our life, influencing our lives to an extreme level in the good and bad direction. We fall into the habit of doing things not because they are good for us, but because we or somebody else got us into the habit... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2006-02-28T01:54:32-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000327.html When you are getting something new in your life, whatever it might be (a car, a house, a computer, etc.), no matter how much better it could be than your old one, you are going through some uncomfortable period of adjustment to it. It takes time, efforts, and patience to start enjoying a new thing. You need to exert some psychological and mental efforts to accept a new thing in your life as something that you want and therefore are ready to sacrifice for it with a temporary discomfort in order to get a better quality of your life in... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-02-21T13:45:03-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000324.html In spite of a seeming simplicity of this topic we need to have this discussion because of continuously coming questions on this matter. What are the difficulties in understanding the upper body position? There is some uncertainty about the head, neck, trunk placement and eyes focus, which we need to discuss in order to understand their role in the whole movement such as running. What are these parts of the body doing or should be doing to make our run efficient? Does it look like as a million dollar question? There is a general approach to understanding their role in... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-02-14T14:50:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000323.html The last thing I want to do now is to start promoting and selling the Pose Method. But people ask this question every single day and I have to answer it again and again. So I have to repeat myself. What I usually say to our students at each clinic is that I am not trying to persuade anyone, change anybody's mind and sell some product. The Pose Method philosophy is a philosophy of sharing our limited knowledge of how to think, perceive and perform running. I am sure that it will help you, no matter at what level you... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-02-07T00:18:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000320.html It is an old topic on our forum, but we return again to it because there are people who still suffer from not knowing how to run uphill and downhill. In spite of a seeming simplicity of this topic there is still no clarity about the skill requirement for uphill/downhill running. The purpose of this article to emphasize the most important points in skill improvement for this specific running. The essence of the skill here is the same as in flat running: how to use gravity to our advantage and how to reduce work against gravity. In uphill running there... POSE RUNNING posetech 2006-01-31T14:04:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000315.html POSE RUNNING DRILLS posetech 2006-01-24T02:58:59-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000309.html No matter how much I dislike talking about tips, I have to do it now because there is no time to write a manual for treadmill running. I'll do it later as a separate chapter for one of the planned books. For now I would like to pretend that it is a short version of it. We prepared a video clip with Severin for our Wednesday's Video presentation, which, together with this article, will give you some insight into treadmill running. As I mentioned before, treadmill running is a good tool for use in bad weather, dangerous outside conditions,... RUNNING ON TREADMILL posetech 2006-01-17T12:03:08-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000304.html In general, we all have the impression that flexibility = stretching. That flexibility is just as simple as stretching your muscles in order to lengthen them to get a bigger range of motion. We misconceive that after stretching, we can relax our muscles, and by doing this, prevent ourselves from injuries. This is what we have been taught, educated by press, articles and books in the fitness field. There is a long-standing misunderstanding about what flexibility and stretching are all about. Flexibility, ("flex" means "bend", or ability to bend) as a bio-motor capacity, is the ability of your joints to... FLEXIBILITY posetech 2006-01-10T02:32:50-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000300.html First of all, I would like to state that pain in low abdominals is a very unusual thing in running, if it is not related to something like flexing the body by lifting your legs or the trunk. I think that pain is the result of some improper movement, which means that a specific muscle group was involved in improper activity, which could have been wrong timing or a response to the request of more activity than they could handle. To continue with this line of logic, we should think of why could the abdominal muscles be involved in any... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2006-01-03T02:06:17-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000299.html In the absence of a video analysis and the feedback of Pose Tech coaches you basically have to rely only on yourself in order to keep your technique proper. What can we use to provide self control and correction to maintain good technique? How do we recognize the right and wrong technique in our running? We have only our mind and our senses or our perception in our possession to recognize the right or wrong technique perception. It comes as a perception of time, space, muscle efforts and tensions, body weight location, pressure on the ball of the foot, sound,... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2005-12-27T00:46:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000296.html The existing understanding of the role of toes in running is based more on our imagination and "common sense" approach rather than on any serious science research. What we think to be the function of toes in running is coming from our vision of running, where the picture of the "hard work" of toes in the so called push off is the most crucial element of running with its own name: toe off phase. In the old understanding of this element of running, it is the stage where the most powerful thrust, forward propulsion is taking place and toes, especially... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2005-12-20T02:16:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000290.html Q: I am interested in trying your technique. I have been bothered by neuromas in my feet . Does your technique work if you have neuromas? It appears that your technique would put more pressure on the forefoot? Thanks for your help. John A: A neuroma is a swelling of a part of a nerve caused when the nerve gets pinched. In the foot it is called a Morton's neuroma, an interdigital neuroma, or a plantar neuroma. It usually affects the nerve between the third and fourth toes or, less often, the second and third toes. The swelling, or neuroma,... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-12-12T22:19:51-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000286.html "To be or not to be? This is the question" This is how the push off problem looks for many people participating in this thread on the Pose Tech running forum. This reminds me of the Russian revolution, where everything was divided into two extremes: either you are with us or against us. Fortunately the world doesn't exist in this polarized reality, but on the opposite, it exists as a cooperative, integrated system, where everything can have its own place. One of the best examples is the third law of Newton: every force has an equal and opposite force, both... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-12-06T02:07:12-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000280.html Skidd 777, I am flattered by similarities you mentioned between Chi and Pose. The biggest difference, you think, you see, is that Mr. Dreyer advocates lifting the leg by using the hip flexors rather than the hamstrings. Please, get the Chi running DVD and you will be surprised to see that Mr. Dreyer doesn't "advocate" using hip flexors anymore, but shows how to lift the heels by flexing knees in air. I can't imagine how it is supposed to be done by hip flexors. From the book to the video it is a quite radical shift in "understanding" of running... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-11-29T02:10:24-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000275.html It's one thing to know that orthotics are not helpful to keep you running pain-free, and it's another thing to stop wearing them after many years. We all have our habits, which become our second nature, which we don't want to change. We get fearful just at the thought of any possible change ahead, because we don't know what the outcome could be and it forces us out of our comfort zone. The benefits from the change seem to be illusive and it is questionable if there is any sense in taking this risk. That's what's going through the mind... ORTHOTICS posetech 2005-11-21T22:13:47-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000270.html It doesn't seem to go away and people constantly ask the same questions. People want simple answers. Nobody is listening to the reasoning about the use of orthotics. So I am going to write in a simple way as much as possible. My recommendation is to stop wearing them. Return them and get your money back, and start thinking differently about this matter. According to Dr.Lyle J.Micheli (The Sport Medicine Bible, 1995, p.p.121-122), orthotics are shoe inserts designed to correct some abnormalities, such as flat feet, high arches, feet pronation and as a treatment for the ITB (iliotibial band) syndrome... ORTHOTICS posetech 2005-11-15T13:39:27-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000266.html As I mentioned in the previous parts of this topic, the question about push off is a very interesting thing for me, very challenging and exciting. I was taught, as everybody else involved in training and racing in track and field, that push off is the cornerstone of technique and the most efficient way to best results in running. So I did perform millions of "special" exercises to develop my ability to do push off. I became very good in performing these drills, but my running abilities didn't improve too much. On the opposite, the better I got with exercise... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-11-08T01:47:45-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000262.html The original article below, devoted to the present topic, was published in Biomechanics of Distance Running in 1990. As you read the data and conclusions from this research you'll see that the running science community was not ready to accept the idea about the role of gravity as a motive force in running. A classical vision of gravity as a vertical force only was predominant in the scientists' minds and didn't allow them to look at the facts from a different aspect. The most important thing there, a relationship between extensor muscles and gravity as one non-conflicting system with... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2005-11-01T01:47:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000248.html Due to Hurricane Wilma, our Training Articles service is temporarily interrupted and will resume next Tuesday 11/01/05 Apologies for this inconvenience.... posetech 2005-10-26T16:10:18-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000242.html I am returning to this topic because of the ongoing discussion on our website after our recent video presentation. The answers already given by Epberlin and Jack are very good, and I just want to clarify again the meaning of this important element of running in Pose Method. The requirement of foot release on landing means that we shouldn't focus on landing, but only on pulling, which includes several different things. One of them is minimizing to almost nothing any preparation for landing, with no muscle work for this matter, no special movement of the foot or the leg. The... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-10-18T02:09:26-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000241.html I never wrote anything about one particular person, but man, Jack deserves it. I would like to add my own congratulations to those of many others who were happy to find out about his racing performance. It's not just an incredible PR of someone who made his journey to the marathon. It was a discovery of the man who showed us an approach which is brand new for the age group competitive runners. I enjoyed reading his post race comments and answers to the questions asked by our forum readers. There are lots of things there interesting to anyone who... posetech 2005-10-11T02:11:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000236.html So what do we have to do to get our running injury free? If we understand that neither "special" shoes nor any "helpful" equipment can help us in this endeavor, what can? I have only a trivial answer, well known for a long time. It is your own skill and lots of work. Hard work is well accepted in the running community, but that's not what I mean. We need a special work to develop and perfect our running skill, where technique is just a part. Running technique is our material base for developing our skill of running, but without... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-10-04T00:04:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000232.html I was forced to write on this topic by my daughter Lana, who felt that we were leaving this area in a shadow, in an equivocal, illusive state, as if it's something that people can handle by the way, by some magic trick, pill, new shoes, equipment, overnight change of something or by some "simple" formula, etc. I could continue this list forever, but I guess you get the idea. The underlying ground for our discussion should be an old saying, "there is no such thing as a free lunch", which I often heard from my good friend, a very... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-09-27T01:41:19-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000229.html From the beginning of the running boom in the early 70s we know that in running together with the pleasure of it we get a lot of problems with injuries. Runner's World magazine survey stated in 1977 that 2 from every 3 runners are injured every year. And this problem remains unsolved even now, only today it's happening on a larger scale, because the number of people running increased from 15 million in 70-ies to 33 million at the beginning of the 21st century. No matter how much the design and quality of sport shoes have improved, how much... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-09-19T22:49:40-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000225.html The best confirmation of theory is practice, where all the concepts, rules, etc., come together in one single act of doing. In running it is changing support from one leg to the other. And real run, no matter what length and speed it is, is only one step at a time repeated through the entire distance. Therefore the whole run depends on how good and perfect this single step is. Yes, it is as simple as that. But simple doesn't mean easy, because what you have to accomplish happens not over a long time of some distance running, but during... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-09-12T23:34:50-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000220.html People have been thinking about the role of gravity in movement throughout the entire time of recorded history. Some of these thoughts were very insightful, as those of Leonardo da Vinci, for example, who considered the body weight to be the major cause of human (and animal) movement. Newtonian mechanics allowed us to see gravity as the main component of interaction between physical bodies and calculate different parameters of this interaction. Modern times mechanics applied to human movement, called biomechanics, got developed to a very sophisticated level and helped us to understand human movement better and successfully apply this knowledge... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-09-06T01:31:11-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000219.html On the surface, it looks, as if different moves require different muscle involvement. And this observation is seemingly confirmed by images from different sports, with the emphasis on specific muscle groups, body shape, etc. At the same time, it is obvious that every movement involves a huge group of muscles around the central part of the body, which we call the core muscles. At the present time, the term "core exercises" is in the air and everybody talks about it as a fashion topic, including runners. But what are the "core exercises" and "core muscles"? In what way does strengthening... MUSCLES posetech 2005-08-30T01:58:33-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000214.html Hamstring injuries happen mostly in short running distances and sprints. Nevertheless it is a common injury for long distance runners as well. Anatomically the hamstring muscles are representing a group of muscles of the posterior thigh, consisting of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. Hamstrings are major extensors of the hip and strong flexes of the knee. Biceps femoris is the most lateral of the three hamstring muscles. It has a two-headed muscle with the origin of its long head on the ischial tuberosity, and the origin of its short head on the linea aspera and distal part of the... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-08-23T01:02:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000211.html Prevention of the plantar fascia problem is not an easy task because of the anatomical location of the tissue. This tendon is right on the cross section of all forces acting upon the body and is involved into, practically, any movement of the body. It is difficult to isolate it from the movement in order to give it some rest or reduce its work in any way unless we are not doing it for the whole body. Nevertheless, it is possible to prevent the problems by sticking to some simple procedures: Learning and perfecting running technique on a constant basis... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-08-16T01:51:38-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000209.html Any treatment should consist of several necessary parts, involving different aspects of human organism functions, such as mechanical, physiological, psychological, mental and spiritual. Successful treatment usually includes all of them as a holistic approach, in which, according to ancient Chinese philosophy, we should treat not the injury, but provide for healing of the person as a whole. Modern medicine, unfortunately, compartmentalizes treatment and "rationalizes" it to just anatomo-physiological problem solution, in which a person, with his/her mind, concerns, fears, way of movement, almost doesn't exist. Then, everything reduces to just tissue treatment, leaving the rest behind, out of touch.... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-08-08T23:22:14-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000204.html Description and cause. Treatment. Prevention. This injury is considered a common complaint among runners. By some sources it affects only about 8% of runners, nevertheless it seems to be a very well-known injury for most of them, which is confirmed by Pose Tech Forum discussions. Thus, we return to the topic again. Modern medical community doesn't support our approach to solving this problem by changing one's running technique and neuro-muscular patterns. Instead they offer some conservative treatment with cortisone shots, pills, different kinds of physiotherapy: massage, exercise therapy, etc. Another option is surgery. Though they use the word "prevention" in... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-08-02T00:38:26-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000202.html An interesting question was asked by Eric Epberlin from our forum about the use of shoes. His question was about the alternation of shoes with very thin soles, as Puma H-Street, to other more cushioned and formed shoes, depending on the length of running, readiness of feet (their muscles, ligaments, and tendons) to handle the load from fast and long running and the necessity to give them some rest. Despite my own recommendations of transferring your run to more thin and unformed shoes, I would say Eric's question made perfect sense to me. I know that many people need... RUNNING SHOES posetech 2005-07-25T22:18:51-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000198.html This topic became some kind of fashion in running community, so I felt it is necessary to share my limited knowledge and experience on barefoot running with the hope that it would be also beneficial to readers-runners and triathletes. What are the benefits of exercising barefoot? There are many beneficial aspects of barefoot running, it: Helps to develop better perception of the contact with the ground, which allows us to interact with support more efficiently, place the body weight on the foot more precisely; have better timing of the contact with the ground. Develops muscle strength, particularly in those groups... BAREFOOT RUNNING posetech 2005-07-19T11:43:05-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000194.html 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... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-07-12T11:14:22-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000193.html POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-07-05T18:46:00-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000188.html In response to an ongoing debate on Pose Tech's Forums Pieter, your hero, Benno Nigg, as you quoted, made a statement that "It is not yet understood how the human locomotor system adapts to a particular treadmill running situation". Nevertheless, you are questioning: "How can this be different in biomechanics?" Biomechanics is the science of applying the laws of mechanics to locomotor systems or biological systems. It is different from simple mechanics, because here we are talking of living beings and we also have to consider how to apply these laws through their psycho-emotional and mental systems. The next question... RUNNING ON TREADMILL posetech 2005-06-27T23:23:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000182.html When the main perceptions of the body weight location on the ball of the foot, falling forward and pulling the support foot from the ground have been established (the beginning level), then the intermediate level starts. Alongside with extending the time of holding these elements for a longer distance, we need to bring along a new level of perception with its variations, when the speed, length, psychological and physiological conditions are changed. So, the next step will be to execute the main elements of running technique at a different level of difficulty: with resistance, for a example, with free weights... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-06-21T01:06:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000180.html In the Pose Method we learn the skills of falling and pulling, which are based on our perception of them. Falling means leaning forward from the vertical body position, where the GCM (General Center of Mass) of the body is located along the vertical line going through the ball of the foot on the ground (the support). Why is this so important? Because only from this position the body can fall forward and we can use gravity as a propulsive force to move the body forward. So in order to use gravity we need the body to be located directly... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-06-14T02:26:27-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000175.html Fred Wilt was indeed an Olympic distance runner and became a famous writer and advocate of running in the 60-ies and 70-ies. His most known book "Run, run, run…" is an incredible collection of articles on science, history and methods of running and reflects his passion and desire to bring real knowledge to people. The value of his work is indisputable. However, not everything that he wrote on running technique still remains on the same level. It is necessary to introduce a modern understanding to his outstanding work and give to him appropriate credits. Below are our explanations of 10... RUNNING TECHNIQUE posetech 2005-06-08T18:34:38-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000173.html Despite many discussions of this topic before, it comes back to the forum again and again accompanied by questions which require better and more detailed explanations about the process of learning. How to avoid some problems at the beginning of exploration of the Pose Method? How to make this process more efficient and pass quicker to the highest level of performance? It is necessary to remind you that the Pose Method was developed as a biomechanical model of running and the way to teach it. The conceptual base of the model states that running is the skill of using the... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-05-31T10:53:33-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000171.html Understanding the difference between stride length and range of motion continues to be an area of confusion that has been difficult for many of my students to overcome. All too often in my clinics, I find that I need to keep coming back to this point, to clarify the biomechanical and psychological differences between these two properties. I can only imagine that this misunderstanding arises from our collective attachment to the existing paradigm of what running "looks" like, or the "exo-view" of running. This "exo-view" is so engrained in us, that I am often surprised to find that my students,... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-05-24T00:38:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000169.html Full description of Pose method of swimming will be featured in our book of "Triathlon Techniques". In this short web site topic we are giving just an introduction to Pose Swimming technique, based on general principles and concepts of movement in Pose Method: Using Gravity/ Body weight, Support, and Change of Support. The swim is the first leg of triathlon and as such is the barometer and initial indicator of the athlete's performance throughout the whole race. Finishing in the lead group of the swim gets you into the lead group on the bike, so efficiency in this leg of... POSE SWIMMING posetech 2005-05-17T12:21:06-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000165.html I would like to state from the very beginning that treadmill running is a good solution when the weather conditions are not favorable for running outside. It is also a good tool to make your run more comfortable having a good control of your speed, workout length and even of some biomechanical and physiological parameters. However, treadmill running has some special characteristics that do not match the ones of running on the ground and therefore have different values. Recently this topic became a subject of discussion on the Pose Tech Running Forum. Are treadmill and over ground running the same?... RUNNING ON TREADMILL posetech 2005-05-03T18:43:45-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000162.html This topic was discussed repeatedly, but it is still necessary to return to it again in order to clarify some more details. As we know, most runners have a very negative experience running through a hilly course and especially so during a marathon. Undulating terrain brings a lot of problems to elite, competitive, and recreational runners alike. That's why it's very important to know how to deal with this, in other words, to learn a special technique of uphill/downhill running. From the outside point of view, it may look that the uphill and downhill running techniques are different. But in... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-04-26T01:43:36-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000160.html This topic quite often appears on the Pose Tech forum. Pain in this area appears to be a byproduct of learning the Pose Method. Runners complain about this discomfort attributing it to the new technique. The situation is quite the opposite - this pain comes because of deviation from the proper Pose technique. What lies at the bottom of this problem? First of all, this is the part of the foot which was never before used in such a manner. So, obviously the load on the balls of the feet is increased significantly. It would be OK, if the load... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-04-19T11:27:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000157.html So, following a weekend clinic at my training studio, where Nicholas came out and presented Pose Method Running for about 20 hours, the idea of Pose-Fall-Pull came up with some of my athletes. They were trying to wrap their heads around this trinity, and like that other Trinity, the three one. Here’s my understanding at this point: The Pose is that singular position which allows an external force — gravity — to accelerate the body. Velocity doesn’t depend on voluntary muscular action Granted, the Pose is a conscious alignment, maintained by isometric muscle involvement and intent, but essentially, it’s static.... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-04-12T11:56:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000155.html Several questions about this topic came up on our forum. How to perform a transition run and how to continue efficient running after the bike leg in triathlon? Certainly these are very important questions from the aspect of skill development and should be discussed as a special matter. As we know, running in triathlon is convoluted by a swim and bike leg, both of which contribute in increasing fatigue, reduced muscle freshness, loss in coordination, mental focus, etc. So when we get to the run, we have to be ready to face all the complications mentioned above and know how... TRIATHLON posetech 2005-04-05T01:24:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000153.html A little historical retrospective could give us a clearer picture of the role the training volume (in layman terms, mileage) plays in running. For many years it was overestimated and sometimes the number of miles some runners put per week, and per month was reaching the edge of humanly possible and there was no room to "grow" and put more hours of running in the existing time frame of life. We got crazy for a while, reaching some kind of the tipping point in the "swing" of our mental pendulum trying to find the answer to our question. The majority... POSE TRAINING posetech 2005-03-29T02:49:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000150.html I do understand your questions and your skepticism as well. Running success paradigm had been build during many years as an aerobic development concept, which was primarily dependent on training mileage or volume of running. Historically it was confirmed by the Olympic success of Emil Zatopek and others, and was structured into some successful systems like the one by Arthur Lydiard. It was the time when VO2max concept was a dominating practical application in endurance sport. Since that time our vision of VO2 max has changed and we have a different understanding of its value now. Nevertheless, the volume of... POSE TRAINING posetech 2005-03-22T11:02:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000147.html Perception of support has several characteristics or elements with which we operate, in order to produce an efficient running stride. From the point of view of Pose Method, support represents just a pivotal point or a pivoting movement of the body when the body is falling forward with the gravitational pull and through this, gaining its horizontal acceleration. To provide for this movement, we really don't need to exert too much effort. All our muscles' efforts are basically concentrated or focused on the finishing point of support, when the balance of the body is over, and it becomes necessary to... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-03-15T12:39:45-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000146.html The importance of developing perception of leaning comes from the fact that we don't have a possibility to recognize the angle of leaning through any measurements and the only tool that we have is our perception. It is related with different things . One of the most important things is deviation of our body from its balance on support. We are basically leaning out of balance. We must first develop our perception of getting out of balance and being able to return to it. The next step would be developing our perception of getting out of balance and not being... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-03-08T00:41:35-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000143.html Leonardo da Vinci's thought about "all our knowledge coming to us through our perception" was ahead of its time and reflected his genius vision. However it never became widely spread and never guided us in our discovery of the world. With some exceptions in some schools of art, music, and painting, perception was basically never the subject of our attention for teaching or learning. The absence of this important aspect in teaching and learning of movement brought along deep negative consequences, such as too long and difficult process of learning, wrong focus in teaching, etc. The importance of developing one's... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-03-01T10:13:29-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000142.html Muscle soreness doesn't mean that you've got a serious problem, it only means that you did something new, unknown for your body. Basically, whatever you do new and unusual, in terms of volume, or intensity, or a neuromuscular pattern, involving new coordination, your muscles will react almost in the same way - they will get more tense over their usual range and try to prevent you from doing the necessary movement. There will be a clash between the new desirable movement and the old habits of the body. As a consequence muscles got pulled and over-pulled by their own body.... MUSCLES posetech 2005-02-22T10:35:35-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000139.html Chuang Tzu defines pain as "the penalty for violating the principle of nature". And what is the main goal in nature? - Survival. How does it apply to biological systems? It works through fear and pain, where soreness is an early warning, helping the body to recognize danger, necessary to avoid in order to survive. Pain is confirmation of our fear, it signals us that we are doing something wrong and need to stop and change something. Certainly, fear could appear even without any pain, just in anticipation of getting it, and prevent us from any activity in this direction.... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-02-15T18:24:10-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000138.html How should I train and learn the Pose Method? It sounds as two controversial things, excluding each other. Indeed, when talking of endurance training, our common sense tells us that we need to run substantial mileage in order to achieve our goals. From this point of view, any emphasis on running technique will obviously cut our mileage. This looks scary, as it seems to be bringing the loss of our training ability and aerobic capacity. We don't think of technique as a factor of improvement of our performance because the main factor there, in our opinion, is our aerobic capacity.... POSE TRAINING posetech 2005-02-08T18:03:41-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000136.html Let’s say you’ve attended a Pose Clinic and spent a whole weekend working on your running technique. After the clinic is over, your real work of developing running technique starts. What seemed to be clear about running technique during the clinic now is not all that simple. How to move forward and what kind of things should you pay attention to? Which exercise to use in your training? These and many other questions will be arising on your way to the perfect technique. Where to start? Well the best thing to do would be to write down everything that you... POSE RUNNING posetech 2005-01-31T21:22:16-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000134.html From my own experience I know that very often small elements of the training session structure, that is, the beginning, which is called warm up, and the end, which is called cool down, are omitted by many runners. Reasons for this are numerous: from efforts to save time, to just plain neglect, as of something of no importance. Both attitudes are wrong. What kind of role does a warm up play in the training session? The most obvious answer is to warm up the muscles, ligaments and tendons, and prepare the nervous and cardio-respiratory systems for the specific workout. Normally... POSE TRAINING posetech 2005-01-25T01:25:02-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000130.html We discussed this topic once and again, but there still exists a necessity to return to it because of new accidents. It is a simple problem, really, and it is the result of excessive friction occurring between the skin and the shoe. When does it happen? - When the foot slides inside the shoe while landing on the ground ahead of the body, or when the foot slides to the side while pronating or supinating. There are some additional factors "helping" this process, such as: wet condition inside the shoes and an uneven surface. Blisters also develop in the point... LANDING ABNORMALITIES posetech 2005-01-18T01:27:59-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000129.html From my clinic experience and e-mails of our students I picked up one big problem in learning the Pose Method technique. Despite there being only three major elements of the Pose Method our students are having difficulty in mastering them and even more then this, they complain that it is a problem for them to keep those right during longer running. Indeed, the Pose Method of Running consist of 3 major elements of technique: Pose-Fall-Pull. On the surface it is a very simple combination of elements and it makes us wonder why is it difficult to maintain it over the... POSE TRAINING posetech 2005-01-11T01:22:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000127.html Is one of the most frequent injuries in the running field and probably most uncomfortable, because of its location. The plantar surface of the foot sole is very vulnerable for different kinds of impacts during support time in running. The nature of impacts is overloading by one's own body weight or gravity, which the body weight represents. The mechanics of overloading is very simple. In some cases, it is resisting to the body weight going downward to the ground during support, when plantar muscles and tendons perform as a part of the chain of resistance. It means that the ankle... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2005-01-04T01:39:58-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000125.html Dear all, running barefoot is a good base for learning to run proper, even though the notion of proper technique is not established yet among scientists, coaches and athletes. So we are using in our explanations something what we think is a proper technique, but no one yet got the final truth or proof, particularly those who are asking about the scientific proof. We are operating more with our experience, intuition, limited knowledge, beliefs and passion. And now barefoot running comes as a major component of learning the proper running technique. It looks to me as the next modern twist,... BAREFOOT RUNNING posetech 2004-12-28T02:13:13-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000120.html Calf soreness very often appears at the beginning of the learning process in the Pose Method and bothers the runner around 2-3 weeks while he is adapting to the new neuro-muscular coordination and to the regime of muscle loading. Is it possible to avoid these negative consequences? This is a constant question I am getting from our website's running forum and standard clinics. The fact of having muscle strain is the first indication of getting DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) syndrome, which appears 12 to 48 hours after exercising and is characterized by tenderness and stiffness of muscles. The... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2004-12-21T00:23:34-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000118.html When I say at Pose Tech running clinics that my students do not have this problem, I usually get something like: "Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep talking". It is really difficult to get people to accept the fact that this is not fatal - to run and to not have any negative consequences. As I see on our website's Running Forum, ITB syndrome is a hot topic, which means that lots of runners went and may still be going through this unpleasant experience. And I really want to help these people who were deprived of running. As probably most of the... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2004-12-14T10:43:37-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000115.html If the question “Do we need strength in running?” is not a question anymore, then the question, “What kind of strength we need there?” is still unclear. That is why I would like to discuss this topic in a short description of the logic of strength exercise use in running. It is no secret that muscle strength is necessary in running to provide for the body’s ability to interact with the ground while the body moves from one support to the other. During support time gravity manifests itself as the body weight and muscles provide for its ability to interact... POSE RUNNING posetech 2004-12-07T00:31:59-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000109.html Despite the fact that stride frequency is known as one of the most important parameters of running technique demonstrated by all elite runners, the difficulty with stride frequency or stride cadence is the most common problems in running. First of all, it is difficult and uncomfortable to do a change of support very often, because the rate of movement is unfamiliar to our muscles. Second, the stride frequency is perceived as an isolated movement, not related to the whole running process. Third, we don’t know how to achieve high stride frequency as a movement and command. In order to solve... POSE RUNNING posetech 2004-11-30T01:31:06-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000107.html This a common problem for many runners and very often with no solution except for the unlikable one - to get off of running to get healed. But your solution is inside running itself: you have to run proper. What exactly does it mean? First and foremost: do not work against gravity. Do not pound the ground with your heels Do not push the ground off with your legs The next important point is the body position in relation to support. If your body is not aligned along the straight line going through the shoulders, hips, and forefoot on support,... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2004-11-22T23:11:05-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000104.html Obviously we have to understand that our feet are the part of our body that is responsible for our contact with the ground. Therefore their strength, perception and skill determine the body's interaction with the ground. Our feet do not have their own separate function, they are only providing service for the body's movement over support. The problems start when our feet's activity goes beyond their main "job". This activity may be manifesting itself in many different ways, such as: landing with more tension then is necessary; landing (putting the body weight and keeping it long) on the part of... HUMAN BODY 101 posetech 2004-11-16T01:06:59-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000097.html QUESTION: One unanswered item from my post "Marathon good, but when do I get my speed back?" is how can I work to use Pose effectively in sports such as football, soccer and basketball where starting, stopping, turning, and jumping are valued as much a raw speed? My concern is that while I'm using Pose as much a possible when running straight, I'm doing things that are normally not desirable (braking, pushing off, landing in front of GCM, etc...) when I need to stop, turn, etc. While I understand that I need to come out of Pose to stop, after... POSE TRAINING posetech 2004-11-09T01:28:23-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000096.html What does it mean to finish a marathon? The finish line looks like a battlefield with runners wobbling and hobbling around with pain allover their bodies and mind. For most runners it also means continuous suffering from muscle soreness, ligament and tendon pain for days and even weeks, when walking up and down the stairs is a real torture. Are we really supposed to pay like this for the pleasure of running a marathon? Is there any way to avoid this or at least reduce these unpleasant consequences? What does muscle, ligament, and tendon soreness mean? It means that all... RECOVERY posetech 2004-11-02T20:13:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000090.html The volume in running was and, I guess, will be a hot topic for a long time. I've never been against volume per se, but I always questioned how much is enough to run faster or, in other words, what is the priority of volume in training, which is, in my opinion, just another training tool to use to run faster. It's not our goal to run more, but to run faster is. At the point where fast running starts to deteriorate from running too much, the limits of volume come. On the other hand, decrease in the speed of... POSE TRAINING posetech 2004-10-19T01:05:28-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000088.html Running Forum again and again returns my attention to the headline topic. Hard training philosophy still exists and dominates in the mentality of the large group of runners and triathletes. I understand where it’s coming from and why, and that’s the reason for writing this article. As was said time and again, training in running took “hard work” direction long ago due to an assumption that the main thing to be developed in running is the cardio-vascular system. Science brought up a lot of research data to confirm this assumption and VO2 max concept became a dominant paradigm, which was... TRAINING posetech 2004-10-12T21:22:22-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000086.html QUESTION: Help! I am signed up to run my first marathon (thanks to Pose) in 2 weeks and I've injured my foot. I woke up early yesterday morning to do my last 20+ mile run before the race. I was running in the dark and I stepped on a stick in the trail. The stick had a broken branch leaving a nice stub pointing upwards. The point went into the bottom of my NB 230s (thin sole) and poked me REALLY hard just behind the ball of my foot. I went on for another mile to see if I could... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2004-10-05T01:49:00-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000082.html Our Running Forum again raised the hot topic of “Achilles Tendinitis”, a common injury of lots of people, especially runners, which deprivates them not only of pleasure of running, but also influences their entire life. They spend a lot of money, time and efforts to cure themselves from this painful injury to be able to continue doing what they love to do, and what saves them from stress and helps them to keep their healthy lifestyle. But in many cases traditional medicine fails to help them and even after costly surgery they are still not able to resume running. Many... RUNNING INJURIES posetech 2004-09-28T04:22:39-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000076.html Hopping, as everything in life and Nature, has two sides to it: positive and negative. On the one hand, it is positive, because it allows the runner to change support from one leg to the other by bouncing his body weight off the ground and releasing the foot and leg from the body weight to make it possible for it to be pulled from the ground. On the other hand, when hopping is exaggerated, the body moves too much up and down, which interferes with the forward motion. So we need hopping, as a training device, but only to the... POSE RUNNING posetech 2004-09-21T12:42:25-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000070.html I am getting lots of e-mails about this question. Certainly it is a hot topic and I’ll try to answer it at least in general. First of all, remember that your main goal in training is to develop your skill of running together with mental and psychological parameters of it. The skill of running could be broken down to three simplest elements: taking the Pose stance, falling forward and pulling the foot from the ground, where the pull is the final action of a single running step. Whatever you are doing in training, you do it for one single purpose... POSE RUNNING DRILLS posetech 2004-09-14T13:59:42-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000067.html Mental training includes mental and psycho-emotional focus on your actions or on anything that you do (your strategy, plan, or sports form). Action is what you are training for, developing specific energy, neuro-muscular and psychological pathways and patterns according to your racing requirements and needs. Reaction is your response on somebody's action. It's an emergency recruitment of your energy, muscles, psychological system out of your trained systems. It involves additional energy use and destructs your regulatory system. You should protect your mind and inner systems from any destructive influence from outside, forcing you to: - underestimate your own ability;... TRAINING posetech 2004-08-21T23:04:57-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000062.html The psychological freedom to perform at a higher level rests within all of us, but as human beings we habitually place limits on that freedom. Given the reality of life, your psychological freedom is your ability to minimize the effect of the natural limitations and rise to your highest level. To do so, you must consciously work on developing your mind-set and psyche for running. But most importantly, you must work on your running technique. Belief in your technique gives you the confidence to move past your limitations and explore your true potential. As you move forward with your development... POSE TRAINING posetech 2004-08-05T15:36:22-05:00 http://www.posetech.com/training/archives/000058.html A question of arms' movement comes up very often. What should I do with my arms? How should they move? Should I pump them hard? Should they be held at the level of my chest? Should I move them back and forth to help myself move forward and run faster? Should I put my hands in fists? And on and on. The answer to this is very simple and people familiar with the Rules of Good Running Technique already know it. Arms performance is a natural balance for legs movement. Don’t drive with your arms You’re not carrying a football... BALANCE posetech 2004-07-30T00:44:27-05:00