POSE running

[Megan Gentry]

Trying to switch up my running style from your run-of-the-mill heel striker to POSE running... I've only been at it for a few of weeks, and I've been getting my info from posetech.com and doing the CF Endurance WODS.

Sorry for the iffy video quality, any comments you can offer are appreciated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTiW7MGE8Iw

Thanks!

[Steven Low]

Looks pretty good actually.

It was hard to tell since it wasn't slowed down and you can't really slow down youtube vids (unless you download them which I don't have a prog that does it right now but...).

Anyway, noticed a couple things namely:

1. Slightly leaned forward. which is honestly fine but you could stand it tall a bit more.

2. Also, shoulders back slightly would help increase lung volume = more oxygen, etc.

3. From what I could tell it seemed like the left leg was fairly good but the right was landing behind your center of mass which would be inefficient. Not sure how they teach POSE exactly but getting the knee slightly higher before it drops down for ground contact would 'fix' it.

4. Try to get a vid a bit speedier next time (IMO), going faster tends to show flaws better as form tends to break down the faster you go... kinda like oly. That will show what you need to work on "better."

[Michael Wengloski]

Not to hijack this thread, but while we are on the topic of POSE running I have been meaning to ask a few questions.

I have been working on POSE and found out the hardway that in formations where you need to be instep it is hard to maintain form. Maybe before i attempt any of the following someone could shed some light on the topics.

1) If you were running in boots should/could/would you apply the POSE method?

2) If you were running with a pack should/could/would you apply the POSE method?

3) If you were running with both boots and a pack should/could/would you apply the POSE method?

[Brian MacKenzie]

Megan,
You are heal striking for 1 and you are on the ground too long. You definitely should find a coach or get to a Run Endurance cert. I have run into hundreds of people who have tried to implement POSE onto here own, and it has without fai never happened. It is a very wise thing to get the help from someone who understands this far greater then you. Please forgive the frankness.

Hope to meet you sometime...

Brian

[Mike Whitner]

I agree on the point of the vid being kind of hard to analyze. But overall you didn't look that bad.
That being said you looked better in your second video where you were using what sounded like the Finis tempo trainer because the higher tempo forced you to change support faster, therefore limiting opportunity to linger on the ground. When you were on your own it looked like your pull was a little late. Also, again it was hard to tell from that angle and distance, it appeared like you had some dorsi flexion going on during your landing. Relax and focus more on the pull rather than the landing on the ball of the foot. That doesn't mean forget about the ball of the foot entirely because we need it to retain muscle elasticity but landing on the foot isnt the end all be all. The pull and changing of support is equally important. When I say focus on the pull I mean, focus more on pulling the foot on the ground up rather than getting your ball of the foot to the ground. This should help decrease your time getting into support and out of support.
Good luck with it. Remember your form is never going to be perfect. But then again, neither is anything else.

As for the prior post (Steven).
1. We need to lean forward because we are redirecting gravity to be used for our advantage rather than fighting it. Pull 2% of our bodyweight and lean or push 2 to 4 times our body weight and stand upright. You make the call on what sounds more efficient.
2. She was slightly bent at the waist but overall she is nice and neutral where she needs to be, because if she is neutral she isn't wasting energy.
3. Her pull is late but her impact is almost directly beneath her GCM, at least thats what I see at :15 seconds in the vid.
4. Take your video into Windows Movie Maker or the apple counter part and put on clip at normal speed. Then insert the same clip into the timeline and add the effect of slowing down by 2. Repeat for the rest of the running clips. Faster is not better for analysis. Slow is Smooth. Smooth is Fast.

-Whit.
CFJAX
Crossfit Run+End Certified
POSE Coach L1 Certified

[Michael Wengloski]

Where my questions idiotic or just over looked?

[Megan Gentry]

Thanks for the feedback!

Brian... No problems with the frankness. I'd love to get into a POSE clinic or running cert. The cost is kinda prohibitive for me though (I'm a grad student, so I make enough to just get the bills paid). I'm thinking about how to stretch the budget to make it work though, cause I'm dying to make it to a cert. For now, I've posted at the posetech.com forums to look for a POSE running buddy locally.

BTW, I should have clarified... the video is only 2 running clips. I used Windows Movie Maker to slow it down to half speed. So each clip is shown at full and then at half speed.

Steve and Mike... If I'm hearing you right, it sounds like you're saying that my pull and change of support needs the most work. Are there any specific drills you can point me to to work on these problems. I've found examples of POSE drills online, but I'm not sure I'm implementing them correctly. I'm trying to imitate what I see, but when I'm doing it I'm not sure exactly what it's purpose is.

Is it correct that my pull is too late because I'm spending too much time on the ground? In other words, I should try and pull earlier to get my feet to pass each other higher off the ground, right?

[Elliot Fuller]

Originally Posted by Michael Wengloski

Not to hijack this thread, but while we are on the topic of POSE running I have been meaning to ask a few questions.

I have been working on POSE and found out the hardway that in formations where you need to be instep it is hard to maintain form. Maybe before i attempt any of the following someone could shed some light on the topics.

1) If you were running in boots should/could/would you apply the POSE method?

2) If you were running with a pack should/could/would you apply the POSE method?

3) If you were running with both boots and a pack should/could/would you apply the POSE method?

The short answer is that boots and formation/tempo runs aren't very POSE friendly. From what I hear, most formation/tempo runs aren't very long either, so maybe just bite the bullet, get your feet as conditioned as possible, and do those at a standard slow jog -- landing on BOF still might be ok, but I'd imagine POSE would be tricky. You might still BOF land with a pack as well, but POSE would not be very applicable.

If there's any other question, just start up a new thread.

Megan,

You're looking pretty good; I did notice some slight heel-striking still, but it could have just been the quality of the video. It also looks like your cadence could be a bit faster, which might be a result of a poor PULL, as some of the others have said. One drill I use to practice the pull is getting into the POSE up against a wall (hands against the wall as well) and just alternately pulling my support from leg to leg. Try to pull it up more instead of forward... the forward movement should come naturally after the upward pull.

Focus on those pulls and I bet some of the other things will improve as well.

[Megan Gentry]

I'm familiar with the wall drill mentioned. I've done that drill, but I could definitely practice it more.

When I do that drill, and other drills that work on the pull, my foot should be pulled up to knee height, right? Or should I be practicing my pull with it higher?

[Elliot Fuller]

As far as I know, the height of the pull is not particularly important, and more dependent on how fast you're going. I think the faster you're going, the higher it will inherently have to be pulled. Jogging, with very forward lean, doesn't require nearly as much "air time" after the pull, so a short, quick vertical pull with the hams is all that's required.

I think Dr. Romanov said something like: all you need to focus on in the pull is pulling up with your hams straight under your butt. Once it's pulled, you can forget about it and let it drop back down naturally. I have a hard time doing this, as my conscious mind always dominates my subconscious, and tries to control the pull a lot more... definitely something that needs practice.