Strike a Pose

“I hate running!”
“My knees are bad, I can’t take the pounding!”
“Running hurts my feet!”

Shin splints, hip pain, back pain and so on are the constant reports I hear from people of all ages that have tried their running luck (after spending large sums on expensive running shoes and gear) only to give up after a few painful miles.

Running is a skill most of us think we should have if we are blessed with two healthy legs. But then why is it that 85% of runners end up injured every year? We run, we get injured, the doctor prescribes physical therapy, and after six weeks we are back running just to make the same mistake and start the cycle again...or give up all together.

In the 1970’s, Dr. Nicholas Romanov, a Russian sports scientist, was looking for a better way of running that reduced the effects of stress, body energy dissipation and physical injury. He called this the POSE METHOD.

Running Pose can best be described as “falling forward,” rather than pushing off. With Pose Method, runners use gravity to their benefit, running with a slight forward lean and landing on the mid-foot before using the hamstring muscles to quickly pull the foot off the ground. This action increases foot cadence, and as a result, the average pace increases as well. If you use your quadriceps, the big muscle group on the front of your thigh, to pull your foot from the ground, you step out, actually inhibiting forward progress and decelerate.

The “pose” is the exact moment in your running stride when your center of mass is directly over your support leg, and your body is in proper alignment. From the side view, that proper alignment means your head, shoulders and hip are lined up, knee slightly bent and a little in front of this imaginary line, with your weight on the ball of your foot. The opposite foot is pulled up, the ankle directly below the hip. When you run, you hit this pose, fall forward, then pull the other foot up. The goal is to train to “strike the pose” with every stride. The more you lean, the faster you go. This demands a strong core. Don’t push off the ground — that makes you go up, not forward. Avoid landing on your heel. Anything that lands before the ball of the foot shocks the system and impedes forward motion. Try wearing thin-soled running shoes, so you can better feel the ground. When proper form is achieved, the runner exerts the same amount of effort to run at a faster pace by harnessing the potential energy (gravity) that is already there. There is a reduction of impact on your feet, ankles, knees, hips and back.

The Pose method can reduce your training miles. If you are training for a race like a marathon, for example, running Pose only requires four days of shorter distances combined with strength training for the hips, feet and core. The focus is more on technique than distance. Ask any runner and they will tell you that it is during the long-distance runs when wear-and-tear injuries occur.While the Pose method certainly has not been universally accepted by running coaches, the past year has seen plenty of interest in the technique. Many in the media, propelled by Chris McDougall’s bestselling book “Born to Run,” have latched on to the new trend of barefoot running. Publications from Runner’s World to Time magazine have gushed about the shoeless movement. And longtime Pose advocates see that as validation, because barefoot running encourages a natural pose style.

“It’s not that the normal default way of running is wrong, but running shoes promote a heel strike, and do not let people feel the ground and know when to pull their feet back. So the pose (technique) is pretty much the way people would run barefoot: falling forward and pulling your foot back the moment it touches the ground,” said Spencer Conklin, a certified triathlon instructor.
Can the technique really ward off running injuries? According to South African exercise physiologist and researcher Dr. Timothy Noakes, “The pose has proven to have fifty percent less impact than regular heel-strike running. Nothing else does that.”

Running faster, without injuries and chronic pain, with less expensive shoes… hmmm, perhaps you won’t hate running after all! Strike a Pose and maybe you will be able to accomplish some of the goals that you thought were only dreams.

Nusha Pelicano was able to go from an 8 and a half minute mile to a 6 and a half minute mile after learning Pose. It is a simple concept and takes a little practice to perfect. For more information, contact Nusha Pelicano (Certified Pose coach) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it