I'm A POSE'er

Just a quick update on how the POSE technique is going so far...

As many of you know, about two months ago I  bought into the whole "Minimalist Running Craze" and began utilizing the forefoot strike and POSE method.  As far back as I can remember I've been a heel-striker.  And I've never really struggled with any prolonged serious running injuries - but as I'm getting older and adding more and more miles, I want to make sure I do everything possible to stay healthy.

The POSE Method, created by Dr. Nicholas Romanov, is a forefoot or ball of the foot strike when you land, and then a quick "pull" of the leg back toward your butt ... all with a slight lean forward while keeping the back straight.  It's meant to eliminate heel-striking, while focusing on "energy loading" and using the muscles of the leg more effectively. It essentially turns the full legs into more of a "shock-absorber" system and meant to help you run more efficiently. (that's a brief, and probably poor description of the method, but hopefully you get the idea)

Source

Since I'm pretty healthy and really never injured from running, there was a huge hesitancy to "fix something that wasn't broken".  But over the past two winters it seemed like some mornings my feet striking the ground were like wrenches dropping on the sidewalk.  There was just no bounce in my step and the whole run would be a foot pounding struggle.  As a result, I experienced some minor pain in my Achilles and knees.  It was never enough to keep me from running, just a little uncomfortable.  So I decided to give the POSE Method a try.

Over the past two months I've been easing into the new foot strike, and so far it's going extremely well!  (The photo is how the forefoot strike is supposed to look, but I'm not a barefoot runner) The biggest challenge is the obvious calf soreness, which was to be expected.  Since you're landing on the ball of your foot, the calves are the first line of defense in absorbing the shock.  But that will go away as they get stronger.  The only other thing I've noticed is I can't go as far with this method so far.  About 15 miles at this point is my limit before I'm really fighting keeping my form correct.  I feel like more of my "total leg" is working with this method, which I'm excited about.  And I know as I use it more and more, I'll be able to extend my miles.

So, thus far I have to give the change a solid B+!!! (nothing in my book gets an "A" - sorry, that's just the way I am)  And I think my form is probably at a B-.  There are several things that I need to improve and I would really love to go to a POSE clinic if I can find one near me.  So that's about all I've got to report for now ... so far so good!
... be great today!