Running, for Central Texans is similar to breathing. While you've been breathing since the instant you separated from your mother, you've been running since you were a child. Although running took a little longer to perfect, it became automatic and not something you work with a consultant regularly to refresh your knowledge. In fact, it's so automatic, authors who regularly write about running don't even mention how to run. For most authors, there are other aspects of running to worry about including hydration, flexibility issues and how to get through the wall in a marathon that warrant more attention than the mechanics of how to run. Seriously, doesn't it come down to just putting one foot in front of the other, then repeat?

The exception is included in the recent popular book, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall. The book's author, also a runner, set out to figure out why his foot was hurting. Following his adventure to a tribe of Mexican Indians who ran in sandals for great distances, McDougall crafted an argument that most of us run incorrectly and why even the most advanced running techniques today contribute to the injury problem.

The book has gone viral among the running community and has created cult-like followers who have converted over to barefoot running or are running in only minimalistic shoes or sandals. This is understandable as it's believed that between 40 and 80 percent of runners are injured each year. If you're injured and you love running, why wouldn't you try anything to get back into the game?

"Somewhere between being a kid and running correctly and becoming an adult, many, if not most people lose the natural way of running," said Spencer Conklin, POSE Certified Triathlon Coach. "Buying the high tech, heavy shoes does not help. If you don't feel the ground, you don't respect it. Many people get it in their heads that running is hard on the body and joints. While it can be, that doesn't need to be the norm and it results in them running defensively. When you are a kid, running is light and fun. I think we have forgotten that."

Spencer himself experienced knee pain while pursuing triathlons and other types of races. He attributes the problems to older age, wanting to go faster, trying to improve his time too quickly and striking his heel when he ran. After trying therapy to relieve his pain, he attended a talk given to the local Austin Triathlon club by a POSE Method instructor. "Everything he said made so much sense, so I signed up to take a clinic from him right away. I saw immediate results with POSE. I literally ran the next day without knee pain."

What is the POSE Method?

The POSE Method was developed in 1977 by an Olympic running coach Dr. Nicholas S. Romanov in the former Soviet Union. If you analyze the movement of any body through time and space, you will see that the body passes through an infinite number of positions. Most of the positions (or poses) are transitional movements and are the result, not the cause, of proper positioning. Striding too far or landing on the heel instead of a more mid-foot or fore-foot strike are the two most common problems with runners. "Most people don't know how much less efficient the heel-strike is and if they aren't injured yet, why change?" explained Spencer.

The POSE running technique advocates landing on mid-foot or on the ball of the food with knees bent and with the torso slightly leaning forward. Don't land on the toes. Using the hamstring muscle to pull the foot up and raising it underneath the hip, the runner allows gravity the pull them forward. The runner's motion falls forward rather than using a push off to move forward. If you could feel yourself running in a box, that would be the feeling you would want to achieve. It uses the calf muscles in greater concentration than other methods of running and if you're not conditioned for it, you may be sore.

"If people take off their shoes and run, it isn't the full answer, but it's a step (pun intended) in the right direction," said Spencer. "If you plan to try barefoot running and minimalist shoes, you have to do POSE, or something similar to not kill your feet and knees."

POSE Method Tips

• Running should feel easy, smooth and flowing. Not too much bounce.
• You should not make a lot of noise when striking the ground.
• You should strive for a high cadence, close to 180 foot strikes per minute.
• A shorter stride length is preferred over a longer stride length.
• You should feel like you're falling forward.
• The leg should maintain an "S" shape and never straighten.
• Raise your ankle straight up under your hip

Spencer uses video in his instruction which is a valuable tool. The runners can see themselves going through the motion before and after instruction. "With video, seeing is believing. I have had a bunch of folks who have told me before-hand that they do not strike their heels. It was only when I showed them on video did they believe it."

Relearning how to run may be part of the answer to running without pain or injury. It should be combined with core conditioning, flexibility training, strength conditioning, eating right and getting enough sleep.

Spencer Conklin
POSE Certified Triathlon Coach
512-796-7269
spencer@freetorun.net
www.freetorun.net