In part one, I shared that I, like many runners, had a history with running injuries. Welcome to part two—the part where I get to share the secret of how I became a happy, injury free runner.

How I Beat Running Pain and Injuries

I beat them by learning the Pose Method of Running. Now, just in case you’re having this thought, I don’t think the way I run is any better than the way you run. I don’t think you are any less a runner than I am. You’re A-OK in my book.

But, if you’re having chronic pain or are getting injured a lot, I think you might really benefit from learning the Pose Method of Running. Still with me? Great! Then read on.

How I Came to the Pose Method

After my second last marathon, I viewed some videotape my wife took of me running. I didn’t like what I saw—I looked absolutely heavy and jerky. Not fluid at all. That was the defining moment. Right then my history with shin-splints came into crystal-clear focus and it became obvious I needed to change the way I was running.

I looked for information on “running form,” “running technique,” and “running mechanics” and eventually came across Chi Running and the Pose Method. I dabbled in Chi Running but ultimately found Pose to be a more complete system.

How I Have Benefited

Let’s start with the best part. I feel nothing but joy when I run. I have no anxiety around pain or injuries. I feel amazing.

Specifics:

1. Light on My Feet: There is no sensation of pounding or jarring on my body. And I bet I could sneak up on you without you hearing me.
2. Back Pain is Gone: This happened almost immediately after transitioning to Pose.
3. No More Shin Splints: This one took a bit of time. The better I got at Pose, the less shin splints I had. Today, I have no shin splints—and that’s after a decade of running with them!
4. Increased Mileage: Prior to Pose, I suffered at three to four days of running. Today, I run 70 miles and seven days a week with no problems.
5. Getting Faster: I’ve got a new marathon personal best! Of course, the biggest part of that is due to better training (e.g. 70 miles a week) but I’m fairly certain I would have never been able to handle that kind of training without switching to Pose.
6. Confidence: Virtually every time I’ve had the slightest niggle, refocusing on good form has solved the problem. Let me tell you, having that kind of confidence—compared to wondering what’s wrong—is an incredibly empowering feeling to have.

So, You’ve Had NO Injuries Since Switching?

To say I’ve had absolutely no problems would be a lie. But, I can say I’ve only had one little hiccup since getting back into heavy marathon training mileage—a sprain in my big toe that my sports Doc surmised was caused by an awkward slip on the ice (it happened in very icy winter conditions). That niggle sidelined me for a week. Other than that, things have been golden!

What Does Pose Running Form Look Like?

Here’s a video clip of me running in Pose Method. It was filmed in the winter (February 2007). My form here is not as good as it could have been because I’d not warmed up prior to filming. However, it should give you an idea of the quick, light steps we strive for in Pose.

And here’s a video clip of the creator of the Pose Method—Dr. Nicholas Romanov sprinting on ice!

How Hard Was it to Switch to Pose?

I won’t lie. It wasn’t easy. Actually, it was a painstaking process that took a great deal of patience. Why? Because I had over 10 years of habits to break! At first, I was only able to run fifty meters or so at a time. But, over time I was able to extend that to 100 meters, and then a 1,000. Looking back, I think it took me about three months to be able to run 40 minutes non-stop in the new form. I remember telling myself, “You must think of yourself as a new runner if you’re going to get through this.”

And even after those first few months, I had periodic struggles. Most notably, there was often soreness in my Achilles heel and calves. Those, I was told by the Pose gurus, were expected and would go away. They did.

All in all, I’d say I felt very comfortable running in Pose after twelve months and it was another year before I felt confident enough to train for another marathon. You might be thinking, “Wow, that’s a long time”. But, to me, it was a small price to pay to keep on running!

Would Learning Take as Long For You?

It’s a good question. The answer is, “I don’t know.” But I do know that the longer you’ve been running, the longer it will likely take to replace your current form with the Pose Method. On the other hand, if you’re a new runner it would probably be very easy for you to learn the Pose Method.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The whole point of this has been to give you hope and to suggest that running is not too hard on the body if you’re doing it right!

To that end, it’s really up to you. Do you want to change? Is it worth it? How badly do you want to keep running? For those of you who’ve already stopped running, would you be willing to try the Pose Method if it got you running again? And finally, if you’re new to running, are you willing to put in a little extra effort to help you avoid injury? These are questions only you can answer.

If you’re interested in getting started, the best place to do it is at Posetech. You might consider buying Dr. Romanov’s book and DVD (I recommend you get both) but, if you’re not ready to spend money just yet, make sure you visit the Posetech web site and forum—it is a place loaded with information from experts and beginners helping one another make the transition.

In the coming weeks, I’m going to write some articles to explain what makes the Pose Method the Pose Method. Stay tuned!

Links You Might Find Useful

1. Posetech
2. Posetech Forums
3. Where to Buy the Pose Method Book and DVD
4. CRNs Pose Method Archive (where you’ll be able to find all of our posts on this subject)

Have you ever met someone who said they had to quit running because it was too hard on their body? Do you know someone who’s close to quitting?

Or maybe that someone is you?

The story is repeated often among runners and ex-runners …

You start running and find that you love it or, at the very least, you put up with it because it’s the best way to manage your weight.

But problems arise. You get get shin-splints. Or knee pain. Or Achilles heel pain. Or … well, you get the picture.

So you start looking for answers and, more often than not, you’re told to “slow down” or “run less” or “get better shoes”.

So you try those things. Maybe you even get orthodics but, eventually, you’re hardly running at all anymore.

You lose your passion for running. You lose fitness. You gain weight. You think your running career is over, or worse, maybe it is over … you stop running.

And you’re not happy.

Well, I’m here to tell you that maybe – just maybe – your running days are not over. So, please don’t give up – there is hope.

You see, I was like you. I struggled with pain. And injury.

From 1992 to 2000, I could never get beyond three or four days of running a week without getting shin-splints. I had shin-splints for years. I wasn’t doing a lot of mileage during that time – and better shoes never solved the problem.

In 2000, I began marathon training and never looked back. I love training for marathons. Next to the time I spend with family and friends, it’s one of the things I love most in life.

But those shin-splints got worse and worse. I’d be willing to bet they were often close to being stress-fractures. And, if that wasn’t enough, I also suffered from absolutely terrible lower back pain. Not good.

All the while I wondered, “Why am I having these problems? Am I doing something wrong?”

And then things got worse – I got a stress-fracture in my ankle while running a marathon. It took me the better part of six months to recover from that injury.

But it was during that time when I figured out what I’d been doing wrong and set in motion a sequence of events that led to me running another marathon – a personal best. The bonus? That I trained for that marathon injury-free at mileages way higher than I’d trained at previously.

Tomorrow I’ll share the secret I learned for making sure running is not be too hard on your body. Read Part Two

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor. In fact, I have no formal medical training. What I am is a longtime runner who’s made nearly every mistake in the book (wisdom comes from experience?). I’m also fairly proficient in discussing the Pose Method of Running – a method that looks at running differently than other approaches.

Excerpts from Lee’s article (please read the whole article if you want the full explanation):
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1. What is Plantar Fasciitis?

The plantar fascia is a band of fibrous tissue at the bottom of the foot extending from the heel to the ball of the foot. This structure plays a major role in supporting the arch and preventing the foot from collapsing under the weight of the body … feels like a heel bruise and usually presents with tenderness along the bottom of the foot. A certain amount of swelling or even a small lump may be associated with the painful area. The hallmark sign of this injury is that the first steps out of bed in the morning are usually the most painful.

2. What are the causes/predisposing factors of injury?

…one reason is running too much on the toes…

4. What can be done to prevent or treat this injury?

Prevention is targeted at stretching and strengthening the muscles in and around the foot and reducing the stress on the plantar fascia.

Before I get into my schpeel, let’s start with some graphics to enhance Lee’s words:

Let me first say that what Lee wrote is correct (who am I to argue?). However, I’d like to suggest that this widely accepted method for preventing PF (to stretch and strengthen muscles) is not, according to the Pose Method, the only route to solving the problem.

The Pose Method approach to solve PF has a connection to Lee’s other suggestion: “reducing the stress on the plantar fascia”. Pose does this by avoiding running on the toes – even when running up hills. Some people who know a bit about the Pose Method might be puzzled right now because they’ve heard that Pose Method runners run on their toes. That is not correct – we run on the balls of our feet and, to us, there is a big difference between running on the balls of the feet and running on the toes.

Note: At this point, some may want to debate the merits of the Pose Method, or ball-of-the-foot versus mid-foot versus heel-toe running. They may even want to debate what proper running technique is or should be. I’d rather not get into those debates right now – all I want to do today is describe the Pose Method approach for dealing with with Plantar Fasciitis.

Ok, let’s start with a video approximation of what is commonly known as “toe-off” or “push-off”:

And here is an approximation of what Pose Method runners aim to do – to very quickly lift the foot off straight up off the ground without bringing the toes into it. The strategy is to land with weight on the balls of the feet, and then quickly lift the foot, not place weight on the toes and avoid strain on the Plantar Fascia:

As you can see, the Pose Method solution is not to strengthen and stretch muscles – it is to avoid a style of running that involves “toe-off” / “push-off”.

One last point: Some forefoot/ball-of-the-foot runners may acquire Plantar Fasciitis not due to “toe-off” but instead due to a tendency to hold their heels too high off the ground when they land. The solution to this problem is to weight on the ball of the feet but to allow the heel to come close to (or even lightly touch) the ground. This is not to be confused with a heel-strike – it is not that – it is merely allowing the heel to come down so that strain is not placed on the Plantar Fascia.

Was this clearly explained? Do you have any questions? I’d be happy to help.

Dr. Nicholas Romanov (originator of the Pose Method of Running) shows how it’s done with the claim that, if you learn to run using his method, you can also run with the balance and timing required to run on ice.

Note: Quicktime is required to view this video.

[via Posetech vlog]