Running for CrossFit Athletes

By: Reuben Pearlman

Athletes who have been with CrossFit 718 for some time know what’s coming as the weather turns warmer. For those of you that are new athletes, you may be in for a surprise. Warm weather means one thing around here: more running.

Running is a deceptively easy exercise. However, proper technique is the cornerstone of every athletic movement, whether it be the overhead squat or muscle-up. Running is no different. So in order to run faster, run longer, avoid injuries and reduce impact on your body, you need to improve your technique!

Get a head start on your running skills, and join CrossFit 718 on April 10th for a Running Workshop with Coach Iz. He will explain the Pose Method and work participants through a series of drills. Whether you suffer from shin splints, knee pain, calf tightness, Achilles soreness, or plantar fasciitis, chances are the problem’s in your stride. Come to the workshop and learn how to run properly!

A Brief Into to The Pose Method of Running Technique

The Pose Method of Running technique consists of three elements: Pose – Fall – Pull, and it accepts gravity as the primary force for forward movement instead of muscular effort. To achieve the optimum running technique, the key is to make the greatest possible use of gravity. A skilled, knowledgeable runner should be able to work with the force of gravity just as a yachtsman gains energy from the wind.

The Running Pose is a whole body pose, which vertically aligns shoulders, hips and ankles with the support leg, while standing on the ball of the foot. This creates an S-like shape of the body. The runner then changes the pose from one leg to the other by falling forward and allowing gravity to do the work. The support foot is pulled from the ground to allow the body to fall forward, while the other foot drops down freely, in a change of support.

This creates forward movement, with the least cost (energy use), and the least effort. The end result is faster race times, freer running and no more injuries!

This simple sequence of movements: the fall and the pull, while staying in the pose, is the essence of running technique.