Going the Distance

While training for the 5K that Ricky, Stacey, Amanda and I are running in, I've been going to an endurance class on Wednesdays.  One of the first lessons I learned was, well, learning how to run.

I was under the impression that, if I learned how to walk, then I should know how to run, right?  Just walk really, really FAST!   And the faster I wanted to run, the harder I would dig my legs into the ground to get that extra push to get me further.  Not only did this make me NOT want to run, but it also gave me painful shin splints.  You know what I'm talking about.


Apparently, the safest (and potentially fastest) way to run is by using what's called the "pose method."  The pose method was developed by Dr. Nicholas Romanov in an effort to get runners to run longer distances without stressing out all of their core muscles.  "Pose" emphasizes the "pull" motion of the leg movement, and tells you to forget all about pushing off of the ground.  By pulling your leg up high and landing just behind the balls of your feet, you can run further distances while keeping the stress off of your feet, shins, and other leg muscles.  I definitely recommend doing some Googling/YouTube watching if you're interested in learning more.


Now, switching to "pose" doesn't necessarily guarantee you instant results.  But after a few weeks of running in the best pose I can muster, I will say that I get much further in the same amount of time that I used to run, and it's really all in how much I pull and how much I lean.  I'm really looking forward to our race coming up.  My last 5K result was at the Hannah's Hope 5K one year ago, and I got 30:09.  I am really hoping for at least sub-26 minutes this time around.  I'm sure I'll be reporting back soon on how it felt running a 5K just one year later!


If I meet my goal, I'll definitely be running up these stairs in victory, Rocky-style: