Periodically quite detailed discussions about different running forms come up in the online forums. Sometimes they degenerate into some pretty intense and detailed interactions – arguing things like falling down vs falling forward, push-off, landing, etc. While it’s easy to get involved in those details, to my mind there is one very basic model that I think these alternate running methods espouse: The primary force that should be used to move us forward is not a motion involving the planted leg driving the body forward. Rather, some sort of leaning or falling mechanism is employed to cause forward movement.
A while ago I discovered this video and I find it fascinating. Dr. Nicholas Romanov, the creator of the Pose Method of running, is running on a sheet of ice. Is there friction between his shoe and the ice? Of course. Is it a lot of friction? Of course not. What better way to show running movement doesn’t require active pushing by the leg. If pushing off with the leg was done – obviously the foot would slip and the runner wouldn’t get very far very fast.
Jim
pushing off is becomes a very obvious no no when one begins running barefoot on the roads
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