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Body Composition

USMCMidd

Registered User
I actually tried to do the pose method this morning. At first it was pretty awkward, but i think the last mile I began to figure it out. Basically you minimize contact with the ground landing on middle/ball of the foot. That skipping rock analogy is what I ended up doing. I exerted just enough energy to keep myself going and not fall over, and I could really feel it in the hamstrings vs. quads. Thanks for all the help.
 

cwc73

Registered User
pilot
So, did it feel better? I'm worried that one would get shin splints using this method, but it is worth a try. I'll try it tomorrow anyway because I plan on having a shorter run day tomorrow. I'll be sure to post up my thoughts.
 

USMCMidd

Registered User
yea it seemed ok. you dont really land on your heels so you don't produce much pounding and impact. It seemed smoother, just a little different. Hopefully it'll get better with time.
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
Toe or heel?

Shin splints do seem like they could result from this, as I've already had problems with those.

This pose method seems to make a lot of sense to me, minimizing contact with the ground and using gravity to move you forward.

However, I've heard all kinds of conflicting advice on which part of the foot should strike the ground first. Naturally, I land on my heel and take really long strides, which wear me out and have caused undue strain, such as shin splints.

Then again, I've heard that toe striking also causes shin splints and is more of a sprinting technique, not fit for distance running.

As someone who has never really run before, I'm confused as to what method is ideal for the 3-mile PFT run, or anything else that I might expect at OCS. I really can't afford an injury at this point, due to age, so it's quite important.
 

BigRed389

Registered User
None
Shin splints do seem like they could result from this, as I've already had problems with those.

This pose method seems to make a lot of sense to me, minimizing contact with the ground and using gravity to move you forward.

However, I've heard all kinds of conflicting advice on which part of the foot should strike the ground first. Naturally, I land on my heel and take really long strides, which wear me out and have caused undue strain, such as shin splints.

Then again, I've heard that toe striking also causes shin splints and is more of a sprinting technique, not fit for distance running.

As someone who has never really run before, I'm confused as to what method is ideal for the 3-mile PFT run, or anything else that I might expect at OCS. I really can't afford an injury at this point, due to age, so it's quite important.

For a hard surface, pose method seems to work better. It reduces shock, and is more work-efficient.

Bring your foot down heel first on a hard surface. Bring your foot down toe first on a hard surface. You decide which has harder impact.

A lot easier to understand/believe when you try it firsthand.
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
Thanks...I'll mess around with my stride tomorrow when I run. Seems no matter what I do lately I aggervate somethingeruther. There's gotta be a way to not do that.
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
Update regarding the "pose" running method:

This is the best thing I've learned from this forum, as far as training goes. Since I've made contact with the OSO office here back in November of last year, it's been an uphill struggle trying to get my run time down and keep it there. My stride has always been horrible. I've had crappy times, been exhausted, gotten shin splints/tendonitis, you name it.

I just healed up good from the injuries mentioned above, after something like two months without running. I headed out to the street I run on two days ago, and ran a mile, just to get back in the swing of things and see where I stand. My usual mile time is somewhere between 7:30 and 8:30, depending on the phase of the moon or whatnot.

Anyway, two days ago I finished the mile with plenty of breath left over and a stopwatch that read, "5:52." Couldn't believe it. I hadn't even struggled.

I can't keep that pace up for three whole miles just yet, but come time for OCS I'm sure it's possible. I've been maxing crunches and pullups for a while now, but the run always killed me. But, using this method and altering my step drastically, I've gone from having to bust my a55 and hurt myself for a barely passing run time of 23:10 to looking at a 300 PFT somewhere on the horizon.

If you are having a hard time running, like I did, give this a shot for a few runs. It's amazing how much easier it makes things.
 

GMan1976

Banned
sometimes you need that little extra help getting those pounds off... my personal trainer and I came up with this method...
IndestructableChunk.gif
 

thull

Well-Known Member
wow. that's an amazing leap - down to a 5:52. great job! To be certain, was the mile a measured mile and flat as a pancake? even slight elevation differences can translate to big differences in time...

back to the original question, what sticks in my mind is your body build - 6'1 and 205 is going to be difficult to max the run pft, so my question is is that your normal, natural weight? or are you built up to that weight? If so, lay off the heavy weights and work on your distance/edurance. build up a running base with lots of easy miles for a few weeks and invest in a good pair of cushy shoes to take out some shock while you build up those miles.

ideally you build up your endurance sowly (which is the only way you CAN build it) and drop some pounds. this will also help you to max out your chin ups. after a few weeks of steady mileage with plenty of stretching/injury prevention throw in some speed workouts 2-3 times a week...

troy
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
billthrill1 said:
Down from averaging 7:30 - 8:30 now to 5:52 without struggling? Damn. Nice work. Who are you? Michael Johnson's son or something?

Good lord man. I've had some success with this thing, but not THAT much success. It helped me get my 1.5 mile time from 12:00 to a new record of 10:26. Like you, I have always sucked at running too. I am just not built for it. I am top heavy and I've got little chicken legs. Good work.

Thanks...I'm still in disbelief myself.
 

greysword

Boldly lick where no one has licked before
Thanks Red, Bill, and Zilch. I will certainly give this a go around on my next run. It's PRT warm-up time, and I did horrible the last go around.

Is the weight of your body pressing on the ball of your foot bad for your muscles? Do they tear more easily?

Thanks again for bumping this thread!
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
Well, when I go to sprint, I hit toe first. Otherwise, I land kind of mid-footed. I don't know if that's proper or not, but so far I'm uninjured.

I'll see about posting a proper thread about the pose running method when I have enough time to describe what works for me. It might help someone else.
 

Zilch

This...is...Caketown!
I finally tested my 3 mile time using this pose method.

Previously, my best all-time 3 mile run was 23:11, and it took me 7 or 8 months of training, a pulled calf, shin splints, and tendonitis in my knee to get it there (down from 27 minutes, initially.)

After taking time off for said injuries and coming back into running pretty much cold, after two weeks I dropped my lowsy time down to 21:42. Now instead of barely scraping by spending all of my energy, I can comfortably pass with a decent margin for error without killing myself. That, and it can only improve from here until OCS starts. I imagine I'll break 21 minutes by that time, which for me is a big deal. Running has always been my weak spot, and now it's not so bad. I might not ever get sub-18, but scoring around 21 or 22 sure takes a lot of stress off when I go to PFT.

Another thing I've been doing is swimming, and I can't say enough about that either. It won't zap your joints, as it is low impact stuff, and will still wear you out for a good cardio workout. After two or three weeks doing laps, lung capacity is no longer an issue. I can always find enough air.

Actually, with the new stride I'm using and my lungs beefed up a bit from swimming, the things that give out first are my shoulders, believe it or not. Too tense, I think.

Anyone having problems running should definitely try these two things. Using them, I've gone from being the worst runner on the PT field (here at UNF) to a semi-decent one.

Good luck out there.
 
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