The Art of Running

Running euphoria prevails. According to the global Statista database, almost 23 million Germans jogged frequently or occasionally in their free time in 2023. Although running has undeniably positive effects on our health, the injury rates in this area have hardly changed since the end of the 1970s. The figures are alarming - a meta-study from 2007 reports up to 79.3 percent of long-distance runners injured. The answer to this problem could be so-called minimal or barefoot shoes, designed to uncover our "natural running style." Studies show that this trend toward minimal footwear is generally to be welcomed. But is running really just a question of shoes? What part does training our running technique and other physical parameters play in this context? Do people in the civilized world have to relearn how to run?

Running injuries should be the exception and not the rule. After all, together with walking, running is probably the most natural and primal form of human locomotion. Anthropologists confirm that hunter-gatherer cultures covered fifteen to twenty, some even forty kilometers a day on foot. Fossil findings suggest that upright long-distance walking is an ability of the genus Homo, originating around two million years ago. Most likely, the ability to run long distances may have even contributed to the evolution of the body shape of today’s humans. We can assume that all this happened barefoot.

Shoe equals shoe?

But modern man also knew shoes 40,000 years ago. Their task was to protect the foot primarily from the cold, but also from sharp-edged stones, thorns or the like. When running became a trending movement, however, our running shoes suddenly took on new purpose. To prevent injuries and aches from overuse, running shoe manufacturers made changes to their products. In 1969, Adidas increased the drop (difference in height between forefoot and heel) on its Achill model, making it probably the first manufacturer to introduce a heel wedge to reduce impact shock. During the 70s Nike followed suit with their Cortez and Waffle Racer running shoes. The additional pronation support in running shoes were to prevent excessive sinking of the arch of the foot. Hence, it should also provide so-called hyperpronators with unadulterated running pleasure. At this time, the usefulness of these innovations was neither questioned nor challenged.

However, many scientists have now questioned these efforts, such as Dr. Craig Richards and colleagues, who, after reviewing numerous studies, concluded in 2008 that the recommendation of cushioned running shoes with heel elevation and pronation support is scientifically untenable. For more than 20 years, running shoes of this type were recommended without any evidence of their benefit, the scientists added. The evaluation is corroborated by the high injury rates in recent decades. What’s more, the figures suggest that those running shoes could even harm our feet.

A marvel of evolution

Our foot is a marvel of evolution. "A work of art made of 26 bones, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles," as Leonardo da Vinci phrased it in the 16th century. In order to create effective posture and movement patterns, our central nervous system requires continuous unbiased information about the surface we walk on. For this purpose, the soles of our feet are equipped with a multitude of sensory cells that can capture this important information through direct contact with the ground. The forefoot area with the highest density of pressure-sensitive sensory cells apparently plays a crucial role here. This mechanism works best barefoot or with minimal shoes. Cushioned running shoes, on the other hand, with a thick sole, enormously restrict the complex system of mechanoreception and proprioception. In addition, the high heel construction in the classic running shoe distorts our entire body statics and makes landing on the forefoot while running almost impossible. Pronation supports deprive the already weakened foot muscles of their work and cause them to deteriorate even more. Yet pronation, which has fallen out of favor, is simply a natural movement of the foot. The foot is designed to pronate, according to the internationally renowned Irish physiotherapist Gerard Hartmann. If the foot muscles are given the opportunity to develop fully, pronation functions perfectly as a natural cushioning system.

Therefore, the needs of our feet have not changed. Everything points to minimal shoes. But does the use of minimal shoes on its own lead to the desired success - i.e. injury-free, efficient running through a "natural running style"? Can minimal shoes simply straighten out a running technique that has been inaccurate for decades?

Minimal shoes for running? Only in compliance with running technique!

The running shoe market has been in a state of flux for quite some time. In the first half of 2008, minimal shoes or so-called "natural running models" had a market share of only 1.6 percent in Germany. In the first half of 2011, it had already risen to 14.2 percent. The growth is rapid. "What is happening on the market at the moment is something I have never experienced before. I can't remember such a flood of new models," states Andre Kriwet, Global Director of Footwear Product Management at running shoe manufacturer Brooks.

But the minimal shoe on its own can't lower the incidence of running injuries. Fundamental problems remain: Biomechanically incorrect heel-toe running ist replaced in most cases by forefoot running (toe-heel-toe running) after switching from classical running to minimal shoes, with the calf muscles and pronation movement of the foot taking over the shock-absorbing function. This phenomenon can be observed most clearly when running barefoot. After just a few steps, the heel strike provoked by cushioned running shoes is perceived as uncomfortable and thus avoided immediately. The stride length is also shortened automatically.

But a "natural running technique" cannot be reduced to these two components alone. An undifferentiated forefoot running technique can also result in typical injury patterns, such as calf and Achilles tendon injuries (caused, among other things, by Push-Off Attempt or landing with the forefoot far in front of the body's center of gravity), increased impact stress on the musculoskeletal system due to active foot strike, symptoms of overuse of the leg flexor muscles, or back problems due to constant forward motion of the upper body. Small errors in running technique sum up and, if ignored, often lead to pain and technique-related injuries, especially at high training volumes.

Thus, when switching to minimal shoes, it is imperative to take into account two factors: running technique and physical abilities.

Switching from a heel running style with a cushioned shoe and insufficiently developed musculature (especially calf, foot, trunk) to minimal shoes with undifferentiated forefoot running technique and with a still underdeveloped musculature is risky. This approach corresponds to the heuristic trial-and-error principle: without any idea of how to run you try to fine-tune your running technique hoping to find a solution. However, possible failures such as injuries have to be condoned with this approach.

The conflict of the modern world

No human being in the civilized world allows the natural developmental process of running its free course. Even children's feet are put into sturdy shoes. In a study conducted in 1999, one third of children stated that they had never walked barefoot. Many people can imagine walking barefoot only on smooth tile or parquet floors. Even when walking barefoot to the mailbox, every little stone turns out to be a real obstacle. Natural surfaces such as roots covered forest paths with dropped branches and a stone here and there are feared and always walked on with sturdy hiking boots. The "natural running style“, as children at the age of five to six years still instinctively implement and experience, becomes a distant memory in later years as a result of well-intentioned training advices and the increased use of thick-soled shoes with raised heels and arch supports.

What we need is a rehabilitation program. A rehabilitation program for our running technique! In this case, however, minimal shoes for running training should not just be a trend, but an everyday standard in the long run.

The Pose Method: How civilized humans learn to run again

The two-time Olympic coach and sports scientist Dr. Nicholas Romanov provides a solution, which is practical in many respects. Based on physical laws of nature, he began to unravel the "secret of running technique" back in the 1970s. The result was the "Pose Method® of Running," a method for learning and teaching running technique in theory and practice. Three essential moments of a running cycle (Pose, Fall and Pull) constitute the pillars of this method. They facilitate the learning and strengthening of those neuromotor patterns that underlie the running technique. The goal is to link these three key positions and constantly reproduce this cycle."This entire structure is being dictated to us by nature; gravity is the all-determining element in this equation," Dr. Romanov said. As children, we were all perfect Pose runners, he continues - an interesting fact that supports the very concept. In adulthood, however, there are few runners who still approach this „Standard“, as Pose coaches call the perfect implementation of this running technique.

What are the advantages of the Pose Method in running

The Pose Method isn't just for running pros. Especially recreational runners and beginners receive a very precise and practically well implementable running instruction. New injuries caused by running technique are often a thing of the past when following the Pose Method and taking other important training and lifestyle factors into account. Old technique-related injuries can also heal. Prof. Tim Noakes and colleagues showed, for example, that Pose runners can reduce the stress on their knee joints by up to 50 percent. Important factors for injury-free running include the following:

• Regular checking of the running technique (perception of your running technique often does not correspond to the observation based on video analysis by an experienced training partner or Pose coach).
  
• If problems occur, the running technique should at best be examined by an experienced coach.
  
• The physical conditions must be adapted to the running load (frequency, intensity and length of the training sessions). Time must be factored in, because the adaptation of tendons and ligaments in particular is a long-term process. Even more experienced runners should not overlook this aspect when changing their running technique.
  
• No false ambition in running: The perception and quality of the running movement should always come first. And only then should our focus get back to quantitative parameters such as running distance or speed.
  

The Pose Method can also increase the efficiency of our running style, and running economy can be improved. In an advanced training stage, surplus energy is then available for a longer running distance or a higher running speed. The Pose Method relies primarily on so-called "drills". These are exercises that train the key elements of the running movement or combine them. The drills are always followed by short runs of 30 to 100 meters, aiming to implement and sense what you have learned. In this concept, the perception of movement plays an integral role. For this very reason, you won’t find a thick-soled running shoe with a narrow toe box and high heel-to-toe drop nor MP3 players with headphones in the running gear of Pose runners. Both reduce or disturb proprioceptive feedback, i.e. the body's self-awareness, and can cause injuries in the long term.

In all beginnings dwells a magic force: How do I start running "naturally"?

Running, as we have now seen, is first and foremost a qualitative and also technique-oriented process. It is common in the everyday life of primitive peoples to run countless kilometers a day for hours without getting injured, and we too can relearn and perfect how to run. Take your time with this task, keeping in mind the following points:

"You don't need shoes. You just need feet." (Dr. Daniel Lieberman)
Walk barefoot whenever possible. Start slowly. Give your body the time to get used to and adapt to different surfaces such as sand, grass, forest soil or rocks.


"Nature does not adapt to your level of performance." (Laurence Gonzales)
Prepare your body for running. Strengthen your muscles at least twice a week in a functional way, train your balance and coordination, ensure flexible joints and elastic connective tissue with a so-called flexibility training (flexibility is the Pose Method term for the ability of joints to bend during a movement). Only when your body is prepared, it can fully perform its tasks while running.

"The leg is as strong as its toes." (Dr. Walter Packi)
Introduce minimal shoes for everyday walking as well. Make sure they have flat (zero heel-to-toe drop), thin, flexible soles without a heel cushioning or pronation supports, as well as enough freedom of movement for the toes and a well-fitting heel. For everyday wear, for instance, the genuinely well and fairly produced ultra minimalist shoes from Sole Runner are recommended. But also manufacturers like Joe Nimble, Leguanos, Vivobarefoot, Wildling Shoes, Zaqq  or Lems offer good models. However, always remember that so-called barefoot shoes are a training tool to be used with care, so training with them should thus be increased slowly, especially with regard to functional foot malpositions.

"He who wants to build high towers must linger long on the foundation." (Anton Bruckner)
Since barefoot shoes lower the landing on the heel due to their construction, we find a higher exposure on the area of the ankle joints and feet when using such. This also applies to Pose running. Keep a close eye on your calves as well as on the function of your feet. At Drachentöter Fitness, we work on this in general with regular barefoot walking (see item 1 on this list) and more specific by using BlackBoard*.

"The human foot is a work of art. A work of art needs a frame, not a cage." (Leonardo da Vinci)
Gradually reduce the heal-to-toe drop when buying new running shoes. Always listen to your body, especially if you immediately abandon running shoes with a high drop and instead use zero drop minimal shoes. If you have problems switching to minimal shoes, you can go for a running shoe with a lower heal-to-toe drop as an intermediate step (heal-to-toe drop ≤ 8 mm). Also, reconsider the medium- and long-term use of shoe inserts for functional foot malpositions.

"Nature doesn't care how we run, but ultimately we have to suffer the consequences." (Dr. Nicholas Romanov)
Support your learning process by avoiding purely extensive running sessions (2 to 3 months) for now. Divide your usual running route into many small sections on which you perform the Pose Method running technique exercises. The limiting factor hereby is the perceived correct maintenance of the running technique element you have trained.

– Thomas

Interested in how we train with runners at Drachentöter Fitness? Here are a few insights:

Session 1

• Before the first running training session, we always take a Clinical Somatics history, focussing on individual physical issues that are particularly interesting with regard to the topic of running technique.
  
• At this session we work directly on the most important Clinical Somatics exercises. There are usually three exercises to start with. Three exercises aim to constitute a perfect small training plan that can be implemented quickly and effectively, and at the same time won’t burden the client with too many new exercises at once. These exercise recommendations are of course personalized and customized to individual needs.
  
• During the first 90-minute appointment, we also conduct our running shoe check-up, since many running shoes are not suitable for Pose drills due to the high heal-to-toe drop. We recommend the Inov8 F-lite 245* as a training tool. It is a good trade-off for runners who are used to a conventional running shoe. With a heal-to-toe drop of three millimeters, it is already very flat and does not restrict the foot thanks to its flexible sole. For trail running, the Inov8 Trailtalon 235* with a four-millimeter drop is recommended.

Session 2

• If we are dealing with a considerable number of physical issues during the first appointment, we will address them on your second visit with a Clinical Somatics hands-on session and further Clinical Somatics exercises.
  
• Training with BlackBoard* is also part of the second session.

Session 3 and more

• The third appointment usually takes place outside on the running track. Here, a running technique check-up is conducted, in which we incorporate the results from previous appointments.
  
• The third and all following training sessions will focus on running technique training, emphasizing an individual, personalized flexibility training (simple moving through joints full range of motion with and without additional load), supplementary strength training, tips on implementation (such as the focus rotation, etc.), individual training planning (which sometimes may highly differ from training science due to important influencing variables, such as family life, job , etc.).

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