Pose Running vs. Sprinting

Yes, another post on "is sprinting Pose running?"

I think that some people say that, yes, sprinting is Pose running either due to the parallels during parts of the sprinting phases, or because they have a broader definition of what falls under Pose running than myself or other that disagree would say.

Pose Running

Pose running, to boil it down, is a technique that maximizes biomechanical efficiency to help a person run as far as they can as quickly as their conditioning will allow. Some technical aspects of Pose running include:

- a bod lean that draws a line through the head, hips, and ball of foot where the final push off the ground occurs.
- a forefoot landing under the runner's center of gravity
- no twisting at the waist or shoulders, and minimal bouncing of the head

Also occasionally called "Chi Running"

In endurance running, you're typically solving for distance first (have to finish!), then speed. Then there is sprinting...


Sprinting

Conversely, with sprinting, you're looking at going as fast as you can for as far as your can. While, no one needs to worry about finishing a 200 m run, if you can delay slowing down after hitting top speed as much as possible, well, that's where a sprinter's "endurance" comes into play. But that's neither here nor there.

Sprinting can be broken down in multiple different ways, but the way I like to break it down is the following: 1) Drive phase 2) Continued Acceleration 3) Maximal Speed 4) Delaying Deceleration

The drive phase is the most recognizable in a pose sense, you have the push off directly in line with the shoulders and hips. The athlete is in a dramatic lean that indicates the speed or acceleration. This typically lasts for 10 - 15 meters.

After that, the athlete continues to accelerate, but the angle of the torso begins to come more upright, and where we start to see the major differences between sprinting and typical Pose running. First, the angle of the torso is no longer indicative of the speed of the athlete. Second, rather than moving the recovering leg up in the typical figure 4 shape:

... you get a kick back after the push off, and long stride forward with the recovery leg towards the end of acceleration, and through maximal speed and deceleration:

The main similarities you can point to are: 1) They are both on the forefoot. 2) The landing catches under the athlete's center of gravity (though the sprinter is far more upright).

Therefore, depending on what main characteristics one takes into consideration when classifying something as pose or not-pose running will decide if you think sprinting is pose running. I, personally, am of the opinion that it is a different technique entirely.