Chi vs. Pose running-which is superior?

Triathlon Forum
1

I’d been running for 20+ years as a heel striker/pronator before I developed patellar tracking problems so bad I was considering quitting running. I tried Pose (took several lessons) and have been using it for the past 3 years. My knees are better, but I get frequent hamstring and upper calf injuries. I been trying out Chi running lately and feel better mixing the two techniques.

The vertical gait cycle of Pose was always a problem to perfect, and allowing the foot and lower leg to extend behind me at the end of the gait cycle as in the Chi technique seems to help me get injured less. Other than trial and error, I’m not sure which parts of each technique to keep and which to throw out. Are they really that different? Are they even compatible?

As far as going faster, I tend to agree with Pose that it makes more sense (biomechanical and efficiency) to increase the turnover rather than lengthen the stride as Chi suggests.

What is everyone’s experience on this?

2

While the authors/inventors of these methods would argue, I think they’re both about the same. I was historically a heal-striker (20 years of running marathon) and chronically injured one way or another. I had patellar tendent surgery a few years ago which I thought would end my running days for good, but evenutally came back - but still heal striking.

Last year, I started exploring both Pose and Chi, and ended up with a strategy that’s a little of both methods, I guess. Bottom line is that I’m not heal striking any more, my cadence is up around 86-90, and my race pace has improved about 1:30 per mile. Best of all is that I haven’t been injured since. Doing IMC tomorrow, and my main goal is to have a better run than I did on this course last year as a heal-striker (5:45 marathon split - awful).

hope this helps

3

want to get more confused? add evolution running to the mix! i find it all interesting.

4

What is everyone’s experience on this?
JFR is superior to all those.

5

Eye,

I at one time was certified to coach in both. Pose is more mechanical and Chi is more body awareness. Both has its benefits, but I would suggest Chi first as I experienced less athlete breakdown with it in teaching compared to teaching Pose

6

uh, could u be more specific?! he, he.

7

Yup - I like the JFR-L approach. I often have difficulty with the L part, but the JFR is doing fine :wink:

8 
   JFR is superior to all those.

JFR???

Is that as in “HTFU JFR.”

9

Is that as in “HTFU JFR.”

Y
.

10

Just F&*I&**g Run?

We will expect nothing less from Jonnyo tomorrow when it comes down to the sprint finish with Gordo. Please pass him my best wishes!

11

Been injury free running Chi for the last 3 years. The 3 years prior to Chi I was always having hamstring and knee issues. My tip is to do planks to strengthen your core muscles for a proper lean, concentrate picking up your heel, and run with a metronome.

12

I’ve been using the finis tempo trainer. Do you use something like this, or do you carry a real metronome around?

13

You can download metronome sounds on MP3 format on the Web. But the best is to find tunes with a beat equal to the pace you want to train for.
I am practicing running on metronomes for several months now: I have great sensations, run much faster and injury free. I do not know about pose-running but after this months of cadence training I realize how low frequency stride is the very common mistake most of amateur runners do.

14

Problem is that for some of us that have JFR for many, many years…chronic problems/injuries are preventing us from continuing to JFR. If it means avoiding surgery, I’m willing to try anything. It’s better than SOMAAGFF (Sitting On My Ass And Getting Fucking Fat).

For what it’s worth, I’ve been having moderate success using the Chi running technique…