Although we have a limited class schedule this weekend, we are happy to announce that we have some great clinics and workshops this upcoming week ahead.
Tuesdays in April, 5:30am Running w/Nate
Tuesday, April 8th 7pm Mobility & Shoulder Pre-hab w/Colby
Wednesday, April 9th 7pm Nutrition & Zoning w/Matt
We hope you can join us! Sign up on MBO. Athlete Interest Clinics are free to Verve members or $20 drop-in. The Verve Nutrition Workshop is FREE to the community.
“What happens to our foot when we wear traditional running shoes?”
On Monday’s post I talked about the Pose Method of running. The Pose Method is in stark contrast to heel strike running, where one reaches for a long stride and ends up striking the heel of their foot on the ground as the first point of contact per step. One of the primary causes of shin splints is heel strike running. Heel striking on a hard surface like concrete is even more causative. As a result shoe companies have added extra cushion to the heel of running shoes over the years. This cushion is meant to act as a shock absorber in an effort to prevent shin splints. Rather than look at our running technique, we are now walking around with these hefty heels on our shoes. The question becomes, “What happens to our foot when we wear traditional running shoes?” I bring to you the answer given by Dr. Nick Campitelli, a podiatrist who runs the website Dr. Nick’s Running blog and penned the aforementioned article. Click here to read in full.
“When looking at the traditional running shoe, or almost any shoe that is customary in our society, one observation becomes common- the heel. The running shoe has many origins, but many agree that athletic shoes began as a canvas top and rubber soled shoe that was referred to as a sneakers when U.S. Rubber used the brand name Keds to sell the first sneakers in 1917. The next major milestone comes in the 70′s when Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight created the Nike running shoe. These early shoes had little if any cushion and for the most part had a negligible heel. Over the next 40 years we have seen the height as well as the cushion gradually increase which inadvertently hassled many runners to adopt a “heel to toe” gait or “heel strike” when running. This height became referred to as “drop”- the distance in height between the heel of the shoe and the forefoot. Today traditional running shoes have a drop of 12 mm with the heel being 24 mm and the forefoot being 12 mm. This design encourages an unnatural gait resulting in the heel hitting the ground first, followed by a rapid “slapping” of the forefoot.
The cushioning that running shoe manufactures incorporate into the heel leads the runner to “feel” as if the shock is being absorbed by the shoe with each step. While this is true, only a small amount is actually absorbed by the shoe, and the rest of the force (2-3 x the body weight) is actually being transferred through the lower extremity. Scientists have been able to demonstrate that by running barefoot, we tend to land more on our forefoot or midfoot to innately reduce the force that occurs to the leg. Try running barefoot and you will see that it is rather painful to land on your heel and that landing on the forefoot becomes much more comfortable. In order to do this properly, the forefoot needs to strike the ground first in the region of the 4th and 5th metatarsal with the heel slightly off the ground. The same force that was rapidly transmitted the heel, is now transferred to rotationally force as the heel lowers to the ground thereby astronomically reducing the force that occurs to the lower leg.
Even more fascinating, is what happens to our posture when we simply stand in a shoe with a heel. The clog by Dansko, which has become very popular among medical professionals, has an elevated heel which drastically changes normal anatomical posture increasing force to the lumbar area of the back (not to mention the 4 pound combined weight of the shoes!).
Changes in body position with a heeled shoe.Neutral anatomical positionChange in ankle joint to accommodate the heel height. Foot now resting in non anatomical position.Body’s position to become neutral.
To summarize, the height of the heel that is present in the traditional running shoe, not only tricks the body into feeling that the force is being “cushioned” by the shoe, but also interferes with the foots ability to naturally dissipate the force.”
The Pose Method was developed by Dr. Nicholas Romanov in 1977. Romanov was a coach in Russia, heavily involved in athlete training. At a time when the focus was on improving mileage and speed through simply increasing an athlete’s cardiovascular and respiratory systems, Romanov used physics to evaluate overall running technique.
Romanov proposes one universal running technique for all runners, regardless of speed or distance, a sprinter runs with the same underlying running technique as a long-distance runner. The pose running technique is also designed to prevent undue strain on the joints. The distinguishing characteristic of the pose running technique is that the athlete lands on the midfoot, with the supporting joints flexed at impact, and then uses the hamstring muscles to withdraw the foot from the ground, relying on gravity to propel the runner forward. This style is in clear contrast to the heel strike method that can be seen with most runners. The runner should fall forwards, changing support from one leg to the other by pulling the foot from the ground, allowing minimum effort and producing minimum braking to this body movement. The idea is to maximize the use of gravity to pull the runner forward.
Quite possibly easier said then done, especially for those of use who have been running one way our entire lives. But if you are someone who has ever suffered from shin splints or knee pain as a result of running and therefore HATES running, I would say making an attempt to learn the Pose Method may result in a new found joy for taking a jog around the block.
Pose running technique principles in summary
1) Raise your ankle straight up under your hip, using the hamstrings
2) Keep your support time short
3) Your support is always on the balls of your feet
4) Do not touch the ground with your heels
5) Avoid shifting weight over your toes: raise your ankle when the weight is on the ball of your foot
6) Keep your ankle fixed at the same angle
7) Keep knees bent at all times
8) Feet remain behind the vertical line going through your knees
9) Keep stride length short
10) Keep knees and thighs down, close together, and relaxed
11) Always focus on pulling the foot from the ground, not on landing
12) Do not point or land on the toes
13) Gravity, not muscle action, controls the landing of the legs
14) Keep shoulder, hip and ankle in vertical alignment
15) Arm movement is for balance, not for force production
The Pose Method
Running with a heel strike is one of the primary cause of shin splints. In an effort to alleviate this problem running shoe companies have been adding more cushion to the heel of running shoes. Over the years these “shock absorbers” have increased in height. The question is, what are these heels possibly doing to the rest of my body? Stay tuned for some answers in Thursday’s post.
*The information in this post came from the article “Pose running technique: a beginner’s guide” found on the PoseTech website. Click here for the full article.
**Post your 14.5 scores!! They must be posted by 6pm tonight (Monday). Click here.
Please join us Saturday for 14.5, food, drinks, prizes and community fun. Progenex is in town and they are throwing a bash for us to celebrate all our accomplishments over the past 5 weeks.
We will be running heats to better organize and plan so please check out MBO and sign yourself up for one of the heats. We are opening the Verve doors to the entire CrossFit community for FREE so if you’ve been doing the Open and want to come celebrate another successful start to the season, please stop by.
No drop in fees, no need to participate, but stop on by for some fun.
If you can’t make it in on Saturday then please schedule time during Open Gym on Friday, Saturday, or Monday in order to get your workout judged and validated.
If you still need to complete 14.4, you can join us Sunday for a special 14.4 WOD at 12:15pm.Drop-ins are free to our local CrossFit community members who need an ERG and want to give 14.4 their best shot! Please sign up on MBO.
Also, next Saturday March 29th we’ll be hosting free classes and 14.5 heats at Verve for anyone and everyone. Progenex will be on-site helping us throw the biggest, bad-ass party around! Come join us from 9am-1:30pm for workouts, free food, drinks, prizes and fun. You do not have to be a Verve member to join us, so bring your friends and family to let them experience the awesome community experience that the worldwide CrossFit Open affords us!
*Verve’s WOD to WINE event scheduled for Sunday March 23rd has been cancelled. The event will be rescheduled, please stay posted for updated details.
A great environment to practice handstands, flips, cartwheels, bar work, beams, muscle-ups and tumbling, and you’ll have fun doing it! All Verve athletes drop-ins will be covered as needed. Please arrive 5 min early to sign waivers.
6pm CrossFit Games Open 14.2 WOD at Verve. Sign up on MBO. Full class warm-up and heats, see you there!
***Reminder that if you are competing in the Open, you need to have your score for 14.1 submitted by 6pm on Monday. Submit your score here.
*** Reminder that Daylight Savings Time begins Sunday morning. Set your clocks forward Saturday night!
Post results to BTWB and the printed score sheets available in class. Be sure to file in the accordion folder by first name.
Keith working on his levitation skills, just in case it shows up in the Open.
Are you part of the 63 percent of Americans who drink coffee every day? According to a new study 63% of Americans drink coffee every day and 83% of the adult population drinks coffee,maybe not daily, but at some point enjoy a tasty cup of the sweet nectar of the Gods.
In his new book, “Caffeinated: How Our Habit Helps, Hurt, and Hooks Us.” Murray Carpenter talks about what we should all know about our caffeine habit.
Here are some of the keys points you can find in his book, out on May 13th.
A healthy dose of caffeine is a different amount for each person depending on who you are: Doctors consider moderate caffeine use to be in the 300-400 milligram levels, but 300 milligrams may be perfect for some and send others into a caffeine high.
There is no standard amount of caffeine in a cup of coffee, even with the same brand: Starbucks gives approximate levels of caffeine in their cups of coffee, 20 milligrams per ounce, but one researcher found that the levels could vary more than two fold from cup to cup.This explains why I love and hate starbucks coffee!
Caffeinated beverage makers don’t have to label how much caffeine is in their products. The FDA doesn’t require the manufacturers to label how much caffeine or the quality of caffeine used. A number of tea manufactures are starting to label the caffeine content but good luck finding the caffeine content on energy drink labels as the manufactures are still not required for the Food and Drug Administration to level how much caffeine is in each serving.
These are just a few of the key takeaways from the article used as a reference. The full article with link to the book can be found HERE.
Shale getting ready to be our first athlete to throw down on 14.1! Let the fun begin.
Alright boys and girls, the 2014 CrossFit season is upon us. I’m hoping you have all signed up for the Open as we’ve been inundating you with posts and gentle prodding during workouts to do so. You don’t have to love competing or have interest in trying to make it to Regionals, but I’m telling you the Open is such a fun experience. If this is your first Open you’ll soon see what I’m writing about when you experience your first Open workout in class.
The energy is through the roof as your fellow Verve members push you to perform the best you can. You want to know my favorite part about the Open workouts? You don’t have to count. Sounds like a simple thing to do, but I prefer to just workout and not really worry about what rep I’m on. You’ll have a judge and that judge will count for you so all you have to do it make sure you’re doing the movements correctly and then move your butt!
We have a new 7 PM WOD tonight and for the next 5 Fridays so be sure and check MBO. We’re looking to make the Friday classes all very fun and enjoyable so regardless when you come in you’ll witness an amazing vibe in the gym.
The Open is a great way to see how far you’ve come over the past year. If this is your first experience with The Open you’ll get to see what all the hype is we’ve been talking about. It’s also a great way to get introduced to competing and in the confines of your friendly gym with all your friends there to cheer you on.
If you can’t make the WOD’s on Friday, be sure to get in during and Open gym hour and complete the workout and submit your score by 5 PM on the Monday after the workout is announced. Make sure you submit your score and we at the gym will validate it for you. It would be best if you could schedule your Open gym time with a judge so we can best cater to everyone. The Open workouts will be announced live on Thursday evening at 6 PM local time and we will have the announcement and workout streaming at the gym. You may see a few people doing the workouts on Thursday evening during Open gym too, so if you want to see what the workout looks like before taking it on yourself, be sure to be around at 8 PM on Thursdays for the next 5 weeks.
As always, we are here to help you so please ask the trainers any questions you may have. Good luck today and most importantly be sure to have fun over the course of the next 5 weeks!
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming.”
We hope you’ll join us in the arena. Let the games begin…
What are the CrossFit Games? The 2014 Reebok CrossFit Games are the ultimate test of fitness. The Games are a grueling multi-day, multi-event competition to determine the Fittest on Earth. This year, they take place July 25-27th at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA.
Fitness means being ready for the unknown and unknowable, so the workouts change every year and are not announced until just before the events start.
The CrossFit Games Open Qualifiers is a five week, worldwide competition in the sport of fitness. The Open is the first step in the CrossFit Games season and takes place from February 27 until March 31. There is one workout per week for five weeks, and athletes compete to qualify for the CrossFit Games.
There are four categories of competition happening simultaneously: Men, Women, Teams, and Masters. The team competition is not separate; all team members are already competing as individuals. The Masters category has eight separate competitions (four age groups each for men and women).
Some common questions:
How do I sign-up? 1. Go to games site – www.games.crossfit.com 2. Click Register 3. Register as an athlete, a mere $20 4. Join the CrossFit Verve Affiliate 5. Request to join the CROSSFIT VERVE Team
If this option is not available to you, CF is working on fixing the glitch and promises to have it fixed before it counts.
When will the workouts be held? All day Friday as the workout of the day and select weekend time slots (see schedule on MBO).
I am competing next week, what do I do? Take the day before as a rest day, eat real food, sleep eight hours, drink lots of water and make sure to warm-up before the WOD. You can take the WOD for a test run on Friday and a re-do on Saturday. Don’t over do it, you still have 4 more weeks of unknown workouts to be ready for. Post questions to comments.
How is the team score calculated? The team score will be calculated by combining the results of its top three men and top three women each week (excluding individually qualified athletes, and comparing that to all the other teams. See “Complete Rules for Team Competition.”
I don’t want to compete, how can I follow the excitement? Register as a fan, it’s fun and free. As a fan you can track your favorite athletes and their progress throughout the Open. You can judge athlete’s videos. Give them a “thumbs up” for a job well done and a “thumbs down” for a dubious performance. You can also interact with the entire CrossFit community by exchanging comments on athletes, articles, videos and photo galleries.
I’m from the Lou and I’m proud, as Nelly so graciously stated. Love being from the best baseball town in America even though we lost the World Series to Boston (insert Clancy dig here).
2.) What brought you to Verve?
I came to the realization while in school that I needed to do more than study and sit in lectures. A girl I was in school with was coming to Verve and she loved it. She introduced me to Zink and that’s all she wrote.
3.) Why is Verve better than everything else ever?
Verve gives you so much…..I’ve gotten great friends, great coaching, great roommates, great inspiration, and great fun out of one place. It’s the best place ever!
4.) Who is your favorite trainer?
That is so tough. I love all of the trainers at Verve….they are very special people that have to deal with us at our most vulnerable and our proudest moments. It’s a hard job that each one takes seriously as they pour their heart and soul into it.
5.) What is your favorite, and least favorite WOD? Why?
I love lifting heavy and I love chippers (generally because, like most people, I like my reps to decrease as time does on).
6.) On a scale of 1-10, how much better of a trainer is Luke compared to Eric and Courtney?
I mean, Luke’s jokes are pretty amazing…even if I am the only one that gives a chuckle at the beginning of class. But Eric has the sickest dance moves (have you ever seen his C walk??)…..and there is Courtney who has good jokes AND good dance moves. Then again, Luke is moving and well….I just can’t even go there (tear). Next question.
7.) Outside of coming to Verve, what do you like to do with yourself?
That’s a good question. This is the first year (ever) that I have not been in school, so I am taking this year to find some new hobbies. One of these days I plan on learning how to ski, unfortunately the idea of letting gravity take me down a mountain somewhat frightens me. I’ll get over that eventually (I hope).
8.) If you could move anywhere on earth, free of charge, where would you go?
I have moved every single year for the last 11 years. I am enjoying and finding peace in standing still for a moment. Besides, it’s not where you are, but who you’re with that truly matters. #dontmovepalmisanos
9.) You are a Physician Assistant, which allegedly takes some schooling to become. So… say something smart. Go!
Hmm…something smart. I can tell you that one of the smartest things I have ever done was join Verve! Oh and here is a lil inspiration courtesy of pinterest: The difference between try and triumph is a little umph!
10.) All right Stephanie. What would you like us to know about you??
Oh I don’t know. I’m a pretty down to earth gal just trying to enjoy the journey. AND, I read the blog religiously and now understand the pressure you all are under while writing them. Kudos.
Stephanie, we love having you here. Don’t go anywhere!
