Hi Jhuffman!
Thanks for the video clips. I have gone through what I thought was every video on the website except for the most recent 2 as they don't seem to play on my PC, but somehow I missed the falling one I think. But I was aware that this is what POSE teaches about falling. My main problem is, when I push my chest forward and stay straight without hunching, I can't breathe properly. Have you encountered any students with a similar problem?
I can understand the suggestion not to push off with any extra effort that necessary to restore the position of imbalance, but I can't agree with Romanov's assertion that elastic energy is sufficient to restore that. It just doesn't make any sense to me. When I tried for 2 weeks to simply pull up my foot directly beneath my hip without any push-off whatsover, I couldn't move far at all and was going slower than a jogger.
Sir Lancelot, thanks for all the photos. I agree most of the top runners have powerful push-offs with full hip and knee extensions. I was taught that method and have been advocating it for more than 2 decades. Yes, their trailing legs pull behind their hips. The question is whether this is as economical as if they had a much earlier and quicker pull with higher cadence to make up for the lack of stride length. The Posers say it is not.
If we push-off sufficiently to create and maintain the imbalance, we should be falling forward continuosly and not running in place as you have suggested? If I simply pull up with my hamstrings (and some hip flezors [I don't understand how else we can pull up directly beneath our hips]) while leaning forward, I don't run in place. I would fall flat on my face! Only without the forward lean would I run in place. And only with a push off can I maintain an upright position with a slight forward lean.
Jhuffman, I agree that all things eventually fall down and all running things eventually fall forward. The problem here is that there are really 2 methods of moving forward. One is propelling ourselves forward and upward like a missile before allowing us to fall forward, and the other is simply falling foward and then restoring the previous height to fall forward again, which requires a higher cadence for the same speed.
The examples given of the kangaroo were confusing. I am not that familiar with kangaroos but I imagine that the kangaroo, a cheetah, and my dog sprinting, all act like the missile with a huge push off before allowing them to fall, so I don't think they make good examples of POSE.
Even when my dog runs more slowly, he would have to first push off. This is more easily perceived because 4-legged animals do not have the high CGM that upright animals have and can hardly fall forward. They actually seem to propel themselves forward, even at a slow pace, with a high cadence. I counted the forlimbs of my dog to execute 240 strides a minute at a slow pace of about 7-8 minute/mile.
O, my dog is a mix of Labrador, German Shepherd, and Golden Retriever.
Thanks very much, All!