8/9/10

8 Rounds of 400m Sprint
1:30 Rest Between Efforts

"Pose" style saves sprinter's career

by Liz Champion
Photo courtesy of the magazine

LISA MILLER, the former world junior 4x400m champion, says a dramatic change in her running technique has rescued her athletics career, writes Liz Champion.  The 21 -year-old was due to undergo surgery for a painful foot injury but after teaming up with Dr Nicholas Romanov, pioneer of the 'Pose' method of running, she has made a full recovery. 

Lisa started working with Romanov last October and has been injury free ever since - something she puts down to the Pose style of running.  The technique uses an upright style similar to that used by Michael Johnson and involves using gravity to pull forward without pumping the arms and legs.  "It's very hard to learn - especially when you've been taught to do the opposite," says Lisa. "Its taken me about six months to learn. I don't think I've mastered it yet."  "I've had a foot injury and I was supposed to get surgery. When I met Nicholas he said don't have surgery. He saved my foot and probably my career. The doctor said if I'd had surgery there was a higher risk of the injury coming back. I've had no problems since."  "Last season I didn't run as fast as I could have because I was working on the technique - surgery would have put me out altogether." 

Romanov developed the Pose method, which has been used by British triathletes -rim Don and Andrew Johns, as part of his philosophy of movement in the Seventies.  He is keen the style be more widely used in athletics to prevent injury and 'significantly improve running times'.  "It's about movement and teaching yourself to run," says Romanov.  "We are fighting with our own habits. ifs a change. I started working with Lisa when she was injured and she never had it afterwards. She is a very talented girl." 

"People are still sceptical," says Lisa. "But if Nick wasn't there I wouldn't be running now. The whole point of Pose is knowing why you are doing it. We had classroom sessions and he explained why we were doing certain things."  Lisa is now training under the guidance of Kevin Park and the KALM athletics group in London but maintains regular contact with Romanov.  "I'm still learning and developing new skills. I still speak to Nick. I'm definitely going to stick with it," she says.  She is looking forward to her first full winter's training before targeting the European under-23 championships next season.  "I know I have a good support team behind me. Nick for the technical aspects and support from the whole KALM team."