This article is locked by Dr Romanov is a charismatic and amusing guy who presents very well. He's open to questions and you get the impression his goal is simply to get you past any blocks you may have and to get on with running using his model. He won't be everyone's cup of tea, but if you can keep an open mind and are prepared to be challenged he will lead you into his world! I personally found him very likeable and would be happy to chew the fat with him well beyond his boredom threshold no doubt.
Following the theory, all the students were videoed on a short run to show current form before any changes. There was the usual variation from naturally talented runners to some who were heavy on their heels and some who had odd styles. Very few were anything like a Pose runner (except the coaches of course).
The next half hour or so took all the students through some basics. There were probably around 3-4 students to each Pose coach so the coaches were able to do the rounds and make sure everyone understood what was going on. This personal attention was probably the best part of the clinic - instant feedback and explanations can give immediate results.
Each runner then had their clip played so everyone could see how it compared to the ideal of Pose. Contrasting with the coaches running, gave a clear indication in the different levels of skill and nearly everyone had a lot of room for improvement.
Some more theory and discussion followed. Many interesting ideas came up, some alien to me and some making perfect sense - all interesting and thought provoking (which I suspect was one if not the main motive).
The following practical session built on the previous movements and perceptions in an attempt to keep the students progressing. Some of the exercises were outlandish and amusing especially in the presence of the onlooking and bemused general public and all seemed to have a central aim; to enhance perception so that the taught movements could be properly executed.
More video followed and then it was back inside to see how we had progressed.
The results were mixed as you may expect. A couple of students ran very well indeed after the course (lucky buggers) and all but a couple of runners showed improvement. In some cases it seemed to me that the newer runners rather than those with many miles under their belt made best progress, but I think also in a couple of cases experienced runners did change their mechanics considerably towards Pose.
In my case I improved a little but missed one of the central concepts that only sunk in the following day on reflection of the course. I guess I am a slow learner. I'm keen to carry on though and have seen first hand that good Pose is very quiet with zero overstride - pretty much the holy grail for what I see as efficient running.
In summary, if you want to start learning Pose or just get a handle on what it is all about, a 1-day course is a good idea and a lot of fun. It's also better than any number of books, dvds or forum posts. Your expectation should probably be set to *improve* rather than come out being able to run perfectly! You will be one of the unlucky few if the day makes no difference to your running at