Forunner
Forunner is a product research and development division of MVB Inc. devoted to exercise equipment. The Forunner running device is nearing the end of trials and should be in full production by Spring 2005.
Here's How It Works
Assemble the Components
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Don the vest. It should fit snugly, and you should not be able to easily move the sewn-on hinge plate more than 2-3 inches side to side.
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Snap on the Upper Poles. Align the Upper Poles so that they are held out 90 degrees to your body. The hinge should slide over the hub sewn to the vest, and it will lock on, once the Upper Pole has been rotated downward.
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Slide the Lower Poli over the Upper Pole. Make sure they slide together smoothly.
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Initial Use
The right pole will be vertical, just before the right foot hits the ground. Likewise, the left pole will be vertical just before left foot hits the ground. You will find that your arms will be making the same front to back movement that they normally do when you run, which makes this product fairly intuitive to use. Your arms will swing back a little farther than they would normally when using the product.
Since your arm is closely aligned with the pole, it is relatively easy for you to transfer much of your weight to the pole. This keeps the bounce, or up and down movement, to a minimum, and helps reduce the impact loads from running or walking.
Do not think about where poles go - your arms will be able to work this out rather quickly. Allow 10 - 30 minutes to begin to work out your rhythm. When used correctly, there will be a pronounced side-to-side sway.
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Again, do not try to think about the placement of the poles. Start running, and begin by lightly tapping the poles down as you run. Gradually increase the force on the poles as you run. As you proceed, it will begin to feel as if you are almost vaulting from pole plant to pole plant.
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If you have trouble getting an even stride, you may want to try walking with the poles, then gradually building up speed. Most people find it easier to start running, and work through the initial awkwardness.
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You will find a pronounced side-to-side sway when you are using the product correctly. This is a natural result of the load being applied to the poles. Keep the poles in as close to you as possible when moving them through the arc. If the tips are passing more than one foot away from the arc your adjacent foot makes, the poles are too far away from you.
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Initially, your pole plants will not smooth. Do not use the product for more than 10-15 minutes per day until you can make smooth pole plants with little or no noticeable impact / shock loading. Stop using the poles for 3-4 days if there is any significant wrist soreness. After about 6 -10 hours of use, you should find that you can use the poles smoothly without thinking about them.
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As you become more experienced, you will find that you can plant the poles using very little pressure. As you stride past the planted pole, your arm will begin to apply more pressure, until the maximum amount of pressure is being applied just as the adjacent foot touches the ground. The pole will then be in the rear-most position and will be lifted up and swung forward. Focus on gradually increasing the force as the pole moves through the planted cycle to develop a smooth swing.
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You may find that the poles provide a more intensive workout than normally walking or running, due to the use of more muscle groups, and because it's fairly easy to walk or run faster when using this product. Slow down. If needed, disengage the upper and lower poles, and use the poles ski pole style for a less intensive workout, or if you are running or walking across rough terrain.
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Trail Running. If you run or walk on grass or trails, you will find that you need to raise the poles more than when running on paved surfaces, to clear surface obstructions. Do not use the product when running or walking or rough or uneven terrain - remove the lower pole from the upper pole, and use the poles ski-pole style. This allows more up and down movement, and is safer if the tip of the pole becomes caught in something.
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Other surfaces. Do not run on boardwalks or planked type surfaces if the gap between the planks in more than 1/2" / 12 mm. The pole tips will become lodged and stuck in the gaps. The standard tips are too small to be used on most beaches. Order our 2" diameter tip for beach use.
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Hand grip. You will probably find that it helps to shift your hand position on the handgrip while running or walking. A comfortable position is with both the thumb and the forefinger partly wrapped around the pole, instead of around the grip. Shift you hand around until you find a comfortable position.
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Protect your wrist. There is some variation in people's ability to support loads on the wrists. It may help to wrap an elastic bandage around the wrist to help stabilize it.
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Please contact us at 203 838 0375 / fax 203 838 0377 if you have any questions or comments. We look forward to hearing from you.
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