In the spirit of National Running Day, I have a plea. “Can’t we all just get along?” I just came across yet another running forum with a lot of bickering and debating about technique. Even some name calling. Please.
There are typically two camps. One camp says their chosen technique or foot landing or footwear is ‘right’. The position is usually taken without considering the individual, the goal, the anything. The other camp shares what has worked for them – AND THEN STOPS TYPING.
What is most interesting is that these camps align almost every single time with the same positions. The know-it-all camp aligns with all things that appear absolute and precise. The sharing camp aligns with their own individual experience. I often wonder if there is some correlation between technique and mindset. In other words, does the technique affect the mindset or does the
Read the rest of this entry »
Recently there has been much discussion and debate about how to run with respect to foot strike. The advice ranges but it is in general focused to how to land the foot. Much of the advice is also purist in nature – meaning a position that there is only one ‘right’ way to land properly for all people and all running situations.
My only advice to you if you come across positions like this is to run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. The position is not intended to serve you, it is intended to serve the source. A true coach or advocate, in my opinion, would share options so you can make your own decision.
As mentioned above, most of the advice I see is on what part of the foot touches the ground (first or in total). There is probably more to it than that; for example the position of the leg/foot when it touches the ground and the direction the foot is moving when it touches the ground may also be important factors.
But Foot “Landing” is still only one component of foot strike. A second important component is
Read the rest of this entry »
There is much confusion and misinformation about the Pose Method and ChiRunning techniques; and they are sometimes stated as the same or similar. Although the Pose Method and ChiRunning both suggest engaging gravity via a slight forward lean and simply picking up your feet to keep up with your forward fall, there are many significant differences between these two running techniques.
Here are just 3 Significant Differences between Pose Method® and ChiRunning®:
Read the rest of this entry »
Still wondering what this ChiRunning (‘chee-running’) is all about? Or maybe looking for a refresher of the basic ChiRunning principles?
Below is a short video entitled “ChiRunning Simplified!, Efficient and Injury Free Natural Running Technique” which provides a summary of the principles, position, motion and benefits. Plus it provides a simple analogy and helps answer the question “How do you run?”
Read the rest of this entry »
Alignment is a key element for running form efficiency and injury prevention. When you are aligned a higher level of relaxation is possible. These are the two primary concepts in ChiRunning® – Alignment and Relaxation and the balance between them. The more you are aligned, the less you need your muscles. The less you use your muscles, the easier it is to stay aligned. But too much alignment without relaxation and you may be too stiff to move. Or too much relaxation without alignment and you may be too loose to maintain your position.
Here are 4 Components of Running Form
Read the rest of this entry »
At the beginning of the ChiRunning book one of my favorite concepts is introduced: “Your biography becomes your biology” [1]. We all have a biography that shapes our present moment, both physically and mentally. The good news is that “with a little patience and perseverance” we have the ability to add new choices and habits to our biography, providing far-reaching benefits to our health, fitness and well-being.
I was a very active kid and enjoyed a lot of different sports and activities. But as a teenager, running was one activity I did not enjoy. It was only a necessary means of
Read the rest of this entry »
If you have been practicing ChiRunning or ChiWalking for awhile, you may have started to notice the mental benefits of focus and using visualizations. I tend to find myself in a ‘zone’ more and more often. I tend to have answers and realizations pop into my head often when out running or walking.
Recently I was out on a run and the concept that ‘Everything is Energy’ popped into my head. This has been the subtitle to my blog since the beginning. When you get right down to it, everything is simply energy rearranged differently. For some reason on this day I was reminded of it. I started to think about this concept as I was running along a single track trail. I decided to consider everything around me, including the air, was
Read the rest of this entry »
A very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to all. Thank you all for being a part of life’s unique experiences. Grateful. Period.
At the beginning of the year my goals were (from 2008 Running Year in Review):
- Continue running with a primary emphasis on health goals and not time goals.
- Continue to run happy, healthy, injury-free, and empowered with the tools to help me stay that way.
- Deepen my [ChiRunning] ‘practice’ by working on my breath, my relaxation level and my
Read the rest of this entry »
As in a previous post (ChiRunning® … Land, Peel and Lift), the ChiRunning motion of the heel/foot creates a wheel or circle as we move forward.
Another key to this running motion is a Relaxed Midfoot Strike. Running with a relaxed midfoot (full-foot) strike allows a subtle forward lean (fall) from the ankles with no resistance. It also removes a significant amount of stress from the lower legs and feet. The statistics indicate that 65-80% of all runners get injured every year in some way. And most of those injuries are at the knee and below. Could it be that we are asking a relatively small part of our body to
Read the rest of this entry »
Looking for a true gift, one to give or receive? There may be no gift more valuable than a few simple ideas for lifelong health.
“The first wealth is health.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Most people are passionate about sharing ideas about healthy living. An important piece of the healthy living puzzle is fitness; also simply called ‘motion’. We are all designed for motion; our health depends on it. The challenge is getting moving and staying moving through repetitive motions that can sometimes result in
Read the rest of this entry »
