In training for running my pain-free half marathon, today’s LSD running session was supposed to be 9 miles, but I think we did closer to 6. I figure it’s okay; we ended up battling 6″ of snow in some places, which was really fun but definitely challenging with the extra resistance.

At one point, Alyssa said, “This is like we brought our 5-year-old selves along!” She was right. We were laughing and throwing snow at each other and huffing our way up the mountain, running gleefully down the hills.

I don’t have any super great winter running shoes, so I just wore my normal ankle running socks and pulled on blue plastic bags over my feet and tucked the ends up into my tights before putting on my running shoes. It worked really well; only until the last mile or so did the bags loosen up and scoot down, revealing my skin and socks to the elements, but for the bulk of the running session, I was just fine in my regular NB 560 trail runners and a normal pair of socks. The several inches of soft, wet snow definitely helped make the trail less slippery; if I get serious about running on trails in the dead of winter, I am going to have to invest in a pair with more grip.

The snowy ground added a level of resistance to a consistently uphill first portion of the run, which really put me in my place. I was really wanting to run up the whole hill and not walk at all. I just wanted to keep running, so it encouraged me to stay slow and easy, not overdoing it or getting over excited. I had a moment of major relaxation when we got to the first flat/downhill portion and I just let myself open up and glide down the trail. I was conscious about not using my legs to get me up the hill, but rather momentum and my arm swing.

It’s been about 5 hours since we finished, and legs have yet to show symptoms of wear. What a great feeling! The principle of the Chi Running technique help me so much running in any conditions, but especially on challenging, mind-using terrain. The best part is that I never feel badly or tanked after running. Sometimes I get tired during the run, but afterward, once it’s all over and I have maintained good running form, I am always elated at how good I feel.

Today was the very definition of winter running, in my mind; snow, quiet, stillness, friends, sweat, heartbeats and smiles. Thanks to my running buddies for making it a great morning and for the trails of Asheville for being so friendly and beckoning.
 

On a more positive note, the first week of the Chi Running Intermediate 12 Week Half Marathon Training Program went very well, despite the fact that the weather turned seriously cold and we had our first snowfall here in the UK. I don’t know about you but I just love running in winter. My running technique thrives in cold temperatures. I love the rare opportunity to start running across fresh powdered snow. I can use the snow to check my running technique and look for clean undisturbed footprints. As conditions turn icier, I have to take more care and wear appropriate footwear and focus on keeping my ankles relaxed and ensuring there is no push off. It still amazes me that many people think me slightly mad for running in this weather. I guess you have to be a runner to understand!

For the next few weeks in the form phase of running training, I get to focus on specific areas of my running technique using form intervals for each run. Using a watch to count down one or five minute intervals allows me to be very disciplined and stay focused. Now I just need to get back to running and staying healthy.

Happy running.

Michelle

The number one mental tool top athletes use to achieve their goals is the power of intention: putting their mind, body and being into the experience beforehand. The best way to utilize the power of your mind is to kinesthetically allow yourself to experience the event before it happens. Imagine how you will FEEL as you cross the finish line of the event you hope to run. Don’t just think about it, put yourself fully into the experience and allow your body to go through all the positive responses and emotions. Or see yourself walking to the top of that distant ridge with ease and let your body experience that feeling of achieving that sought-after goal. With focused concentration, allow the full impact of your accomplishment wash through you – before it actually happens. By doing this, you will greatly improve your chances of success.

Your goal may be losing weight, eating well, running a half marathon with your spouse, or walking without pain in your hips. You may want to look and feel better, all day long. Personally, I would like to get through winter without a cold or flu, and Danny’s most recent blog offers some great tips on maintaining good health this winter.

Muhammad Ali was famous for his use of intention to achieve his goals. OK, being a boxing champion may not be everyone’s goal, but if you can put aside the boxing and focus on the process by which he achieved his success, he is a great role model for all of us. He used all the skills of intention: affirmations, mental imagery, self-confirmation. He would publicly say, “I am the greatest”, and in 2000, Sports Illustrated agreed by naming him the greatest athlete of the century. Do you remember Ali’s repetitive rhymes? They had meaning, purpose and they worked.

I used to really dislike winter. I felt cold all the time and the short, dark days got me down. One year I had a strong intention to change all that. I decided to try to enjoy winter, and relax in the cold and use the long periods without light as a reminder to be more internally aware. I bought myself good winter clothes in support of my goal, but also decided that every time I felt cold I would just dig into my inner resources and not let it get to me. I also took the long nights as an opportunity to do some inner work by listening to my self and my center more intently, and writing about and confirming other goals in my life.

It worked. In March of that year, I realized I had enjoyed the outdoors more with my warm, good clothes, I had not felt as cold all winter, and I felt mentally more positive, self aware and centered. And the real beauty is that it has carried over. Now it is easy to get ready for winter and I actually enjoy and feel good about this dark, deep, quiet time of year.

During this time of year, I know how tempted I am by holiday sweets. So I am preparing myself by looking forward to the decadent squashes, brussell sprouts, beets, and gorgeous pears, nectarines, and pomegranates I’m going to enjoy, rather than cookies, high fructose candy and pastries that leave me feeling empty. And, right now, I’m going to let my mind imagine and my body experience how great I’m going to feel when I wake up in the mornings and feel energized from what I ate the day before: clean, healthy, strong …

Feels so good.

What do you want? Take some time, indulge your self in visualizing the very best for yourself, and reap the rewards of the power of intention in your health, fitness, running and walking goals.

Resources to help you master the Chi Running basics:

• Chi Running Book: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless Injury-Free Running
• Chi Running DVD: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless Injury-Free Running

First and foremost, focus on the basics: exercise, good nutrition, fresh air, and more rest and internal time. We take this seriously. Somehow getting older means we’re more susceptible to winter’s maladies, so we are either Chi Running or Chi Walking almost every day; we’re eating many more fruits and vegetables than ever before; and we always try to balance out all of our activity with some down time.

Exercise is Key: Exercise is crucially important to keep the chi moving in our bodies. Many people slow their running and walking routines down too much in the winter. It’s a good season for more rest, but exercising is absolutely key to keeping healthy. I don’t run as fast or far, but I do go running and lately I’ve really been enjoying walking long distances in the woods. You can exercise indoors if the weather isn’t friendly, but getting the right clothes and getting outside and breathing some fresh air is always best when conditions allow. There are always times when getting out is not a good idea, but effort should be made to get fresh air. If you do need to be indoors, mall walking or running/walking on the treadmill is a great way to keep moving.

Make running and walking a regular part of your life all year long.

Good Nutrition: Eat Fresh Nutrient-rich Foods
Holidays are the hardest time to eat well. Tempting sweets and baked goods are everywhere and it feels like a treat to eat a bit more and indulge. In most cultures celebration and food are closely linked. The key is to counterbalance it with foods that are high in nutrients and low in calories – specifically vegetables. Eating plenty of fresh vegetables can do a world of good to build your immune system and fight off illnesses. It’s also smart to go online and find a list of alkaline foods to help counteract the high acid content of the sweet holiday foods that are always so plentiful and tempting.

Additional Preventive Measures: We both, however, like to indulge every now and then in something sweet and delicious; we certainly don’t always get enough sleep; and we’re pretty busy. So, if we start feeling a twinge of a cold or creepiness coming on we do two things:
1. Take Occiloccinum
2. Take buffered vitamin C

Occiloccinum is a homeopathic remedy that has helped us many, many times. These days I’ve even seen in it regular pharmacies occasionally, but it can always be found at a natural foods store. It comes in little vials. Rather than taking an entire vial, we’ll take 1/3 or 1/2 the vial at a time. (Makes it a little less expensive). We’ll take this amount if we’re around anyone with a cold just as a preventive measure or if we begin to feel even the slightest inkling of something amiss in our system.

We also take a buffered vitamin C pretty regularly…not every day, but many days and especially if we’ve eaten something sweet or are feeling at all tired, run down or vulnerable to getting sick. We don’t take regular vitamin C because most have added sweeteners and a buffered vitamin C helps bring your system back to an alkaline balance. One teaspoon of our powdered vitamin C contains about 3000mg of C … a healthy dose.

Wintertime is a deep, rich and restful time and much more enjoyable when we’re healthy.