When most people first come to me, they don't know about the OLPS, and it's a big ah-ha moment for them. Here's a scenario if we ignore that OLPS. First, we usually start off too fast and over stride. Already, the body is saying "hey I'm not warmed up!". But we ignore it and wait for that "second wind". The mind wanders and thoughts creep in, like "how much further do I have to go?" and "when is that second wind going to come?" We also think "I need to keep up the pace so my training partner doesn't think I'm a wimp." and "geez, my calves are tight today!" After a while, we might say "Darn it! My knee is starting to hurt again!" and "I will be so glad when this run is done!" and "Hope I have some 'vitamin I' at home cuz I'm gonna hurt, for sure!"  Finally we finish running, and we limp off to have a beer and wash down some painkiller. We might even give up on running because "it's too hard on the body and the knees are shot."

If, instead, we practice staying in the moment while running - something that is a real challenge for a lot of us - and start running SLOWLY, the body and mind have a chance to work together. After practicing the OLPS standing in place, and feeling what it feels like to have the mid foot under that column, the body knows how it's supposed to feel. Starting off on the run, we keep the stride short and feel each landing as a momentary support - like a column - with the foot coming down like plugging a socket into the ground. The body weight shifts to the next step, with another OLPS. We're not breathing hard at all, just moving along, feeling what good posture feels like, from the shoulders to the hips, to the ankles. The foot comes down under or slightly behind the center of gravity. As the body warms up, we lean just a little, from the ankles, and feel that OLPS in this new position. Each time the foot comes down, there it is. If the knee starts to say something, we shorten the stride and feel the OLPS once again. We might notice that we aren't breathing as hard, and maybe our training partner is right there next to us. As we lean into the run a tad more, constantly seeking that balance, we can feel that OLPS and feel the mid foot landing behind the hips. As we come to the end of the run, we straighten up a little and slow down, gently jogging to the finish. There is no pain, no need for 'vitamin I' and the beer tastes extra good because the body is pleasantly tired. Just another day of Chi Running, focusing on the one legged posture stance.

The most important thing you can practice as you correct your gait is to let your lower body relax when you run. One thing Danny usually discuses at talks and running workshops is the importance of "cooperating with forces." Namely, the force of gravity and the force of the road. If you cooperate with the force of gravity by leaning into it, it'll pull you down the road, so your legs can relax while running and won't have to propel you down the road. If you cooperate with the force of the road, you continue letting your legs relax by letting the road pull your legs behind you. Suddenly, your legs aren't really doing any "work" other than supporting your stride moment by moment.

When you think about your gait with the Chi Running technique, I'd also encourage you to consider the rest of your body, not just your legs: instead of trying to make one leg less dominant or the other more so, think more about your core, your pelvic region, and so forth. The legs are just an extension of the body, and with the pain-free Chi Running technique, keeping your core engaged is what makes your entire body (upper and lower) one unit.

The next time you're ready to get started running, go slowly and deliberately. Start with a very small stride, so small that you think you're barely moving, and focus on staying nice and relaxed, so that your legs are only acting as supports for your stride, not for propulsion. As you do this, pay attention to how your feet land, your midfoot strike, how they come off the ground, if one leg bends higher than another, if one hip is tighter and doesn't allow as much free, open rotation. Just quietly pay attention to what's going on with your legs. You can learn a lot by simply paying attention to your body and it's habits.

Fixing an uneven running gait is a learning process, and it will probably take you a little while to really understand Body Sensing and put it to good use as you change your gait. Remember the principle of Gradual Progress and give yourself some time and space to examine your gait. If you have a friend who can video tape your running technique, that's also a very fun and enlightening piece of training information that will give you a true view of what your body does as you run.

Liz Frost, Certified Chi Running and Chi Walking Instructor

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

"Love running forever" actually has two meanings. One is that you can run well into your old age when you run with great running technique. Running doesn't injure you, poor running technique does. "Love running forever" also comes from the many letters we get from people who say, "Running used to be sooooo difficult for me and now I feel like I could just go out and run forever."

Chi Running makes running faster, easier and injury-free. We receive weekly "love letters" from runners telling us how Chi Running has taken their running technique to a whole new level and allowed them to love running like never before. Even many triathletes who started off with running being their weakest leg have told us running is now their favorite part of the triathlon. The stories are pretty amazing.

If you already love running but get injured often, there's nothing more annoying than having to take time away from running for healing and rehab. You lose all that great aerobic conditioning that you've been building for months in what feels like a matter of days. Your friends are off having fun while you're on your way to the PT. Days, or sometimes weeks, go by until you're finally ready to return to your running program and your chomping at the bit to get back to where you left off. For some folks, this process seems to happen once a year … for others, even more frequently. No matter how you look at it, it always seems to get a little bit harder to jump right back into your running each time you get injured. Then, at some point, the thoughts start running through your head; "I love running, but I'm not sure if I really like doing this break/fix/break/fix cycle ad infinitum. Maybe I should take up swimming or cycling. I just don't like doing this running thing anymore."

If you're just beginning a running program and you struggle with it, rest assured that if you take it slowly and spend quality time up front learning the Chi Running focuses, you'll be instating the type of positive movement habits that will last you for a lifetime.

We hate to see anyone give up running (or even fall out of love with it), no matter what the reason. That's why we see the Chi Running technique as the best answer to the end of the "running honeymoon." When you learn to start running gracefully, efficiently, and in a way that – instead of leaving you wiped out – leaves you with more energy, you'll look forward to every new run like it's a date with a special friend.

The more mindful you are about always working to perfect your running form, the easier your running will become … no matter what distance, speed or number of running seasons your body wants to go.

Get started running with a training program, book and DVD package or a workshop with Danny or a Certified Chi Running Instructor.

Today's running session on the plan was an interval session 800x5 with 2 minute recoveries.  For the last 2 weeks, I have done these in the park using my Garmin to work out the distances. We have had a lot of heavy rain here in the UK recently and my usual interval loop was waterlogged so I headed to the track.

It was a beautiful crisp sunny day. Running the mile or so to the track served as my warm up.  During the session I was using focus pairs; one which I find difficult and one I find easy.  These were specific to this type of workout such as increase lean, lengthen stride etc.  After the first 400, I switched focus pair for the second 400. In the first couple of reps, I could body sense an increase in my cadence as I picked up speed so I turned on my metronome to work on lengthening my stride instead.  The low sunlight cast some great shadows over the track to give me valuable feedback on my form.  As I worked my way through the reps, I tried to relax more as that shadow told me I looked tight and not as fluid as I should.  All in all, this was an excellent workout and I can see improvements in speed week on week.  I will continue to do these at the track going forward.

Although I was at the track, I still used my Garmin as the beep for each rep served as a good reminder to switch focuses.

When your running technique is such that you feel that you can be running injury free, I highly recommend this workout to practise running in different gears, maintain the same running cadence and to teach you how to relax.

Happy running.

Michelle

Think about the times that you might have subjected yourself to a bizarre list of foods to eat, promised yourself you’d exercise 3 hours a day, or decided you wouldn’t eat a certain type of food, only to “fail” three days later … sound familiar? The reality is these types of unrealistic expectations don’t lead you to learning why you’ve gained the weight and they don’t set up tools to help you discover what your body needs and how to restore yourself to health. And they certainly don’t restore your self respect or self love.

It’s time to let go of past failures, disappointments and defeats. All of that is in the past, and nothing can be done about it. It’s empowering to put your past in its proper place and start anew.

The practice of Gradual Progress offers you some guidelines to help you create a lifetime of fitness healthy living, rather than going for a quick fix. When it comes to your health and your diet, short-term solutions don’t work. We’ve outlined a few strategies to help you begin your weight-release journey:

• Set incremental, attainable goals for yourself
  Instead of focusing on your total weight loss, set incremental goals with realistic timelines. It’s a lot easier to imagine and plan on losing 10 percent of your weight than to consider your total weight loss, especially if it’s more than 30 pounds.
   
• Start tracking your food
  Begin to understand what exactly you are eating and how much of it. Tracking your food is an invaluable tool for weight loss. You can make this as simple or elaborate as you have time for, but find some way to record what you eat. Eventually we’ll start to incorporate how the food you eat makes you feel, but remember Gradual Progress – simply tracking is a great start.
   
• Add one healthy action per week
  Consider things that you can add to your daily life that can ultimately improve the quality of your life. You might consider drinking at least eight glasses of water, eating a fruit and a vegetable each day, taking a multivitamin, walking daily, or eating whole grains. Write down your list and choose one action to start with. Do that action everyday for one week. At the start of the second week, pick the second thing on your list and you incorporate that into your daily life. With each week, you will gradually add in healthy habits that will help change your life. 
   
• Eliminate one unhealthy action per week
  Next consider things you should remove from your daily life that will help you move into a healthier lifestyle. This list might feel endless … but some things might be to stop drinking soda, reduce caffeine, limit sugar, or stop eating processed and refined foods. Consider your list and start where you can. Eliminate one item the first week, another the second week, and so on. 
   
• Get support
  There are plenty of resources that can assist you in your weight loss. Reach out to supportive friends or family, seek comraderie on message boards, or read something inspiring. Find ways to nurture yourself as you begin this process of self-discovery and reconnection. 
   
• Start moving
  If you are not currently practicing a workout program, have never had a workout program or are not able to remain consistent with your program, you are not alone. It’s important to start moving, wherever you are. If you can walk for ten minutes a day, and that’s more than what you are doing now, that’s great! Again, using realistic, attainable goals will lead you to greater long term success. The Chi Walking technique is a pain-free, efortless way to move your body, at any size, in a pain and injury-free way. 

By beginning your weight release in this graceful and nurturing way, with the philosophy of Gradual Progress, you’ll find that your decisions in all aspects of your life will start to naturally become healthier and more holistic. This is just the beginning, and a perfect way to start moving towards overall health and fitness.  

The Chi Walking technique is a way to move your body ... at any size. Sometimes the gym can be intimidating, and the thought of trying to go out for a run might seem like a far-off, crazy dream. You can begin a Chi Walking program. All you need is the intention, a place to walk and walking shoes. The Chi Walking technique helps you learn how to connect with your body in a way that helps you learn how to connect with yourself. We’ll revisit this idea as time goes on, but for now … let’s get you moving!

The Chi Walking book, DVD and Workbook are the best places to start. The Chi Walking book outlines the philosophy, ideas and the focuses to give you the full Chi Walking program. The Chi Walking DVD helps you visually see the focuses so that you can best practice them in your own body. The Workbook is a great, efficient way for you to really build a full practice of movement. It helps you develop a steady walking practice, guided by 8 weeks of workouts, giving you the tools necessary to get moving. If reading an entire book feels too daunting, you can get started just with the DVD and Workbook.

Part of developing a health and fitness practice is doing something regularly until it becomes routine. The Chi Walking program will help you get into a routine that can help you develop a lifelong practice of healthy living.

Three reasons why The Chi Walking technique will work for you:

• The Chi Walking technique starts with teaching you good posture. When your posture is aligned, it dramatically helps your body move with extra weight making walking easier when you’re just getting started.
   
• The Chi Walking technique encourages you to focus on strengthening your core muscles, just like Pilates or yoga, but while you walk. Strong core muscles improve balance and reduce leg and knee and ankle stress.
   
• The Chi Walking technique gets the chi flowing throughout your body, revitalizing your mind and body. This mind and body connection is essential for you to begin your exercise program in a healthy and sustainable way.