After a mile of easy first gear running to the track, I started counting.

Lap 1 - One Legged Posture Stance (p. 115 in the Chi Running book). Each time my foot came down, I body-sensed it landing at the bottom of a column formed by my shoulder, pelvis, and ankle. I used my Y'chi (p. 94), so my brain could respond to what I was feeling, instead of 'directing the show'. 

Lap 2 - Lean with a bungee cord (p. 81). I let the bungee cord pull me gently down the track, feeling a slight upward pull. This helped keep my chest open; I was starting to feel gravity pulling me along.

Lap 3 - Lean, imagining resting your forehead in your palm. This focus helps me relax and get the wrinkles out of the back of my neck. If I have tension in my neck, it cascades down my whole body and running is no longer relaxing.

Lap 4 - The Big Wheel (p. 96) - imagine running inside a giant wheel, with your upper body moving forward, while the lower body moves to the rear. I also imagine I'm on a giant treadmill and just picking up my feet.

Lap 5 - The Small Wheel (p. 96)  - imagine your feet are clipped into bicycle pedals, and you can only pull up. This helps you feel that circular motion, and bends your knees. I noticed my speed seemed to increase with no effort: a girl ran onto the track ahead of me and was staying ahead, until I started this focus. I soon passed her and gained a half lap in no time. I felt absolutely no increased effort on my part. Hmmm.

Lap 6 - The ankle lift - (p. 87). As I did this lap, I felt my ankle release as my foot came up, allowing my foot and my entire lower leg to relax. All I had to do was bend my knee, and my foot landed softly behind my hip. 

Lap 7 - The arm swing (p.102) - I allowed them to hang and swing freely from my shoulders, with elbows bent about 90 degrees. I matched the cadence of my metronome to my arm swing, focusing on my elbow tips. I have a tendency to hold tension in my right arm, and I practiced releasing that through out this lap.

Lap  8 - pelvic rotation (p.97, 134). I focused on my feet and let the track take my foot back, allowing it to stick for a microsecond before lifting my ankle. I felt my leg get pulled back, and felt my pelvis follow the leg. Instead of focusing directly on the pelvic rotation, putting my attention on my 'sticky foot' allowed all the rest to happen. 

At the end of this lap, I continued back on to the trail home with an easy jog. This was one of the best track work outs I have had; it allowed me to get into a consistent run and feel what it feels like to keep good form in my body. I plan to incorporate these workouts more often into my schedule!

What is not as well documented are the positive emotional and psychological effects consistent running can have. From help with mental illness to drug addiction to managing anger, we’ve received many letters affirming the Chi Running technique helped, either because the individual was able to start running consistently without pain, or because the Chi Running technique itself impacted them in personally profound and life-changing ways. We have a lot of these stories, each one as inspirational as the next.

“What is going on here?” we’ve been asking ourselves.

We believe that the physical body is, as every physicist knows, more energy than matter, and when your are doing something on a physical level, such as strengthening your core muscles, or relaxing your shoulders, or landing more softly with a midfoot strike and not pushing off with your feet, those qualities become a part of who you are in other ways. A strong core gives you a stronger sense of self. A relaxed body definitely helps to relax your whole person. Allowing yourself to fall gently into your lean helps you to realize that you can lean into life. Pain-free running is not about forcing and pushing and working really hard, and maybe getting ahead at work isn’t about that either.

Carmen’s story has always been a favorite. All her life she felt she was not particularly able physically. After three 1-hour pain-free running technique classes with Danny, she said the words we have come to hear many times since: “Oh, it’s only changed my whole life.” For Carmen it was because her self-image changed dramatically when she saw herself running on video. She looked fantastic. She had quickly understood the Chi Running technique and was able to move in the way she was directed in her workshop. She was a natural! Running became a passion and a positive image of her body and her abilities replaced the scars from middle school gym class.

Karl’s story is not only inspiring, but really educational. At 57 he is running longer, faster, and enjoying athletics more than anytime in his life since a knee injury when he was 17! The freedom and excitement he feels about being physically active again is palpable.

Christy’s learning the Chi Running technique coincided with other life changing realizations, “Living in the present moment, being mindful, and having a strong core - physically, emotionally & spiritually.”

Terry’s doctor recently informed him that, after starting a pain-free Chi Running program, he had added 10 years to his life. His health goals came easily with the ability to be active without pain or injury.

We’ve received so many of these letters, we’ve devoted a whole section to “Changed my Life” letters on our Web site.

You can consciously use the pain-free Chi Running technique to help you with your goals as well. Every time you run, put a positive goal in the back of your mind, and even more importantly, let it sink down into your gut, your core, and let it be there as you run.  Articulate your goal in a positive, clear statement, as if it is already real. “My daughter and I communicate really well.” “My boss treats me with respect.” “My essay is well-written and persuasive.” Level your pelvis and allow your pelvis to gently rotate as your leg follows the energy of the road rolling underneath you.  Keep your chest open and your eyes softly focused. Breath deeply and fully. Relax.  All of those focuses will help your goal to become a natural part of how you move through life. Keep your focus on your goal, while being open, responsive and flexible to what comes your way.

Some people run to avoid their problems, but a more viable solution is to allow your running to help you see a new perspective, and actually let it help you solve the issues in life that may seem daunting. For some, running itself may seem daunting, but as you find the ease and grace possible in your running, that ease and grace may just find its way into how you live.

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

To avoid overuse injuries to the lower legs, the Chi Walking technique teaches you how to redirect the workload of propulsion to the strong core muscles around your pelvis and lower trunk area instead. We have developed learning tools and a new Web site filled with great information on how to stay fit and get the most from your walking while generating the least amount of impact to your bones and joints.

Here are three questions commonly asked about the Chi Walking technique that shed light on what your hips, legs and feet are doing. For more information and articles on the Chi Walking technique for fitness, weight loss, rehab and event training please visit the Chi Walking library of useful articles.

1. How does the Chi Walking technique differ from the Chi Running technique, and can I learn to walk faster with Chi Walking?

In the Chi Running book, the training paradigm is Form, Distance, Speed ... meaning that you learn and practice your running technique in that order. This guideline can be equally applied to Chi Walking. Don’t attempt walking at faster speeds until you have your walking technique down at slower speeds and you can hold your technique together for longer distances. Your propulsion comes from leaning slightly from your hips when you're Chi Walking and not from your ankles, as you do in Chi Running. At slower paces your propulsion comes from a mixture of gravity pulling you forward as you lean and hip rotation. It becomes increasingly more a function of hip rotation at the faster speeds. BUT, until you can walk with completely relaxed lower legs, you shouldn’t be powering your legs with the rotation of your pelvis or you’ll default back into pushing with your feet, which over-taxes your lower leg muscles.

2. Should I feel myself pushing with my feet as I walk?

You should always be working towards a stride where your ankles and lower legs are as relaxed as possible. This will mean that you eventually will not be pushing off with your feet and toes (the smallest muscle group in your legs), but using a mix of the pull of gravity (by leaning forward from your hips) and the rotation of your pelvis (to drive your legs). Whenever you're walking uphill or at faster speeds, you will feel some push off with the rear foot and your leg (both of which should be as relaxed as possible). BUT, your foot is driven by your leg, which in turn is driven by the rotation of your pelvis. Propulsion should not be done with your foot muscles … ever. This shifts the work responsibility to your core muscles, not your legs. When walking uphill, it is also important to shorten your stride and lean your upper body into the hill.

3. How do my feet land when I'm Chi Walking?

In order to maintain less impact to your knees and hips while walking, it is important to always keep your leading leg bent at the knee. This will allow you to land on the area of your foot just in front of your heel (closer to a mid-foot strike). Most walkers straighten their leading leg and strike the ground with the back of their heel. This type of heel strike sends a shock to the knees, hips and lower back.

The width of tracking should be slightly narrower than hip width and should be maintained with each forward step. Find a crack in the sidewalk and stand with your feet together straddling the crack. This is the relative position each of your feet should have with each step … just to either side of your centerline. The only time you should step with one foot in front of the other is if you’re walking on a tightrope or a runway, which self-eliminates a lot of us.

Without a doubt, the key to being able to enjoy and do well at all such varied organized races is the Chi Running technique and the Chi Walking technique with all of their positive features. Good posture and running technique are at the foundation of effortless and aware running. No matter what kind of event I am in, I am always engaged in self-monitoring and adapting to the conditions around me. Flexibility and focus, working with, not against, nature make it possible to enjoy the variety and the variety gives me the opportunity to be a true, pain-free Chi Runner and Chi Walker. I wonder what kind of variety you've experienced in your running or walking undertakings!

This week, another new adventure as my gal friend Kathy and I head to Austin, Texas to run the Austin Half Marathon. Our first time there ensures another taste of variety and another "spice" for our running and walking lives. Off we go!

When I look back, I am very happy about the progress I have made.  In January, I recorded my highest running mileage ever.  Last week I ran a 5k and took almost 2 minutes off the 5k I ran 3 weeks earlier.  Each week I feel stronger than the week before.  Running feels better every day.  Training for the half marathon has meant even more hours practicing something that I love and getting better at it and I remain injury free.

I am in my fifth year as a student of the pain-free Chi Running technique. I never stop learning.  Each day I discover something new about my body.  By listening to my body, I am continually working to improve my alignment and how I move.  This has allowed me to feel able to take part in races this year and I look forward to seeing what I am capable of.

On Sunday, as I stand at the start, I will have the confidence that I have put the training in.  I have done the long runs, speed workouts and practiced the form focuses.   Whatever happens on the day, I know that Chi Running has given me the tools to deal with it.   Most of all I will be doing everything in my power to try to stay relaxed!

Happy running.

Michelle

My goals for running the race this year were to finish and to finish uninjured. Kristin (Ivan's sister-in-law) and I had both run the race two years ago, and we were at the start line again together this year... However, this year we decided on running together, which we hadn't done before.

Due to illness, work schedules, traveling and incredibly cold weather, she and I were both less trained than we would have liked and thought it would be good support and more fun if we ran together. If none of you has ever run a whole race with another person, I would highly recommend it. It was so much fun to run together, and it actually made the time go by rather quickly.

Going into running the race, I knew I was going to need to rely on my technique and Body Sensing to get me through the race because I hadn't run the mileage that I would have liked during running training. To stay safe and connected to my body, these are the things I focused on during the race:

1. Core engaged
2. Elbows swinging to the rear
3. Never stepping past my hip
4. Crown tall

The weather was slightly rainy at the start, and again at the finish, but we were able to run in nice cool weather which was fantastic. Running this course is so great -- there are loads of fans and volunteers along the entire course which makes for a very entertaining, fun and supportive race. With the rain, the road was slightly slippery in places, so we just watched our footstrike and made sure to take smaller strides where it was slippery.

About mile 11, I got a very strange, sharp twinge in my lateral left knee. I immediately shortened my stride, back off my speed and watched the way my feet were tracking, making a very conscious effort to strike neutrally on the ground. I haven't fully diagnosed what it was, but I was so grateful to have my running technique "down pat" in order to fix the issue immediately to avoid injury.

We were smiling for the entire race; it was so much fun to run with someone, the course was so well supported, the weather was excellent for running and we both ran a better race than either of us expected. I am thrilled to have done another race. I am thrilled to have another positive experience under my belt. I am grateful I was able to run 13.1 miles at all, and that I was able to run and have so much fun with Kristin. We both have great support systems and had 6 smiling faces at the end of the course to cheer us toward the finish line as we raced the last .5 mile, pace for pace, crossing the finish line at the same moment. Thanks for a great race, Kristin!

While I don't have any other races on the calendar yet, I am going to enjoy running and walking just for the sake of it for the next several months.

Many thanks to those of you who have continued to read my blog and make comments. It is very encouraging to know that many of you are still reading this after several years, and I am looking forward to continuing to blog about my experiences to inform others who are learning and practicing the Chi Running technique.