Amongst other things, we all had our running technique analysed. I have much to be pleased with and some things to work on.  Since my last blog, my foot has healed well and I am doing more and more running.  Form intervals continue to be part of my running training and crucial to honing certain aspects of my technique.  If you read my blog, you will know that I have always been interested in heart raterunning training but have never managed to stick with it!  Although in the pain-free Chi Running technique, we prefer to use a heart rate monitor as a biofeedback tool, experience tells me in my case, I need to spend time on conditioning and developing a good aerobic base.  This will be a challenge and require me to run very slowly over the next few weeks and months.

With the help of a fellow instructor, I have decided I am up to the challenge this time although it requires a lot of discipline and a serious dose of non-identification as I am overtaken on a regular basis in the park!  The last two weeks have seen me return to regular training and already I am seeing some improvements.  In terms of form, running very slowly requires me to pay close attention to how I am moving.  It is crucial to maintain a running action even when running at a very slow pace. It’s important to stay away from a shuffle, keep the cadence up, relax your ankles and lower legs and maintain your alignment.  The lean is minimal.

After the unseasonably mild weather, the temperature finally dropped here in the UK this morning which had the added benefit of keeping my heart rate down and allowing me to run at a slightly quicker pace. Roll on winter!

Happy running.
Michelle

Always in search of the magic bullet, people tend to go to extremes when they hear of something promising. It happens with diets, with politics, and in this case, with running shoes.

As “power running” became widespread in the ‘80s and ‘90s, running shoes grew clunkier and thicker. Shoe companies taught us that more cushioning equaled better protection. In reality, excess shoe inhibits our ability to feel impact and the subsequent damage we may be doing to our bones, joints and muscles with each step. Current studies show that the thicker the heel of the shoe, the earlier the foot comes into contact with the ground, increasing impact to the legs, knees and joints.

Chi Running has advocated for minimal shoes since 1999, but always with the caveat of one of the pain-free Chi Running technique's main tenets: Gradual Progress. Putting on a pair of minimal shoes does not change years of movement patterns you have established. The idea that running without shoes or with a more minimal shoe will save you from injury is, in many cases, wishful thinking. The truth is running in minimal shoes or barefoot will give you form feedback that overbuilt shoes won’t; the key to preventing injury lies in responding to this feedback by making adjustments to your technique.

For a healthy transition, follow these tips to avoid overuse injuries that can plague minimalist or barefoot runners:

1. Take it slowly and don’t expect to be running your current mileage as you switch from your current shoes to barefoot running or minimalist shoes.
2. If you’re transitioning to barefoot running, do it on a hard surface or a track and not on grass (contrary to popular opinion). Because grass offers such a soft surface, it can be difficult to tell if you’re heel striking. Running on a hard surface will give you immediate form feedback and “force” you to land softly or suffer the pain.
3. If you go cold turkey and toss your old shoes in trade for minimalist or barefoot running, start by running very short distance intervals, such as 200m or less, just to see how it feels. Then, walk for the same distance. This helps toughen your feet without creating as much impact as running. Switch back and forth between walking and running as your body allows. The 10% increase rule applies here - start with very short runs and add no more than 10% of an increase in mileage (or time on your feet) in one week.
4. Be very cautious if you’re switching to minimalist or barefoot running if your BMI is 25 or higher, as the increase of impact to unprotected feet magnifies significantly if you’re overweight. If your BMI is 30+, you might consider losing some weight before switching to the minimalist approach. Try walking in minimalist shoes first and increase your mileage slowly.
5. For at least the first month, do most, if not all, minimalist or barefoot runs on level ground, not on hills. Running uphill places increased stress on your Achilles tendons, while running downhill places more impact and stress on your plantar fascia, the soft tissues of the bottoms of your feet, your calves and your shins.
6. Make sure you are running with biomechanically correct running form on the first day of your switch to minimalist or barefoot running.

• Shorten your stride
• Don’t heel strike - land midfoot
• Keep your knees bent
• Relax your lower legs throughout your stride cycle
• Maintain good posture with a slight forward lean from the ankles

When approached mindfully, there is no reason why anyone should suffer injury from switching to barefoot or minimalist running. Without the extra bulk and padding, your body will truly sense what the ground feels like and respond accordingly. Educate your feet gradually, and allow your body to adapt at its own pace. 

After having the enriching experience of spending three days with Danny Dreyer and fellow running and walking instructors at Asheville for  the bi-annual certified instructors weekend, it really has opened up a whole new appreciation & understanding of the power of the energy called chi.

As Danny says, and as has been said by my wife Anne (an experienced yogi), : "Where your mind goes, your chi flows"... This is so very true.

Running in Charleston this morning, before catching the planes back to Sydney, i had no running goal, i just allowed my chi to take me running, no effort, just relaxed and allowed the chi to flow. A very empowering running experience if you set up the conditions for this to happen.

At the airport the plane was going to be late to leave, which may or may not had made me miss my connecting flights home. What could i do? Nothing. I allowed my chi to flow, by setting up the ideal conditions; relaxed and at peace. All went well and I did not become stressed and worried like all those around me that were not too happy... I arrived in time for my next flight and are enjoying the far reaching benefits of my chi still flowing...

Allow your chi to flow in your daily life, set up the conditions for it and it will take you in the right direction. Daily practise of this will also have the benefits for you when you ChiRun. Just like practising good posture outside of running, practise allowing your chi to flow. This will without a doubt have a "chi-mendous" positive effect on your Chi Running.

Chimaste,

Coach J-R

www.vortexperformancesports.com

Sydney Australia

As you know from the Chi Walk-Run DVD, the first step in learning and using Chi Walk-Run is to learn the Basics of Chi Walking and Chi Running. The DVD as well as other Chi Walking and Chi Running resources (DVD, books, classes, etc) will take care of developing that foundation; then, the question is when and how does one make the transition from walking to running, and vice versa.

Briefly stated, the transition (or change) process from walking to running, or running to walking, is an individualized decision combined with some general principles and timing guidelines. First, it is key to pay attention to yourself, to "Body Sense" so that you are aware of your own energy as you decide to continue with what you are doing as opposed to making the transition: exertion level? heart rate? attitude? current form? And further, what's going on around you: are you running or walking on level terrain, uphill, downhill? what point in your workout or race? personal goals? aid station coming up? how long have you been either walking or running?

Once you've decided that it is time to make a change (note that I'm emphasizing the "choice" aspect at this time even though there also may be pre-set time periods for each mode), in order to make the transition as easy and energy efficient as possible, it helps immensely to bring into focus your cadence (turnover rate) at that time and then to increase or decrease it as desired. For example, if you are Chi Walking, you may want to increase your cadence as you begin to transition to Chi Running, say from 130 to 140 to 150 or more since your Chi Running cadence will soon be in the 170 - 180 steps per minute range. At the same time, as you start to transition, you will be increasing the minimal lean of Chi Walking to slightly more lean as you transition to the "first gear" of Chi Running. Awareness of your walking and running technique allows for these changes in form as well as retaining certain aspects of form that are the same in Chi Walking and Chi Running, e.g., 90 degree arm swing and a good pelvic rotation.

In a hilly trail run in Corvallis, OR recently, I had many occasions to transition between Chi Running and Chi Walking. Although I began the 15K race intending to run as much of it as possible with a fast finishing time in mind, I knew that the many steep hills would mean that I would frequently be Chi Walking - cooperation with gravity translates to Chi Walking being more efficient than Chi Running when dealing with steep uphills (see: http://www.drkeithcoach.com/articles/mcdonald-forest.pdf). On the other hand, Chi Running is the choice when going downhill. This strategy worked very well and, as well as attaining my target time overall (1hr 30 mins), I had the satisfaction of Chi Walking past many competitors who insisted on trying to run on the steep uphills or who were forced to walk but did so more as a last resort with no awareness of their inefficient form while doing so.

Although Chi Walk-Run is not the only Walk-Run program that exists, it has a number of features that make it unique and more beneficial for the trainee. I plan to address this topic in my next blog. With the above ideas about transitions and dealing with steep hills, you have plenty to work, or play, with: be aware, Body Sense, and enjoy your Chi Walk-Running.

We developed the Chi Walk-Run program to fill the needs of everyone, regardless of their current fitness level, to begin running…whether it’s for the first time or returning to a running program after an injury or some other interruption. This program is for anyone needing a safe and easy way to get moving again.

When you learn to mix injury-free running with walking, your fitness options open up. You can have Chi Walking as your base exercise and punctuate it with intervals of Chi Running to fit your exercise needs. When your body says you’ve had enough you can drop back into a nice fitness walking tempo until you’re recovered. Over a period of weeks, as your overall conditioning increases, you can opt to increase your running as your body dictates.

Chi Walking and Chi Running share the same fundamental principles borrowed from T’ai Chi:
• All movement originates from your center.
• A strong center (core muscles) holds your posture in tact while your forward lean engages the pull of gravity, allowing your shoulders, hips, arms and legs to relax and work less. In a nutshell, gravity assists you to move forward with less effort.
• You can walk and run more easily when your arms and legs are relaxed and fluid. (There’s no doubt you’ll have happier workouts when you’re not pushing, pulling and overworking all your muscles.)
• Your mind directs your “chi” or energy which in turn moves your body. In Chi Walking and Chi Running, you learn to create the conditions for your chi to flow.

As you learn and practice your Chi Walking skills you’ll gain confidence with every lesson, and the Chi approach to natural-form running becomes an easy next step to increasing your level of fitness. With Chi Walk-Run you are in the driver's seat and can determine when and how much injury and how much you want to walk.

We’ve designed a great Walking/Running DVD and training program to guide you through 8 weeks of workouts. You’ll learn how how to smoothly transition between walking and running so that you don’t waste energy. And, at the end of 8 weeks, you’ll have a set of skills that can have a significant and long lasting effect on your whole life: good posture, a stronger core, deeper relaxation, a focused mind and much more.

You can walk-run any distance from a 5K to a marathon, if you so choose. However, when you see how easy, gentle and pain-free running can be, you may find that your walk breaks are fewer and shorter than you ever expected. You may also find that you enjoy the walk-run dance and that adding just a little bit of running into your workout gives you just the right amount of added cardio and aerobic conditioning you need. Whichever way you go, you’ll move forward with two great ways to bring more chi into your movement and into your life.

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