After assisting at the Chi Running Instructor Training in Fort Lauderdale I decided to visit to my brother and sister-in-law who live on Grand Cayman. I was looking forward to vacation time, but my brother put me to work. First, he arranged for me to teach the pain-free Chi Running technique to some of their friends, next was a talk on the Chi Walking technique to his Rotary group and then came the invitation — how would I like running on a relay team in a race called Off The Beaten Track? I had less than a week to train for the heat and humidity.

Although it can get hot in northern California where I live it doesn’t get humid. On my first day on the island I started running before it got too hot, but I melted after only two and a half miles and dragged myself home. My legs felt like lead with less than three miles on them. Not good. The following morning I started by walking then relaxed into running, but the biggest shift came when I turned on my metronome. I realized immediately that in the heat my stride had become sloppy and my cadence too low. No wonder my legs had felt heavy! It’s harder to run when your cadence is too low. Over the next couple of days I was able to increase my running distance to eight miles with the help of the Chi Running focuses and especially C-shape, y-chi, cadence and circular feet.

I was assigned the last leg of the relay so it was after 11 a.m. and over 80º when I started running. The reason the race is called “Off The Beaten Track” is that it covers a variety of terrain — in fact, in my leg, I had sand, rock, asphalt, concrete, grass and a bit of bush whacking. There are no racecourse markers. Runners are responsible for familiarizing themself with the course. The previous runner on my team got lost so when I started running I was feeling some pressure to make up time. I focused on my alignment, keeping my stride short and kept choosing an y’chi and soon found I was able to relax and enjoy running. Whenever I felt the heat sapping my energy I would lengthen my neck and visualize my C-shape and instantly feel lighter. It was these focuses and more that enabled me to run the distance and not do any walking — unlike some of the people I passed. 

Although I felt good despite the heat and humidity and had beautiful scenery to enjoy while running my two beach sections, the true gratification of this event was being part of a group of 100 plus runners who, along with sponsoring organizations such as Grand Cayman Central Rotary, were able to raise over $20,000 for Facing Africa — a charity dedicated to helping children in Nigeria and Ethiopia who suffer from a disease called NOMA, an acute and ravaging gangrenous infection affecting the face. NOMA victims are mainly children under the age of six, caught in a vicious cycle of extreme poverty and malnutrition and the mortality rate is around 90 per cent. I’d definitely go off the beaten track again!

Some running shoes have a good enough tread that they can be worn on both road and trails, but many runners have a selection of road and trail running shoes and base their choice upon their intended running route. The other day I started running a flat road run but switched gears and found myself running up a gnarly, hilly trail. Oops. Wrong shoes.

There was one section of the trail that was covered in eucalyptus leaves and I found that my feet started to slide out from under me. I started to regret my decision to change course in the middle of my run, but then I remembered an old article that Danny had written, Make the Most Out of a Bad Run. I realized that my choice of running shoes that day had inadvertently given me the opportunity to focus on a couple of aspects of the Chi Running technique that would help me navigate the terrain. Since the soles of my shoes were completely smooth and had no grip, I quickly realized the only way I could get up the hill was to focus on lifting my ankles and eliminate any push off. Just to see what would happen, I tried pushing off for a few steps. Sure enough, my feet slid backwards and I lost stability. Then, I focused on relaxing my lower legs and lifting my ankles. What a difference! Then, I included the focus of my arm swing to bring my elbows forward to give me that “lift” up the hill (see page 176 of the Chi Running book) for a description of how to swing your arms when running uphill. Aha! Now, I was really moving.

I picked a dirt road — which also happened to be covered in eucalyptus leaves, for the downhill portion of the run. Again, I decided that the only way I could run downhill efficiently was to focus on running technique. My running shoes were of no help. I found that thinking about the C shape created the balance and stability I needed. I paid extra attention to letting my pelvis rotate and just focused on letting my stride open up behind me. My feet seemed to barely touch the ground. In fact, the whole experience was so positive and I was having so much fun I decided to do the loop again! I was excited to discover that what had initially seemed like bad planning gave me the opportunity to practice my running technique. It reminded me that there’s a reason for the choices we make and that we have a choice to make the best we can of them.

What I love about running the Dipsea is that it is not just about running a hard and historic race. It is steeped in tradition. Over the years people create their own traditions too. Three of my favorites are Saturday morning practice runs over the trail with friends followed by breakfast at the beach, Thursday night practice running followed by a salmon dinner barbecue and a scone breakfast at a friend’s house the weekend before the race. There has to be some reward to compensate for the pain of running such a hard course.

It’s a quirky race and people either love it or hate it. Most people who run it love it and come back for more. Jack Kirk did for 67 years. He was 96 years old when he ran his last Dipsea. Every year, one of my favorite Dipsea moments was when the crowd would roar as Jack came into view near the finish line and everyone would rush over to watch and cheer just as I did when I was lucky to capture him on camera. He was an amazing man and runner. And check out his footwear. Talk about minimal running shoes!

The Dipsea Race is a true spectacle for spectators and runners alike. Since it is a handicapped race with staggered starts spanning 25 minutes many racers get to watch their running buddies start. It was quite a sight to see an 8 year old and 68 year old start running together — and with an interesting twist, the spectators saw them finish almost together with 8 year old Reilly Johnson just seconds ahead of runner-up Melody-Anne Schultz. During the race I was able to observe all the different elements of running form as people would come flying by. I couldn’t help but notice Alex Varner when he passed me — he looked smooth and relaxed, and he had the fastest time of the day. Good running form does make a difference.

A highlight for me was at the starting line when the race announcer looked down at my starting group and said “Hazel Wood is still here running after all these years, it must be the Chi Running that keeps her from running injuries!”. That put a smile on my face and helped me relax. It was an incredible day and I feel very fortunate to have been part of the experience. Everything was in alignment — the weather, the beauty, the challenge, and the camaraderie. Post race activities were fun and festive. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’ll be back. Same time, same place next year.

In the last couple of weeks I have seen several people from my running club out on the course practicing. It is not a particularly challenging route but does have a good amount of uphill running — and some beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay area when you reach the top. Since I know the running course like the back of my hand I didn’t need to practice. Instead, I decided to stick with my current routine — running a track workout on Thursday and hill repeats (with some Kettle Bell exercises thrown in between sets) on Saturday. Yes, even with the home turf pressure, I was training through my race.

It’s not often that I can enjoy the luxury of walking to the start of a race with my husband. It was a good warm up for me. I had done the Chi Running Loosener Exercises (see pages 195-208 of the Chi Running Book) before I left the house and felt quite relaxed. On the way, we met a couple of neighbors out walking their dogs. One of them, called “Scrappy” always greets us by running round in circles. For a few people it had been a full weekend of distance running — just the day before was a very popular 50K trail race and another friend who is training for a 100 mile event had run 36 miles. Made my hill repeats seem like a walk in the park.

Knowing the course, I had no distractions and was able to just focus on my running technique. Even navigating the mud and the rocks and roots on the single track section I focused on keeping my lower legs relaxed and lifting my ankles and smiled as I watched a number of runners bouncing up the trail and trying to get ahead with their version of power running. Soon I passed a couple of women in my age group and knew that they would be trying to catch me. The challenge I gave myself was to not try and stay ahead of them but to relax and enjoy the feel of my midfoot strike in my new NB-790 shoes, one of the minimal running shoes listed on Danny’s Blog.

It was an out and back course and I was surprised to see a couple of people ahead of me run off course. I was close enough to them that I could yell at them and get them turned around. About 200 yards from the finish line I passed a guy with whom I had been going back and forth — every time I would start running past him he would speed up and pass me again. But this time one of the guys who had already finished yelled at me “Hazel, you’re on your home turf” so I dropped my attention to my feet, felt my midfoot strike, relaxed my ankles, leaned one more inch and let gravity pull me to the finish line. I like my home turf!

Fast forward to the finish line. There I am, running as hard as I can and the race director is yelling “Hazel, you got the last bottle of wine!” I’m happy, I’m proud and I look down at the finishing stick that was handed to me. Even without my glasses the number looks clear: 26. Bummer.

One second I’m in the running and the next I’m out of the running. Originally, I had planned to do the Kaiser San Francisco Half Marathon that day but I changed my mind a few weeks ago since I hadn’t been able to get in enough distance running and opted for the Super Bowl Run instead. Did I say the race was fun? Well, it is if you like running uphill, or walking uphill. It’s that steep in places. Seven miles of hilly fire roads and single track trails that wrap part way around Mt. Tamalpais, which is about 30 minutes north of San Francisco. There’s a phrase that many instructors use when teaching ChiRunning “feel what it feels like”. Of course, we use it in the context of good running form. I was feeling what it feels like to miss the mark by a factor of one.

I was in pain. Not mental pain (it was just a fun race after all), nor running pain. Mostly I was just short of breath and experiencing that feeling after a race when you’ve pushed yourself hard and people around you have already recovered but you’re still in another zone. Finally, I was ready to enjoy the fun. Other racers had already started socializing or diving into the post race potluck brunch. One of the things I love about running is that runners love to eat. That’s my kind of company.

As I start running back to my car to grab a change of clothes I realize that I’m examining the running form of other finishers who were still coming in. Mostly, they were sprinting and power running. I thought back to the last third of the last mile when one of my friends passed me. His running form didn’t look good. (Not you, Kurt). Still, he had the last laugh as he beat me. In contrast, one of the other guys who had passed me towards the end had floated by me with one of the smoothest and efficient running forms I’ve seen. He’s only 24 and runs a 10K in 31 minutes and change. That’s what’s also fun about a handicap race  — you can observe, albeit briefly, runners of different abilities and so many different running styles.

During the potluck brunch and at the informal awards ceremony shown here I received plenty of teasing for the honor of being the one that finished out of the running. On the way home I did think about what I could have done differently and reflected upon my running form that day. I decided that I need to work more on using my obliques when running uphill and relax and let my pelvis rotate on the downhill. I remembered one of my favorite articles that Danny wrote a long time ago but still holds true “Float and Flow: Using the Elements to Run Hills”.

Have you ever missed your mark by a fraction (mine was 6 seconds)? What was your experience? Did you do a post race analysis or just let it go?

When January 1st rolled around I decided it was time to add some challenge into my running routine. At the end of 2009 I had been a bit lazy. The distance I was running was much shorter and sometimes I would just opt for walking the dogs. When I did lace up my running shoes I would do shorter runs and work on my running form. Which is a good thing. But, I like variety; so, to add some spice and challenge I started running hill repeats.

Over the years I have done many forms of uphill running workouts.  Some were long continuous hills to focus on distance and build cardiovascular capacity, some were rolling hills and I would alternate between increasing my heart rate when running uphill and then return to my basic aerobic rate on the downhill. In fact, these two workouts are described and recommended in the Beginner and Intermediate Marathon Training Program. It has been said by many coaches “if you want to improve your running, head for the hills”.

Before I launched back into running hill repeats I went back to the basics and brushed up on the different focuses for uphill running technique. The Chi Running Book has a whole section (pages 175-186) that describes running up easy to moderate hills and running up steep hills. Armed with those reminders I have joined a group of friends doing hill repeats twice now and am looking forward to my third workout this weekend.

Yes, I am enjoying running hills again. Part of what is making it fun is being out there with a group. We have a routine that is prepared in advance for us. We don’t have to think or decide what to run. We just do what we are told. There are several sets in the workout and each set includes some combination of short sprint, short run, medium run and then long repeat. We are all at different abilities so I get to observe all the individual running technique … and I see all the energy wasted through a power running type of effort or pushing off from the toes instead of a midfoot strike. I wasn’t going to brag … but I will, because it demonstrates so perfectly the efficiency of alignment and relaxation and the Chi Running uphill focuses. On one hill repeat I was about 15 yards behind a couple of people so I decided to focus all my attention on one of the new tricks Danny taught us at the Instructor Weekend in November.  The next thing I knew I was alongside them and while they were gasping for air I was quite relaxed. Now how much fun is that?

This morning, just as I was about to start running I suddenly remembered a conversation I had recently with a friend who had just returned from vacation. She had told me how much she had enjoyed exploring the places she had visited by virtue of just putting on her running shoes. She said that if she had been in a car she would not have been able to observe, absorb and experience the new surroundings at a comfortable pace. When I am running by myself I usually focus on my running form but today I decided to take a vacation and observe, absorb and experience.

A few minutes later I was in a neighborhood that is off my usual running path. Isn’t it amazing how surroundings can impact your mood? At home when we’ve changed things around by decorating or painting the walls I feel brighter and more inspired and today, just by running a totally different route I found myself feeling more alert and adventurous. Occasionally I would check in with my running form, making sure I was holding my running posture could feel my midfoot strike, but mostly I enjoyed looking at the different architecture of the homes I saw and I even took a few walking breaks to get a better look at some of the gardens where bushes were still flowering.

At one point I found myself at the foot of a very short hill — just 25 yards or so and on the spur of the moment I decided to practice my uphill running technique. I did six hill repeats. It was so short and I was feeling so energized it would have been easy to have got lured in to some power running, but I was true to my ChiRunning form. I concentrated on a short stride and on my arm swing — using my upper body with my focus on the tips of my elbows swinging forward instead of backward. I also worked with my breathing to expand my chest cavity. At the crest of the hill there was a building very close to the street with two doors — one a deep but bright burgundy and the other a lively green. They were happy colors. I made the doors my goal point on my hill repeats because I enjoyed seeing them so much. Every time I would start running uphill I knew there was a reward at the top.

Finally, I found myself on a street that took me back to familiar surroundings. Although my total running time was fairly short (45 minutes) it felt like I had been gone for longer as I had covered new ground. If you are traveling to visit family or friends over the holidays I encourage you to explore your new surroundings by running. And, if you are staying home trying running on a new trail or in a different neighborhood and tell me if your fun quotient doesn’t go up a little.

When I got home (I live just north of San Francisco) I was excited to go running with some friends, get caught up and tell them about the weekend. Then, one friend called to say he couldn’t make it. The reason? A sore Achilles Tendon was creating too much running pain.

One of Danny’s articles on Running Injuries describes how you can become your own best detective and suggests some ways to deal with running pain. There is sound advice on overcoming Achilles Tendonitis on page 236 of the ChiRunning Book. Some of the form focuses my friend can work on include relaxing his lower legs, peeling his feet off the ground and lifting his heels. But what do you do to overcome the impact that running pain has on other areas of life?

We may suffer in different ways when we are unable to do the things we love. Whether you enjoy short or long distance running there’s some impact somewhere when you stop. For some people the impact may be physical (e.g. weight gain) and for others it may be psychological (no outlet for stress relief or dedicated time for self nurturing).  If you run with friends or a group you may miss the socialization benefits of running (and don’t forget the impact of that on your friends — they miss seeing you and sharing conversation and experiences too). And, of course, there can be financial impact if you have to seek treatment for the injury.

Before I started ChiRunning in 2002 I suffered bouts of running pain and endured the consequences. As I reflect back I realize just how out of balance my life would get when I had to stop running. The human body depends upon a delicate balance to function in an optimal way. Simply stated we need neither too much nor too little.  Everywhere we look the law of balance is at work. When we go beyond the boundaries of this natural law there is an inevitable price to pay. In the “Injury Prevention and Recovery” section of the ChiRunning book it says “pain is your body’s way of telling you to change how you’re moving”. Most running injuries come from overuse or not moving your body in the way in which it was designed. There’s a lack of balance and the impact of that shows up somehow somewhere.

We can learn so much about ourselves from running. If you have ever suffered from running pain what did you learn about yourself?

P.S.  My friend has not been a ChiRunner to date but he has now agreed to learn!

We had wanted to start running early that day to maximize our time together and log some good distance running.  One of our members is leaving town so we decided to celebrate by running on a section of the San Francisco Bay Area Ridge Trail that we had never run before.   With only a short warm up we had to start running uphill.  It is not the way I usually start out so I had to really focus on my running form.   I kept my running stride short, let myself fall into the hill, swung my elbows forward and focused on my breathing and staying relaxed.

After about 10 minutes of switchbacks we emerged onto the first ridge and enjoyed the first of many spectacular views that day.  It is amazing what the beauty of nature can do to your spirit.  I could feel Chi all around me.  And that’s not because two of the three running buddies I was with have taken ChiRunning classes!  Our adventure took us from running through forests to open fire roads with a 360° view of the San Francisco Bay Area.  One minute we would be walking very steep hills and the next we would be running downhill – just flowing with the pull of gravity.   With the fun of exploration and deep roots of friendship we didn’t feel the miles.  This was distance running at its best.

When all the conditions align for Chi to flow you can feel the laws of nature at work.  The energy is contagious.  Even my friend who has not learned the ChiRunning technique made this comment when we stopped running “wow, this is one of those days when you finish running with more energy than when you start running!”.  He too was feeling the joy, vitality and ease that can come with distance running.