The course led us down a small trail that soon turned upward where we would start 1.5 miles of climbing (see picture on left). When I looked up this hill, I saw a long conga line of people on a single track trail. As I climbed the hill, I used my upper body, keeping my elbows bent, and shortened my stride length. It really helped to focus on pushing my rear leg down using my obliques, allowing the uphill leg to step up with less effort. Danny describes it well here and in the HIlls and Trails DVD. In taiji, I learned a concept called ‘empty leg’, where you push down on the supporting leg, allowing the other to move freely (and feel empty) and rise. This ties in with climbing ala Chi Running. I passed many people along the way, with less effort, and felt like I was holding on to a big secret! 

Eventually the trail leveled out and turned onto a sometimes muddy path. At the next descent, there were plenty of opportunties for slipping. As I worked my way down, I kept thinking ‘sink the chi’ and allow my head to float upward. It felt like a Grounding Stance (p. 207 of the Chi Running Book) or Zhan Zhuang (Standing Pole). These both allow you to find alignment where your body weight is supported by your structure and not your muscles. It also strengthens your thighs which helps protect your knees. Because I felt this solid stance, I was able to descend safely down the steep hill and not roll my ankle (which I have done plenty in the past). Sinking the chi into my dantien provided a good stable ballast to get me down the hill!

The last stretch in was fairly flat and I got to practice my lean for speed. I have a torsional twist in my spine, and my upper body leans a little and back to the left. The lean has been work for me because of the tightness in my back. I had an aha moment this time! Relaxing my shoulders and my left upper back, and (what felt like to me) relaxing my chest slightly forward and a little to the right, I was suddenly floating. I caught up to and passed a couple people just ahead of me without much effort at all - just feeling the horizontal pull of gravity. I managed to float into third place in my age group! Not bad for just aligning and relaxing!

We are each a science of one, and I stress to my clients that you have to learn the language of your own body and listen. I just help facilitate that process with the tools of Chi Running and feedback. For me, this run was like a one hour meditation: relaxing, observing, allowing and responding. Chi Running, taiji and qigong enhanced that experience!

Nonidentification (p. 122) - Meet your body on its own terms. At the start, I was tempted to try and stay with my friend (who is faster), but instead, I told her to run her race. My knee was more important! When the gun went off, as I ran easy, I checked in with my form, made adjustments, and settled into a nice floating feeling that comes with the lean. 

Gradual Progress (p. 37) - Let the run come to you. I started out slow and easy, and let my body warm up to the race. At about a half mile, I felt loose and really started enjoying the run. I felt aligned and relaxed and almost giddy as my body came into the run. This was a good idea to do this race!

Use your y'chi (p. 44) - direct the energy and movement through your eyes. The run along the bluff felt like a comfortably hard run, and there was a great view of Puget Sound. I allowed myself to look over at it now and then, but mostly, I directed my gaze forward down the road and let that pull me along. It really made the gradual uphill climb seem flat(ish), and helped me stay aligned and direct my chi forward.

Tap into your fire band  (p. 175, Chi Marathon book) - use your upper body to climb the hill; use your obliques. As the race progressed, and we came to the turn off the bluff, we hit our next hill (though we had sort of been climbing all along). I used my arms even more and added in the use of my obliques to drive up the hill. This made good use of my fire band and got me up the hill with relative ease.

Needle in Cotton (p.35) - lengthen your spine and engage your core. All that climbing eventually led to a downhill - a really steep downhill. As we started to descend, my first thought was 'gotta protect that knee from pounding!' The hill was a very steep descent, so I went into a grounding stance (p. 182-83 of the ChiRunning book), engaging my low abs to keep my pelvis stable, and rolled heel-to-toe down the hill until the descent leveled to a more runnable downhill. Keeping a lengthened spine and relaxing around that center, allowing pelvic rotation helped keep the weight off that knee and made my landing happen under instead of out front of my body. 

As I turned the corner to come to the finish, I did a quick posture check and then leaned into it. As my stride went out behind me instead of way out front, my knee thanked me for that. The bonus at the end was I placed third in my age group! All it took was staying mindful, body sensing, and applying Chi Running principles. I was grateful to have the tool box of focuses to allow me to run again. There's something to be said about those principles...

In the start of a run, I usually pick a focus that I need to work on. Lately it’s been to stabilize my pelvis from lateral movement on my left side. That’s the side with the knee I damaged. I’ve been ‘coming back’ from this injury for quite a while now, and I have been having lateral hamstring and IT band tightness on that leg. I couldn’t figure it out until one day, while brushing my teeth, I was practicing standing on one leg while looking in the mirror. I noticed that when I switched to my left leg, there was a slight outward movement of my hip. If I stabilized my pelvis (engage my core), there was no movement, and it felt as solid as it did when standing on the right leg. This is the one-legged posture stance, by the way. So my focus was to work on that all the time, including while running. And holding to the pyramid of form, distance, and speed, I only run as far as I can hold this good form. The distance I can do this is gradually creeping upward.

Body sensing the difference between unstable and stable became much easier when I practiced it standing still at first. As I began to notice the shift, it got ‘louder’ in terms of sensing it, such that I could feel a cascade of movement internally if I didn’t stabilize the hip. It took only a very subtle movement to correct the instability, and with practice, I could feel and ‘hear’ this while running. Before every run, I practice this one-legged posture stance, to remind my body what it feels like when it’s correct verus unstable. During running, when my knee starts ‘talking’ I just make that subtle move in my pelvic region, and it gets quiet. The proof is afterward - no IT or lateral hamstring issues, and no knee pain!

While running, all this focusing can bring on a bit of tension. To relieve that, and quiet my mind, I feel my belly expand and contract as I breathe. I don’t do anything to force the breathing (I’m running in an aerobic state, breathing through my nose only); I just watch it, like I do during a sitting meditation. By focusing on the breathing and just being a passive bystander, my mind relaxes and my body releases tension.

Relaxation is the by-product of all of the above - focusing, body sensing, and breathing. I also relax my right side and allow the right foot to make full contact with the ground behind my hips. I have a pelvic twist on the right side and this is a great way to train it to go back, taking pressure off the left knee. I know (from being videotaped) that my right heel would not come all the way down in the landing, causing more problems in the the knee and hamstring. Now I relax the achilles and heel down, giving a slight stretch to the right psoas muscle, before I lift the ankle. Again, my issues of the past have been alleviated!

By the time I am done with my run, I am fully relaxed, as if I had been sitting quietly, meditating and clearing my mind of all thought. And I am finally feeling the healing that is taking place. And all it took was the four Chi skills!

A few years later, after establishing my pain-free Chi Running practice, I returned to pool running to keep an injured friend company. One night another friend showed up, hopped in without a belt, and began running. In 12 feet of water. He chatted with me and ‘ran’ for almost an hour. Inspired to give it a go sans belt, I took mine off - and started to sink. Then I started thinking in terms of my posture, Needle in Cotton, and getting more aligned and relaxed. This was something the belt was supposed to do for me, but now that crutch was gone (does this sound like something you’ve heard regarding overly structured shoes?). As I engaged my core, all the way down from my pelvic floor, the water level moved to about my collarbone and I could talk, laugh and sing without fear of taking in water!

Chi Running focuses are really helpful in being able to run without a belt, and work on core engagement at the same time. Here is a quick recap of one of my deep water pool running sessions, using my running focuses. I start off easy (think: first gear), allowing my body to find its way in the water. I feel my column, and think about ‘sitting up in my chair’ and reaching for the sky with the crown of my head. As I begin to feel the water and get more comfortable, I add a very slight lean, feeling one long column from my feet to my ears. When I do this, speed happens, even if a little! I play with this back and forth. For a reality check, occasionally I relax my core (making sure I’m ready to go underwater!). As I start to sink, just realigning my column and engaging my core brings me back up.

Another focus to check is how much I’m depending on my arms to keep me afloat, versus my core. I allow my arms to float a little, and check in with my alignment, and if I sink, that’s a sign I’m over-using my arms, and not engaging my core enough. I also drop my shoulders away from my ears, just like on land, to keep the shoulders relaxed. The pelvic rotation is fun to feel in the water, and fairly easy to feel happening from the T12-L1 pivot point. Partly that’s because in swimming, that’s where the moment of kick happens. Relaxing the low back (breathe into it) allows me to feel that even more.

Keeping the focuses going in pool running make the transition back to the road even easier. Practicing those pain-free running focuses in the pool also alleviates the boredom and keeps me looking forward to the next session!  

On my first run of the year, I started with a walk down to the bike trail, and after feeling warmed up, I increased my cadence til I broke into a gentle run, settling into a cadence of 180. A few minutes into the run, I felt one very tiny niggle in my knee, so I slowed to a walk, checking my alignment during transition. As I walked, my main focus was on engaging my low abs, as if I was sitting up and taking notice. The 'sit up in your chair' exercise demonstrated in the Chi Walk-Run DVD helps to feel what this feels like. I also maintained a still upper body, allowing my arm swing to help stabilize it. When I transitioned into my run, the focus shifted more to a nice tall spine, as if a balloon were attached to the crown of my head. This focus helps keep me light on my feet as it provides a force in the opposite direction of my footfall.

I continued this back and forth transition between running and walking, listening very carefully to my body, and checking alignment. In some ways, it reminded me of doing a yoga pose once, then going back into it a little deeper, as the muscles warm up and become less tense. Each running period felt easier and the time lasted longer. At the end, my knee felt great and I felt like I got some quality movement in, following the law of gradual progress and resting in alignment. I'll continue to follow the pain-free Chi Walk-Run program and pay attention to my alignment throughout my day. I know my knee will thank me for that. Happy new year to you all! 

Most of us carry the narratives of our day-to-day life into everything we do, including our running. When you are running, as the conversation continues, tension can arise, especially in areas where you tend to hold it, such as your shoulder or back. When you are trying to practice efficient movement, that tension can get in the way. When I’m running, sometimes the inner conversation gets loud enough to make me think there is a party going on in my head! When this happens, it’s hard to hear what my body is trying to tell me. It’s time to quiet down, and this is where one of the Chi Running principles comes in handy - using your y’chi.

In Chi Running, we talk about using your y'chi (see page 44 of the Chi Running book) by focusing on an inanimate object in the distance (tree, stop sign, etc.) and directing your energy through your eyes. Think of a cat stalking a bird - the cat doesn't break its visual link to its prey - you could say the cat is using its y'chi.  Practicing using your y'chi allows your mind to become quiet and listen to your body better, so that you can 'hear' signals and respond, such as keeping the core engaged, the spine long, and the back of the neck soft. It can also let you know where you might be holding tension. At some point, you will lose that focus. All you have to do is come back to it - it’s always there. By coming back to it and quieting your mind, your run becomes more like a meditation session, and most likely will leave you refreshed. It does for me!

So next time you go running, notice if there is inner chatter going on. Then lock your eyes on to something in the distance, and hear the conversations cease as the tension melts away. Your body will thank you!
 

In Chi Running, we talk about minimalism in terms of running shoes. When asked what kind of running shoes one should wear, I say two things. First, start where you're at. If you are in highly structured running shoes and orthotics, that is what your body is currently used to. You can still incorporate the basic pain-free running focuses, which will help strengthen your core muscles and add stability. As you get stronger, and your body awareness increases,  you may find that you need less external correction. (Note: I started practicing the Chi Running technique while still wearing orthotics and stability shoes) I may have my client remove their shoes during the posture lesson, which allows them to feel contact with the ground. For running, I tell them first listen to their body and put the Chi Running focuses into practice - one at a time. I encourage them to work towards less running shoe and less structure, if they want, but gradually (see below). The advantage of having less running shoe between you and the ground is the 'feedback' is more immediate.  To respond to that feedback on the run with less structure, the focuses should be well integrated into your neuro-muscular system. For shoe and support choice, I tell my clients to listen to their body and not their egos.

This leads to the second - follow the law of Gradual Progress. I recently talked to three different people who got metatarsal stress fractures after running barefoot or in extremely minimal shoes. In all cases, they did too much too soon. When I first ran without my orthotics (after wearing them for 12 years!), my right foot hurt from the lack of metatarsal support, because the muscles had atrophied over the years. My PT (who had advised I toss the orthotics) put a metatarsal pad in my shoe, and gave me some exercises to help strengthen my weak core. After a couple of years (read: gradual progress), and strengthening my foot muscles, I was able to let go of that support. It's been a road of trial and error, but today I don't wear inserts and do some of my runs in Vibram Five Fingers. So far, I can safely say the only time I had metatarsal stress fracture(s!) was when I wore orthotics. 

With all the hype and marketing that surrounds us today, it's easy to get caught up and believe we should be running in less now. This is a good opportunity to learn and practice nonidentity. With that, gradual progress and body sensing, you can make a wise choice in minimalist footwear, and when you are ready to make that transition. Your feet will thank you for it. 

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!

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.

This image is one that Danny used at Kripalu, and is also found on page 96 in the Chi Running book. It was interesting to see it help a student change her running technique in just a few minutes. She had been landing in front of her hips, with a locked knee and hard heel strike. In fact, it seemed like her legs were barely bending. She was over striding and working really hard for the amount of distance she was covering, which wasn’t much. Danny told her to imagine her feet were clipped into a bicycle pedal and she could only pull up. In addition, in first gear, that crank set would be on a tricycle wheel. Running along using this image, her knees got soft and started bending, and her feet started landing slightly behind her hips. Her stride length became short enough that she was able to relax her lower legs, and allow the heels to make a little circular motion and her feet to land with a midfoot strike, much like is shown in the book on page 97.

In my own running, I have come back to this visualization again and again, when I feel my feet start to creep out in front of my hips. In first gear, probably the most challenging gear to relax into, ironically, pedaling a tricycle wheel is sometimes the focus I need to find efficiency and relaxation. So next time you are running, try pedaling and feel what it feels like. It may be just what you need to get rolling down the road!