It is an exciting time for distance running! Running technique once barely considered by running coaches, is now the main topic of discussion amongst distance running enthusiasts. The old school heel-toe running form has yielded to the midfoot strike. Even the fastest runners in America are tweaking their running form. Danny has been saying for years that Chi Running is paradigm shift. I’m feeling now, more than ever, that the paradigm has shifted.

I am so happy to see running form being talked about and examined in scientific studies, blog posts, and message board discussions. The examinations of running form, as well as the incredible amount of personal success stories are signs that distance running is moving in the right direction. We still have a lot to learn as far as preventing injury and maximizing enjoyment of running, but we are certainly off to a great start.

I’ll be perfectly honest. I’m a total geek when it comes to distance running. I spend a great deal of time searching my iphone for the latest discussions on running form. While I have been thrilled with the recent rise in chatter surrounding running technique, I have been wondering if more balance is needed in the discussion.

I have found the main benefit of the Chi Running technique to be that it is a holistic practice. This is an often overlooked, yet highly critical element of the Chi Running approach to distance running. With the Chi Running technique you are aiming to improve your focus, relaxation, awareness and presence.  While the discussions on biomechanics and technique are valuable, it is important to first look at how you are going to approach running from an emotional standpoint.

Many people read an article or two on running technique and think if they can get their bodies to match the description from the text they will be pain free and full of joy. Transformation comes from within. If you are looking to improve your running technique, start internally. Begin with body sensing. How do you feel? This is where barefoot running comes in. It is much easier to get in tune with your body when you are barefoot.

Many runners I’ve spoken to recently have researched the information, read Born to Run and have a good intellectual understanding of good running form. The problem is they don’t have the ability to feel this form in their body. This is where the Chi Running technique and Yoga come in. Working with a good Chi Running instructor or a Yoga teacher will help you learn the internal art of body sensing. Body sensing will allow you to intuitively correct your running form and help you prevent pain and injury before they surface. The more you practice body sensing, the more in tune you will be with your body throughout the course of your day.

For a great opportunity to practice body sensing and learn to apply these techniques to your daily life please join me at the Kripalu Yoga Center in Western MA for a 5 day Chi Running and Yoga retreat.

Feet – As a foot, you are responsible for supporting the structure and providing feedback from the external running environment. Working closely with the Achilles tendon, you will gather energy from the ground and recycle it within the company. Requirements: B.A. in strength and flexibility, strong understanding of midfoot/fullfoot strike.

Legs – You will support the body in a series of momentary one-legged posture stances. You will provide a strong foundation for the entire company’s running technique. As you gain more experience, you will be asked to swing rearward and expand stride length allowing the company to run faster and more efficiently. Direct supervisor: Pelvis.

Pelvis – In this management, you, pelvis, will have a multifaceted job requiring stability, flexibility and fluidity. Staying level is a must for this position.  You will integrate the leg and arm teams and act as the core of the running company. You will also be asked to rotate with every stride. Requirements: Minimum 5 years experience in the industry, Master’s degree in stability and rotation.

Heart – The position of heart requires a steady work ethic and adherence to the company’s values. In this executive position, you will be asked to manage the value stream and ensure the brand remains true to its heritage.

These are just a few examples of the running jobs I have given to different parts of my body.  In my company everybody has a job to do. This requires a lot of body sensing and planning. I know that when one of my employees has to pick up the slack of a co-worker eventually they are going to break down and ask me to fix the situation. I certainly can’t keep an eye on everybody at once, so luckily, my employees will tell me when someone is not pulling their weight.

I try my best to be more of a manager and less of a boss. While running recently, I had to stop and have a meeting with my arms to let them know the company needed more productivity from them. As a result of their failure to swing rearwards, my glutes tightened up to help balance my slight forward lean. Once my glutes became tight, my legs splayed out and overall productivity was down 37%! I explained this to my arms and they were happy to help get the company running efficiently again.

All of my employees are well paid and have an excellent benefit package, including healthy foods and physical movement. I have found that rewarding my employees for a job well done increases productivity and greatly enhances the corporate culture.

Another thing I love about running on a team is working with a coach. I have been very lucky to work with the coaches I’ve had throughout my running career. My high school coach, Dennis Driscoll taught me the value of a scientific approach. Coach Driscoll had his athletes train with a heart rate monitor which allowed us to stay within our training zone and learn about the various systems of the body that contribute to the overall act of running.

My college coach, Jim Jellison, taught me the value of core strength and being a total athlete. This allowed me to step outside the typical power running paradigm of “run more miles,” and strengthen my whole body. Working with a stability ball, stability disc and various other items has improved my running and life dramatically.

I’m now running post collegiately for a team called The Sisu Project, which was started by my good friend and college teammate Matt Germain. Being a part of this team has been instrumental in my continued success as an athlete, and more importantly as a person.  Having a network of people sharing a similar vision and goals helps keep me focused and motivated.

Running with a team can also help improve your running form. When running behind someone it is more difficult to overstride because you will step on their heels. A great ChiRunning focus to practice while doing track intervals with your team is feeling the one legged posture stance while trying to eliminate any forward reaching with the leg. If you clip the heels of the runner in front of you it is likely that you are over striding.

]]> 2009-12-17T15:21:34+00:00 http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/running-pain-and-yoga http://www.chirunning.com/blog/entry/running-pain-and-yoga#When:18:34:52Z Distance running can cause a tremendous amount of stress on the body. Yoga is now recognized as a way for runners to stretch tight muscles and help lessen running pain. Runners tend to gravitate towards power yoga and fast paced vinyasa flow. It’s wonderful to see runners now practicing yoga but this approach of stretching muscles and getting an extra workout is only the tip of the iceberg. Yoga can offer so much more than just stretching. It can help you access a deep place of calm relaxation. A place where healing and recovery takes place.

The new paradigm of ChiRunning is helping thousands of runners move away from power running and experience more relaxation and less pain and injury. Yoga is a similar path to relaxation and pain reduction. Power running can cause adrenal burnout, fatigue, and injury. What is needed in this situation is not another workout, it is deep relaxation, which allows the body to recover and restore itself to natural harmony.

Those who practice ChiRunning attempt to minimize the amount of stress they place on the body. Those who practice power running purposely place stress on the body in order to get stronger. The idea is that if you stress the body, and then recover, the body will rebuild itself stronger. Most runners train far beyond their ability to recover and do not get the full benefits distance running can offer.

The recovery process stems from deep relaxation. It goes far beyond taking an easy day, going for a recovery run, and eating protein. Learning to recover properly will aid your distance running practice tremendously. Below is a list of my five best yoga poses for runners. Mastering these poses will allow you to access the deep relaxation that is needed for recovery. I suggest finding a good teacher to work with you on these postures as well as researching the postures on your own.

1. Savasana – This is where the recovery really takes place.  The corpse pose is where your ego dies down and the Chi is allowed to nurture and heal.

2. Childs pose (garbasana) – Deeply relaxing for the body and mind and a great stretch for the hips, lower back and glutes.

3. Meditation posture – Meditation is a way to develop your focus, which is an integral part of your ChiRunning practice. For most runners I suggest starting in a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor.  For those of you who have done Katherine and Danny’s morning exercise you know how powerful this can be.

4. Legs up the wall pose – See page 214 in the ChiRunning book for a description of this wonderful recovery pose.

5. Mountain pose (tadasana) – Also known as your ChiRunning posture.

ChiRunning will lessen the need for recovery, while Yoga will help maximize any recovery that is needed. This combination is a powerful way to become an efficient, pain free, joyful runner. Any distance running program could benefit greatly from a supplemental Yoga practice.

Lets take a look at the features of running shoes, how they exist in your body, and how ChiRunning will help you develop these features.

1. Cushioning – The first feature running shoes contain is cushioning. Cushioning is designed to help lessen the impact running can cause on the body. As you start running with good form, utilizing a midfoot strike your body will be able to absorb impact through the arch of the foot, rotation of the pelvis, excellent posture, and relaxed muscles. Many ChiRunners start running with thick, heavily cushioned shoes and gradually progress to very minimal shoes. Their bodies become much better at absorbing the impact of the road. Many instructors are even able to practice barefoot running.

2. Stability – The next feature of running shoes is stability, which takes the form of medial posts. The idea behind this is preventing excessive pronation to help keep your body in alignment. With ChiRunning, excellent posture, a level pelvis and a focused mind become the stability. Just by leveling the pelvis you can gradually work to strengthen your arch and gain more stability in your running practice.

3. Flexibility – Running shoes have varying degrees of flexibility.  Runners practicing power running often use a very stiff shoe.  They are using the muscles of the lower legs which become very stiff. A stiff running may aid the toe off motion of power running, but it is not ideal for ChiRunning.  As you practice your running form, you will gradually progress to a more flexible shoe that will work in harmony with your body.

4. Comfort – Power running can cause so much physical and emotional trauma on the body, that for many power runners their shoes are the most comfortable thing on their body. ChiRunning is a holistic practice similar to Yoga. This involves becoming more comfortable in your body.  As you practice ChiRunning you will become more comfortable with your body. You will begin to look inside your body for a deep sense of comfort, rather than searching externally for a product to make you feel comfortable.

5. Aesthetics – Lets face it, people want to look good. If a shoe doesn’t look good many people will not wear it. Conversely, if a shoe looks great, people will wear it, whether the features it contains are in line with their needs or not. As you practice ChiRunning your stride will become more graceful and you will begin to move through life with a sense of ease and joy. In the shoe industry they talk about “design language,” similar to “body language.” Practicing ChiRunning will improve your posture and relaxation, so your body language will tell people you are relaxed, comfortable and stable.

The takeaway from this post is to asses your features.  Ask yourself these questions:

How soft is my foot strike?

How stable do I feel when running?

How flexible am I?

How comfortable am I with my body?

What does my body language say to myself and to others?

If you have any questions about running shoes I would be happy to help.

Like many others, I’ve experienced several AHA moments throughout my ChiRunning practice. I had several when I first read the book, and continue to have them during my running and walking practice. This is the beauty of ChiRunning, by practicing your running form you are constantly learning something about your body, your mind, and yourself.

AHA moments come in all forms and sizes. You might have a physical AHA moment, such as feeling gravity pull you forward, rather than using your legs to propel you. One of the more profound AHA moment s for me was an emotional one. It was my senior year of college. I was slowly transitioning from power running to ChiRunning. As I entered the championship part of the season I ran a continuous streak of PRs in the 10K. I had an emotional attachment to making the national meet, which requires you run a certain time to qualify. Through my ChiRunning practice I found that by NOT focusing on time, my race times improved DRAMATICALLY.

I ran 32:42, 32:20, 31:52 and 5 days after that 31:15. There was no recovery time needed from these races. The 31:15 was truly a magical race for me. Everything aligned and flowed smoothly that day. By focusing on my running form and not the clock, the entire race became one giant AHA moment. Even though I set a 37 second 10K PR, it wasn’t the time I was most happy with, it was the emotional feeling I had inside my body. I was happy and everybody close to me was happy. I was projecting pure joy and relaxation and that was being reflected back to me. Power running always left me feeling depleted and unfillfilled.  ChiRunning filled me with joy and happiness.  After that race it became very clear to me that pracitcing running form is a vehicle to integrate the mind and body.  To this day it remains one of the most profound AHA moments of my life.

That was in 2005. Close to 5 years later I’m still getting AHA moments. When I’m setting up a training plan for somebody and they ask me, “how long will it take to get it?” I explain to them that many people notice benefits as soon as they begin practicing their running form. You are likely to experience a few AHA moments as soon as you start running with the ChiRunning focuses in mind. If you continue to practice you will continue to grow, and your journey will be a series of one AHA moment after the next. You will “get it” as soon as you start running mindfully, but there is always more to learn, more to grow, more to see, and more to feel. The important thing is to enjoy the journey and not worry about the destination.