But, upon closer inspection, a limitation is really just a doorway into a new experience. The other side of what we might call a limitation is really just unknown territory. We’ve never been there, and in some cases, never even imagined ourselves there.

I once had a teacher who changed my relationship to limitations forever. He told me that every time I come up against what I think is a limitation, I should say to myself, “My current state, subject to change, is……..” and then fill in the blank as objectively as possible.

“My current state, subject to change, is that I can’t seem to break a 4-hour marathon.”

“My current state, subject to change, is that I want to lose those last five pounds and I can’t seem to do it.”

“My current state, subject to change, is that I want to run a 5K with my kid and I can’t even make it across the room without getting winded.”

What I’ve learned from this wonderful piece of sage advice is that, when I can see my limitations for what they are, I have a choice to make; I can either accept the challenge, or accept the limitation. I will never play basketball for the Lakers or beat Tiger Woods in a golf match. These are limitations I have accepted, and which I can do nothing about. But, if there is even the smallest part of me that looks at a limit and sees possibilities, then it becomes a challenge and I no longer see it as a limitation. It then becomes up to me to meet that challenge with all the vision, intention, resourcefulness, and expertise I can muster. This approach reminds me of the Serenity Prayer:

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
The courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference.”

As any good strategist will tell you, when you’re meeting a challenge, use what you know to get you to the unknown, beyond your current limit. Being resourceful means aligning all of your available resources and directing them toward your goal…even if that goal lies in unfamiliar territory. This brings up what sounds like a Universal Law: breaking through any limitation requires you to “up the ante” by doing either more than you’re currently doing, or going about it in a different way.

Let’s say you’re trying to run your fastest half marathon, and you can’t seem to break your previous times no matter how hard you try. What’s our “current state” of conditioning? How good is your running technique? What’s your strategy? If your cardiovascular conditioning is limiting you, then you need to improve that before you can expect to do better. What does that look like? It might  mean working to increase your cardio conditioning by throwing in some speed intervals into your  weekly training schedule. It might mean increasing your aerobic conditioning by adding some faster miles (3rd gear) at the end of your weekly long runs. If, on the other hand, it’s your technique that’s holding your back, it means constantly working on improving your running technique so you’re more efficient. It means knowing how fast each mile needs to be in order to beat your old time, and learning how to run faster by relaxing more, not by pushing harder.

Any one of these adjustments to your training might be the key to surpassing your limitation. All of them added together will guarantee it. So, when thinking through your plan for dusting your limitation, it is important to approach your challenge from as many angles as possible. Think about what skills you’re working with and how you can improve each of those skills over time, so that on the day you decide to meet your challenge, you can “just do it.” Not with pain and struggle, but from a place of abundance and confidence.

I’d venture to guess that if you’re like many regular runners, you have some semblance of a running program. You might have certain days you like to run or favorite running routes. Or, you go about your weekly training schedule getting in your weekly mileage and doing your best to stay healthy. But, how often do you actually work at getting better at your running? I’m not talking about getting in better shape; I’m talking about working to become a better runner…in whatever way that means for you: more relaxed, more efficient, being able to go farther or faster without increasing your effort level, maybe not having any injuries? For those of us who love to run, there’s a part of us that wishes we could keep running with no problems well into our later years. That’s why we made this app. If you’ve wanted to find a quicker and easier way to improve your running form, this is for you. 

The advantage to working with the ChiRunning App is that you have all of the ChiRunning lessons at your fingertips. You can instantly watch audio and video reminders of each of the ChiRunning focuses before heading out on your run.

Get the App >

You’ll be able to design four basic workouts – Intervals, Tempo Run, Long Slow Distance Run and Custom Run – by preselecting which ChiRunning focuses you’d like to be reminded of during each workout. Then, the app will save your choices for next time, or until you update them.

Keeping tabs on your training progress will be easy with the tracking feature. At the end of your run it will give you all the stats you need to know: mileage, pace, elevation gain, calories burned, and give you a map of the course you run, complete with mile (kilometer) markers.

One of the best features of the app is having my voice guiding you through every run, telling you which focuses to practice and when. It’ll be hard to go wrong, and your learning curve will be drastically shortened.

This app is like having your own personal ChiRunning coach, showing you what to do, how it’s done, and why it’s important. 

Watch the ChiRunning App Trailer

The app is divided into two main sections: “The Guided Run” and “Chi Lessons.” I’d suggest going through the Chi Lessons first to help you set up the “framework” of your ChiRunning technique.

The Chi Lessons
In this section you’ll find short video clips, laid out in a nice sequential flow, of how to do all the Chi Running Form Focuses. You see lessons on Posture, Lean, Upper Body, Lower Body, Footstrike, Gears, Cadence, and much more… right up to Begin Running. It’s like having All-things-ChiRunning right there in your iPhone (Note: This first version of the ChiRunning App is compatible with iPhone. Android version will be out by fall of 2013).

The Chi Lessons also contain video clips for how to do the pre-run Body Looseners and the post-run stretches. We’ve got you totally covered, from your warm-up before you run to your recovery once you finish.

Get the App >

The Guided Run
The second section of the app is the Guided Run, which, for me, is really the most exciting part of the app. We went a little crazy with the features for this part. The purpose of this section is to help you instill the ChiRunning Form Focuses in your body while you run.

There are five sub-categories to the Guided Run section: 1) Run Type, 2) Metronome, 3) Chi Focuses, 4) Body Looseners and 5) Post-run Stretches. This allows you to custom-design your own Guided Runs from beginning to end and store them as presets. In this way you can repeat each Guided Run until you can sense a good “body knowledge” of the Chi focuses, and how (and when) to use them.

1) Run Type – Preset four different workouts with the focuses you’d like to work on. The Run Types are: Intervals, Tempo run, Long Slow Distance and Custom.
2) Metronome – Set the metronome to your ideal cadence and practice running at all speeds with the same cadence. This teaches you how to use your “gears” and not overwork your legs. There are two sounds to choose from, and the range of the metronome is from 34 bpm to 220 bpm with options to emphasize every beat, every other beat, or every third beat, depending on what works best for you. Separate volume setting and on/off toggle.
3) Chi Focuses – 23 ChiRunning Focuses to choose from. Each one is a recording of my voice reminding you of what the focus is and its importance. In this section you can determine how many focuses you practice on any given run and set how often you are reminded of the focuses. They’ll play in sequential order and repeat at preselected intervals between 1 min. and 15 min. This feature can be toggled on/off and has a separate volume control. (If you listen to music while running, the music will fade while the focus is playing.)
4) Body Looseners – This feature has an on/off toggle and will automatically play sequential video clips of the complete Body Looseners routine before you begin running.
5) Post-Run Stretches – This feature allows you to choose and preset your favorite stretches. Then, it plays video reminders of your stretches at the end of your run.

Additional features include:

Help section – Where you can find the latest tips and tricks for using the app.
History – The app tracks and stores all your data from every run. This includes things like distance, overall time, pace, elevation gain, calories burned, a map of your route and a comment window where you can record notes after your workout. You can also share your workouts with friends on Facebook and Twitter.

As you can imagine, the possibilities this app offers, in terms of high quality training, are endless, regardless of your level of expertise or conditioning. Training for any race will take on a whole new level of mindfulness, preparedness and performance as the quality of your running becomes the focus of your workouts.

We put the app in happy running! Click here to get your app today. 

Watch the ChiRunning App Trailer

A primary focus of ChiRunning is quality; it’s great to get out and run, but it’s so much better for your body and mind when you run well. ChiRunning’s mission has always been to help people experience the joy of running for a lifetime, and we built the ChiRunning app to help you practice effortless, injury-free technique. You don’t have to worry about getting sidelined with injuries, and you come back from a run energized instead of exhausted and aching.

The ChiRunning app has some cool features: video lessons, a built-in metronome, and guided runs where I’m in your ear, giving you audio reminders the whole way (don’t worry – it’s easy to turn me off!) It’s like having your own ChiRunning coach running along with you.

Get the App >

If you’re using an app to track your workouts, why not improve the quality of your running at the same time? Potential injuries are a threat to every runner, and the more resources we can give runners to prevent them, the better. Click here to learn more about the app features and how they can make your runs faster, easier and injury-free. 

Running never felt this good!
 

The Boston Marathon tragedy strikes so close to our hearts, as we love the running community and people who are brave enough to take on the Boston Marathon. Running the Boston Marathon is what we consider one of the great things a human being can aspire to. To have such a positive and wonderful event turn to such tragedy is overwhelming. To see an 8-year old boy, who was rallying for peace, lose his life at this event is beyond devastating.

Danny and I have not lived lives without pain and difficulty. We’ve separately, and together, had our share. But, neither of us has ever been personally involved with what over 200 wounded people are facing after Boston. We did not lose any loved ones in this tragedy or some other tragedy. Despite our personal trials and tribulations, we are also blessed.

We do have a personal and internal process that we both find very helpful at times like this. It may seem simplistic and again, for anyone who has been personally affected, we are not presuming it is an answer. We just wanted to share what we do.

When tragedy strikes, we do what the sages and philosophers have suggested for ages: go within and learn from the experiences of the human condition. We are all human beings and have very similar internal experiences: from fear, anger, jealousy, and a desire to cause pain to the more exalted virtues of love, compassion, courage and a deep desire to be of help and service. We, as human beings, have a vast capacity to experience life from many different perspectives. It is our job to become consciously aware of what our most immediate experience is and to be with it as fully and with as much honesty and truth as we can.

And so, what Danny and I practice is to go within and listen as deeply as we can, to our own internal response to whatever is before us. In watching, we can see that sometimes we respond as victims, sometimes as perpetrators of cruel acts, sometimes full of fear and anxiety, and sometimes as loving and compassionate people who want nothing more than to help. Danny has taken on the mantle of the hero a few times in his life, risking his life to save a friend who was in a very dangerous climbing situation, and once saving the life of a man in a terrible car accident. He also knows that he can shut down emotionally when overwhelmed. I, on the other hand, can lose my boundaries and get very lost in my emotional response.

Being as self-aware as we know how to be is a practice that we are committed to in our daily lives, through times of quiet contemplation or meditation and also by bringing that self awareness to the moment as much as possible. We also practice together; Danny will listen to me, with as much focus and neutrality as possible, while I share my internal experience as honestly as I can. Then, I’ll do that for him. You can also do it for yourself, acting as witness to the full gamut of your own inner experiences and feelings. I have witnessed within myself anger that I am very glad has never been unleashed in the world, but which dissipated by being witnessed by my own observer.

It is a practice Danny and I both use in coaching people, whether runners or in personal coaching to help people find their way in life.

As Christ, Buddha, Gandhi and many spiritual leaders have alluded to: we are all “sinners”, we all experience the dark, as well as the more exalted, aspects of the human condition. But, do we acknowledge it in ourselves? That is the question. Do we accept our role and complicity in our daily lives? Do we take credit and responsibility for how we act out our parts?

Danny and I, in our own small way, are trying to take responsibility for how we contribute to the violence in society and the madness that drives other people to the brink.  How do we educate our daughter to treat other people? Is she taught to exclude and bully by watching our actions, or is she learning to be inclusive and compassionate?

In ChiRunning® we ask you to go a bit deeper with your running experience – to pay attention to the voice of your body; to pay attention to the voices in your head; to pay attention to the energy moving in and out with your breath; to listen more deeply to yourself. In ChiLiving® we ask that you do the same thing in your daily lives. Listen, without judgement, to your vast capacity to feel and experience life, and from that vantage point, make the wisest choice you can.

There is a helpless feeling when tragedy strikes. How can I help? How can I contribute in a positive way? Danny and I think that it is in our small daily actions that we can all contribute to creating a better world.

Finally, in Boston and around the world, it is the human spirit that wants what is good and beautiful to prevail, and it does. It is the acts of courage, the acts of heroism, the coming together of community – that seem to be the silver lining of the very dark cloud that was upon the Boston Marathon this year.

Working on your speed can do a lot more than just make you faster – it requires that you pay closer attention to your technique, helps you truly relax, and it can feel freeing and fun. If you’ve never focused on speed, start with a 5K or 10K. The workouts in our intermediate 5K and 10K training programs are specifically designed to help you get faster.

A few general tips:

• Follow the formula: technique + distance = speed. If you’re doing a 5K, you should be able to run 4 or 5 miles easily. If you’re doing a 10K, 7 or 8 miles should be no problem. Long runs are not the time to practice speed. Instead, maintain a comfortable aerobic pace so you can focus on your technique and build the aerobic capacity you’ll need to train for speed.

• Practice speedwork on short runs. Speed Intervals are alternating periods of fast running and slow running. Speed Intervals are not about “trying” to run faster. They’re about creating the conditions for speed to happen. Speed Intervals are just Form Intervals done with more lean and more relaxation. What they do is teach you how to relax your hips to increase your range of motion and strengthen your core by requiring you to hold more of a lean. Speed workouts are best done on a track, a measured flat loop, or a straight stretch of measured road.

Begin each interval at a slow pace, and gradually increase your lean as you progress to the end of the interval (2nd gear –  3rd gear). It is important to do Speed Intervals with a metronome because it will train you to relax your hips and pelvis and lengthen your stride while keeping a consistent cadence. Keep your chin down (lead with your forehead), sit up in your chair, increase your lean, and relax your legs (allow them to go almost limp) as you fall forward. Gravity never gets tired, but your legs will if they’re doing the big job of moving you forward.

Do your best to use the Principle of Gradual Progress. Your first interval should be your slowest, and the last one should be your fastest. If you do your set of intervals correctly, your exertion level should feel the same on your last interval as it did on the first. You should never feel wiped out at the end of a Speed Interval workout. If you push yourself too hard early on, you risk getting injured.

Our intermediate training programs give you more details on how to run effective speed intervals.

• If you start slow, you’ll finish fast. There are several benefits to starting your race or workout slower. During aerobic exercise, your body relies on the glycogen stored in your muscles to help burn stored fat. If you start off your runs too fast, you risk burning up all of your muscle glycogen which leaves you with nothing to help you access your body fat for fuel. When you start off slowly, you can run relaxed, and relaxed muscles burn less fuel. That fuel will be available to you when you’re ready to increase your speed at the end of your run or race.

The mental benefit of keeping a slower pace at the start of a race is that you’ll get to pass a lot of runners later on. You’ll get a boost of confidence towards the middle/end of the race when you need it most.

Increasing your speed can be about more than just numbers on a clock. Getting faster can be about pushing past your perceived boundaries, or feeling the freedom of really letting your legs go. Take your time, stay relaxed, and enjoy the release.

Get Started:

• Intermediate 5K Training Program
• Intermediate 10K Training Program

Getting started.  It’s tempting to jump right into training, so take the time to mentally prepare first.

• Create clear goals. This is important and a great way to personalize the event for yourself. The most successful people almost always have a specific goal they are trying to accomplish. You might want to lose weight, get into a regular running routine, use the event to build your distance base, or run for a cause. Running your best-ever half marathon can have a lot of different meanings. Does “best” mean fastest? Does it mean you feel your best ever when you are done? Do you want to have the most fun you’ve ever had? Having a clear mission up front will keep you motivated throughout your training weeks.

• Have a support system.  Let your friends and family know about your goals so they can be encouraging. They might even join you!

• Train your best. The end result of your training, no matter how much you train, will only be as good as your running technique allows. For this reason it is always best to begin by working on improving any weak or inefficient areas of your technique.

• Create a timeline. Sign up for a race that will allow for 10-16 weeks of training time, depending on your fitness level. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to that start line in great shape.

• Focus on technique. Good training isn’t just about increasing your mileage. If your technique is good, you’ll avoid injury and run more efficiently. It will make your training runs much easier and more enjoyable. And, the more your technique improves, the shorter your recovery times become. Practice these technique tips:

o Run with good posture. Stand tall, keep your shoulders relaxed, and engage your core.
o Use gravity. Lean forward very slightly from the ankles, and keep yourself balanced in this “forward fall” by engaging your core.
o Don’t heel strike. Land midfoot with your knees bent and with your feet under your hips. This greatly reduces your risk of hip, knee and lower leg injuries. 
o Keep your stride short. A quick, short stride minimizes impact and prevents your leg muscles from overworking.
o Relax. Keep your lower legs relaxed. Use them only for support when you land – not to push or pull you forward.

The e-Chi Training Beginner & Intermediate Half Marathon programs includes video lessons and Form Focuses for every run throughout your training period. 

• Advanced Training and Speed work: As Arthur Lydiard (one of the great coaches of all time) always suggested, if you’re going for speed, you should do a lot of Long Slow Distance miles. I explain why in the ChiMarathon book, which is as much about the half marathon as the full marathon distance. You’ll find a lot of advanced lessons on speed and technique in Chapter 9.

• Practice race-specific training. Whether you’re a beginner or a more seasoned runner, you should think of your training as a rehearsal for your event. Recreate race-day conditions on your long runs by doing mock-ups of your actual course.  For instance, if your race starts with rolling hills and then flattens out, run a similar course on your long runs if you can. Also, practice fueling and hydrating so that you’re well-practiced in what you’ll need on race day. Most runners need water, electrolytes and fuel after about an hour of running, but everyone is different. Your long runs are the perfect opportunity to practice.

Practice all of the phases of your event; from your starting pace to your finishing kick by putting yourself physically, mentally and emotionally into the event when you train. Have fun imagining yourself crossing the finish line. Pretend you’re a Kenyan with beautiful graceful form; strong in the center, relaxed as can be. Imagine what your race could feel like, but don’t do so at the expense of your body. Always keep in touch with the in-the-moment reality of what your body needs and wants.

Race day and beyond.

• Be prepared. Don’t eat, drink, or wear anything new on race day. Do everything as you have practiced during training. If you’ve used a certain type of energy gel or fuel on your long runs, carry them with you during the race. Make sure you get to the start line with time to spare.

• Don’t start out too fast. Take in the positive energy around you, but don’t get caught up in the crowd. Keep a slower, relaxed pace at the beginning of the race. Passing people closer to the end of the event is a huge confidence builder. 

• Have fun. Smile and breathe deeply. You’ve put in the work – now you get to reach your ultimate goal. Check in with your technique often, especially if you get fatigued. If you’re continually hitting the “reset” button on your technique, you’ll never fall apart later in the run.

• Celebrate! Be thankful for a body that can run 13.1 miles, and celebrate your accomplishment.

• Reflect and recover. Think about your experience. Did you train enough? How did you feel physically and mentally during the race? Would you do anything differently next time? An end-of-run review will help you create useful goals for the future. Do light, recovery workouts the week after your race to keep yourself moving and motivated for your next race.

The most important thing to remember is to always listen to your body. Eat well, stay relaxed, and rest when you need to. The half marathon has become one of my favorite events as well. It’s never too daunting, yet long enough to be an engaging challenge. Make the most of your training by learning something new about your running, and quite possibly something remarkable about yourself.

Start training for your half marathon today
• Beginner Half Marathon program
• Intermediate Half Marathon program
 

"The debate around shoes or barefoot comes down to not much of a real argument when you look to the predominant cause of injuries.

The bottom line is that it pretty much doesn't matter what you have, or don't have, on your feet. If you're running in a way that is inefficient, overworks any of your muscles, creates undue impact... or in other words, is hard on your body, you'll get injured. How much you push off with your toes will determine how much you overuse your lower leg muscles and create everything from muscle or tendon pulls to metatarsil stress fractures. Your rate of impact is the determiner of how many impact-related lower-leg, knee, upper leg and lower back injuries you incur. Running technique is what comes from paying attention to HOW you run... not just what you have on your feet. Lower profile shoes help to at least give your body a more accurate sense of proprioception, but changing shoes is never a guarantee that your running form will get better... or even get good enough to prevent injuries."

In March of 2013, Runner’s World published its first-ever article about ChiRunning. Read it here and you’ll get a beautifully described sense of what ChiRunning has to offer.

Since the start of ChiRunning in 1999 the running landscape has changed dramatically. The midfoot strike, and flexible, low-profile shoes we recommended back then are becoming more and more the norm; and the Kenyans have proven without a doubt that a forward-leaning running stride is faster than running upright. The idea that your running can be improved with technique training is no longer considered “out there” as Runner’s World once dubbed it.

And yet, ChiRunning is stilled labeled as “alternative” by Runner’s World. Alternative to what? I think the alternative we offer is a way for 65% or more of runners, getting injured every year, to experience injury-free running. Our alternative approach should be the norm because it simply teaches your body to run as it did when you were young, flexible, and energized by fun.

As people who have tried ChiRunning find, it is first and foremost a physical technique and a great toolkit to make running faster, easier and injury-free.  Called ChiRunning to be true to its source (the ancient martial art, T’ai Chi), it is based on the philosophy that the body works most efficiently when directed by an educated and attentive mind. We call it intelligent movement, and we are seeing that this ancient, yet fresh approach to running, is becoming more widely trusted and accepted every day - and that the ideas we’ve put forward over the past 14 years are helping to create the new “mainstream.”

Here are some pre-workout tips to help you get started:

• Dress warmly, but make sure you can still move easily. Wear light layers. 
• Do the Body Looseners to warm up before going outside. Go up and down the stairs a few times, or walk around the house briskly to get your circulation moving.
• While workout clothes are mostly functional, they can still represent your style. If you have clothes you like and you feel like yourself in them, you’ll be more likely to want to work out in them.
• When you’re dreading taking that first step outside, put yourself 10 minutes in the future – imagine yourself warmed up, endorphins flowing. You’ll feel great.

What to wear in mild/moderate cold (30°-50°):

• Don’t overdress. If you’re too bundled, you will overheat and become less efficient. You’ll also have to carry the extra gear you’re taking off when you get warm.
• Dress as though it is 20° warmer than it actually is. For 40°, I’d recommend shorts or light pants or leggings, a long-sleeve shirt, and some lightweight gloves and a headband to protect the extremities.
• If you get too warm, roll your gloves up to expose the palms to release heat, but keep your fingers covered. Tech shirt layers that have a short zipper are great for protecting the neck; when you warm up, just unzip it to let the trapped heat escape.

Master Instructor, Jeff Carnivale, gives tips to prevent overheating on winter runs. 

What to wear for temperatures under 30°:

• Running tights are great in temperatures between 20º and 55º, depending on how sensitive your legs are to the cold. If it’s below 20º, wear lightweight warm-up pants over your tights.
• Wear a hat made of fleece, wool (ideally with a non-wool lining on the inside of the headband) or some other wicking material. Our reversible fleece hat can be worn during workouts, and also while running errands.
• Cover your face if it’s below 20º. It’s important to protect your lungs from getting too much cold air to stay healthy.
• Smartwool socks will keep your feet cozy. A good way to block wind from freezing your toes is to cover the top of your socks with duct tape. Another option is to get some running shoes with Goretex uppers, which do the same thing.
• A thick, wicking, zip-front turtleneck top works great for any temperatures from 25º- 40º. If you have trouble maintaining body heat, you can add a lightweight nylon vest or jacket with a high collar. Jackets and vests also have pockets, which are handy for storing anything you take off.
• If you run in icy conditions often you might consider “equipping” your running shoes with ¼” sheet metal screws drilled into the bottoms, or you can use Yak Trax for more traction.

You don’t need a lot of fancy gear, but a few quality items will keep you comfortable and make winter workouts much more enjoyable. This season gives us a great opportunity to slow down, observe, and refine our technique. When Spring comes again, you’ll be ready to move your best self forward.