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.

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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.

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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

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.

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.

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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 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.”

Definition:
Good running form is running in a way that is injury-free; allows you to run the most efficiently given all your speed, distance and performance goals (both immediate and long-term) for the span of your lifetime; promotes overall physical health and wellness; and is not dependent on what you’re wearing on your feet.

The article focuses on foot strike, which is just one aspect of good running technique, but hardly the whole or the big picture. The big picture is about including all the terms mentioned in the definition above. At ChiRunning, we have built our programs to accomplish our mission of providing everything in that definition.

The article is misleading in asking about a right way to run, when all that is addressed is footstrike. In studies, it is important to limit the focus so as to get definitive results. However, for the average runner it is important, to feel what works best for you, keeping in mind the definition above.
 

The fact that Americans’ overall health is worse than 16 other countries in this study is staggering, but unfortunately, not surprising. We are wealthy and educated, yet we devalue the most important contributor to our quality of life: health.

64% of Americans are overweight or obese. And, while the article does address violence as a significant cause of death in men under 50, lack of exercise, overeating, and poor nutrition are at the heart of this epidemic.  Studies have shown a distinct link between diabetes and cardio-vascular disease (CVD). In a diabetes fact sheet published by the National Institutes of Health, they recommend the following: 

• Reach and stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke.
• Get at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week. Brisk walking or a similar activity most days of the week can help with weight loss and lower blood pressure.
• Eat a variety of foods that are low in fat and reduce the number of calories you eat per day.

The best solution is to learn to move well so you can continue moving more.

ChiRunning and ChiWalking, along with the mindfulness they promote (in movement and lifestyle) are simple solutions to this deadly problem. Prevention goes a long, long way. While many health-related challenges may seem out of our control, exercising regularly is something we can completely control. And, when practicing the Chi techniques, we can consistently walk and run without being sidelined with pain or injury.

Exercise also keeps us mentally balanced. Walking at a brisk pace has been proven to help combat depression and naturally elevate our mood. When practicing ChiRunning and ChiWalking, we get the additional benefits of connecting our mental and physical selves. Instead of just pushing through 45 minutes on the treadmill, workouts become a time to learn more about our bodies. For instance, when your core is engaged and your posture is aligned, you may find that your lower back pain disappears. When you clear your mind and focus on your movement, you may feel your shoulders naturally relax as stress dissipates.

How to get started:
• For walkers: ChiWalking DVD – ChiWalking makes it easy to get in shape. Begin at your own pace and establish a lifelong fitness program.
• For runners: ChiRunning DVD – Enjoy running and eliminate injuries – perfect for runners of all levels.
• For walk-runners: ChiWalk-Run DVD & program – Great for beginner runners, or walkers who want to introduce running into their workouts. Gentle, easy, and you’ll walk-run the 5K distance in just 8 weeks.

It’s not too late to turn your health around. You just need to make your body a priority and start listening to what it truly needs.

What is Chi Running?
Chi Running is perspective on running that incorporates principles of Tai Chi meshed with running. Chi Running is much different from the common perspective on running which is “no pain, no gain”. Instead, it involves a method of running that revolves around using your body’s core to run rather than individual muscles pushing you towards the finish line; a holistic approach if you will. The major differentiation is that Chi Running is an injury free method of running. With its holistic approach to running, the possibility of getting injured decreases dramatically.

Danny Dreyer, an ultra-distance runner, developed this method to teach runners how to relax their bodies while running long distances. The basic premise of Chi Running is to use the force of gravity to drive your forward.

To help implement Chi Running, there are basic principles and skills that will aid in the relaxation of the body and will allow a runner’s body to run longer distances without discomfort.

Chi Running Foundation Principles
There are three concepts that Danny prescribes runners to live by:

The first principle is called “Needle and Cotton” which illustrates the importance of centering a runner’s energy and relieving the rest of your body of stress and placing it in a state of relaxation; this makes the muscles soft as “cotton”. This principle emphasizes the proper posture and technique when running.
The second principle is “Gradual Process” which promotes the adaptation of dynamic training stages for a race. As the weekly mileage progressively increases, your body will be challenged in ways that it has never been challenged before; this principle makes that transition smoother.
The third principle is “Balance in Motion” which stems from the concept of yin and yang. This principle sheds light on why you must balance your body’s physical movements. While running, the body moves up and down, left and right and may sway in awkward directions because of weak/tired muscles. This principle helps teach why maintaining balance while running is important.

Chi Running’s Four Chi Skills
With the foundation now built, the four Chi Running skills build on that foundation to hone your skills as a marathoner and as a runner.

The first Chi Running skills in “Focusing Your Mind”. There are different perspectives on this topic as there are runners that prefer to doze off and think about “nothing”. Danny believes that your mind should be focused on your body to detect the hundreds, if not thousands of signals it sends out throughout your runs.
The second Chi Running skill is “Body Sensing”. Once your mind is focused on your running, you can direct that focus to sense the alerts your body springs up. Without being able to sense sensations in your body as you’re running, you won’t be able to make the necessary adjustments when they count most.
The third Chi Running skill is “Breathing”. You might be thinking, “Really?? This chapter is probably just a section to make the book look thicker.” I believe that this topic alone has helped me overcome a lot of moments during my runs that I felt I was just going to give up. Learning to breathe efficiently will aid in helping managing your energy while running and conserve that extra willpower to run that extra mile when it counts most.
The last Chi Running skill is “Relaxing”. Once you are physically and mentally focused on running, you will actually enjoy running more. There are parts of your runs that just feel like a chore. As you learn to relax, running becomes more of a therapeutic event rather than just another run.

I wanted to get to the bottom of why runners aren’t running injury free marathons so I went to the experts. I found Danny Dreyer through his best-selling ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running
book to get to the bottom of it.

I wanted to ask these questions while sharing them with you. So, I interviewed him!

Interview with Danny Dreyer
In the 39 minute and 40 seconds interview with Danny Dreyer, I grill him on these revealing questions:

• The first and MOST important component to focus on when running your marathon.
• If you miss out on learning the key to mastering this component of your training, that little ache in your knee could become a surgery you wish you could’ve wished you prevented earlier.
• Why you need to become more aware of your body through Danny’s concept of “body sensing”
• Spending hundreds of dollars on shoes and expecting to be injury free is a ­­­­­myth! Listen to Danny’s opinion on shoes and if it’s all a load of bull.
• Much, much more!

Listening to the passion in Danny’s voice really gives you an idea of how much he really cares about helping runners run without injuries and live a healthy life.