Chi Discussion Forum

Hi,
I have just started applying Chi Running to my practice a couple of weeks ago. I´ve read the book and tried some of the focal points, it really helped me with my calf problems as well. There´s just this one little issue; my heart rate goes up every time I try to relax my legs.
I keep cadence at about 85 strides per minute and pace at appr. 8-9 minutes per mile.
Right now my main focus is to keep my shape through the winter for the coming Tri season, so it´s moderate training at basic endurance, heart rate at 120 bpm with my normal running technique. Whenever I try opening my stride to the back my heart rate goes up to 135-140 bpm…
Any thoughts, comments ???????

Greetings from Germany, Chi Running free zone.

Greetings to freezing Germany!

Heart rate is a more subjective indicator than we sometimes realize, but most often it goes up because some part of the body momentarily requires more oxygen to burn its fuel.  What you describe has been reported by other runners and I remember it myself.  It may only be that because you are learning to use your core differently, in a way that it is not used to, that your core muscles themselves are drawing upon the circulatory system more as they adapt to the new usage of support.  Fifteen to 20 beats is not a huge increase margin, and my guess is that, assuming that you are not tensing anything else in compensation, if you keep practicing this, your deep core muscles will learn to do the job with less need for oxygen (since they are primarily slow twitch muscle fibers that burn less oxygen) and your cardiovascular system will adapt as well.  Hope this helps.

Thanks so much for the immediate reply! I was thinking along the same line, it´s the same as in swimming. When I took up TI swimming a year ago after swim- struggling
for years my heart rate went up as well until I learned to really relax and let the core do its job.
BTW, just came back from a 10 mile run and I feel like going for a second round.
I love this Chi Running, too bad there are no Instructors in GER <!—s:(—>/images/smileys/sad.gif<!—s:(—>

Yes, it is very much like TI swimming, learning to float and be with the water, not constantly fighting the water.  Glad your 10 miler went so well.  I wish I could come and teach in Germany!  I was born in the Pfalz, but I’ve been a US citizen for a long time now.