Running Away With Myself

I am completely floored by this new running technique. It's a timeless concept, but the book by ultra marathoner Danny Dreyer has been around since 2004. There is a book, and audio guide, a DVD & a whole interwebby world ChiLiving.com that hosts a companion Chi Walking program & a bunch of wellness resources.

So you're familiar with the chi concept, right? Well, chi is our life force and the living force in all things. Immeasurable wavelengths of chi flow within and between and around and (insert preposition) ______________ all things. Hey, what's a preposition? Anywhere the chi can flow. Hahaha.

Chi is constantly in motion. Tensions obstruct or skew its powerful flow. The manifestation of that in the body is stress and inflammation. Those things are notorious demons to runners. All athletes really. Heck, All people really!

The Chi Running idea works the tai chi concept of energy connectivity and flow. Your whole body can move and flow fast and smooth by releasing tensions and connecting your chi with the chi of everything around you in a balanced and circuitous motion.

So running Chi Running style is just assuming a 1 legged pose & falling forward. Letting your instinct prevent your fall, you assume the same pose on the other side. Lower legs and small muscle groups are left relaxed & the big core muscle groups do the work so your joints don't get thrashed by static pavement pounding. The middle of your foot strikes the ground, protecting your ankles & knees. All of the jerky bouncing is replaced by smooth circular motions & you go way farther, faster, without fatigue.

Posture is super important. If you keep very centered and long you avoid being a wobbly wheel on the road- or as I like to say, "running all wonky". I pretend that the crown of my head is hanging from a cable & my spine & neck hang like a cord from my head. From this hangs my fountain of chi- the hip carriage. The cable, in my mind pivots from a central point in the solar plexus zone, between heart, navel & middle spine.

I got a lot of cool visualizations from the Chi Running audio guide (available as a CD or .mp3). The one about the turning of the internal wheel at that solar plexus pivot point strikes me as total genius. I picture a wheel powered by breath & heart that turns me down my path. If my wheel is aligned, it glides smoothly wherever I will it. The four corner connecting points for my limbs become cog-like extensions of that main wheel.

I picture my inner cougar, too. I empathize & imagine myself like the mountain lions that are naturally perfectly adapted to moving swiftly in this environment. I feel myself being supple and relaxed as well a s strong and intentional, just like a real cougar!

Chi Running & focus on running & form & the juju of it all totally renews my motivation to move! I feel like this is a precious gem of knowledge & I want to share it with you so we can all be out there enriching life by running with understanding & flow.

If you've ever been vaguely interested in running, you should check this scene out. It's completely amazing. If you see me on the road, high-five!