so, this past weekend I had a group of people gather in the chilly morning Sunday air to have a couple hours of free ChiRunning Instruction… given by yours truly.

As some of you know, I took the training in October 2008, and have been on a (slow) path to getting certified. I wanted to get some face time teaching people and I hoped this would be a successful time.

I think it was generally successful. There were some key exercises that I just completely spaced out and didn’t remember until hours later when I got home, but the whole process was enlightening for me, and I want to believe that everyone who was there was able to walk away with something positive.

I had two friends in town, one of whom is a runner, the other is not. After the workshop, which they both attended, we ran slowly around the park and got a little bit of a run in. I have to say, it’s a little tricky trying to teach and run at the same time! I felt pretty good while running, and it was sort of fun to show how to take really small strides, even with long legs, to my good friends because they know how much I used to detest running. Who knew?!

In any event, I haven’t run since then (eek!) but did go to a yoga class and a long walk. If I can make the time this weekend, I am going to try to get in a long slow run (LSD) somewhere flat, probably at Bent Creek. I miss that feeling of a successful long run!

How is everybody else? Haven’t heard much from anyone, not that I’d expect to

I still shock myself when I choose to go out for a run, when I don’t hurt on the run, and more amazingly, when I find myself enjoying the run.

These things are truly still amazing flashes of light in my existence and experience and I have Danny/ChiRunning to thank for it.

It was pouring rain when I went out, but I went out anyway! It was a nice simple run around town, nothing fancy, nothing fast, just 30 minutes of me and my body.

I can’t honestly say what I even thought about but I know I was smiling the whole time.

So I ran! After traveling most of the day on Friday, we got to the B&B and I decided I had to get out and jog or I would go crazy.

Besides, how could I go assist at a workshop the next day in good faith without having run in awhile?
I ran this route in about 35 minutes. No surprise there, classic 10 min/mile pace as always. I have to break that somewhere, don’t you think?

I was feeling pretty good, but sitting on planes is the end of my flexibility. I get off the plane and my right piriformis is painfully sore and tight. I fell on it 6 months ago and it still bothers me. Between The Stick and my acupuncture clinic, I have got to get it to go away.

I felt good on the run. Wasn’t too cold and I was just trying to keep things centered, keep my energy centered and collected. Since it was getting to be sundown, I figured the ice would be a little slippery and I might end up on the ground so I just took it easy. I wanted to feel good later in the evening and of course the next day.

After the run I felt great, refreshed, energized, and very wet around the nose. Fun! My focuses were pretty simple: core engaged, high heels.

“keep on keepin’ on” is the word.

got up early this morning and headed out the door… was gone for awhile, but I don’t know exactly how long because I chose not to wear my watch/HR monitor at all. I just wanted to get out there and see how I felt without feeling the ’should’ stuff.

Here is the route, it was about 4 miles. I felt pretty decent throughout the run, but my right hip is sore and my knee was a little strange.

I have been going to acupuncture regularly for the last month, once per week, to tackle the knee issue and yesterday for the first time since race day afternoon, it didn’t bother me. That was pretty awesome. The run didn’t seem to excacerbate it either, so it’s just a matter of keeping up with stretching and preventive maintenance.

My hip is another dumb thing. From WAY back late last summer, right before I really got into training, my poor hip has been struggling. It comes and goes, but I also think the cold weather doesn’t help much.

In any event, I felt great today running. I was trying to envision my column just falling over and over again and making sure my midfoot strike was landing behind my center of mass. It felt right and the reflection in the glass windows of retail fronts seemed to reflect the same!

I ran with music again, just to keep a smile on my face. Although this isn’t the exact order that the music played, here are some of the songs that kept me going:

1. Pictures of You, The Cure
2. I Feel it All, Feist
3. Free Your Mind, En Vogue
4. Lovin’, En Vogue
5. Rebirth of Slick, Digable Planets
6. Hey Tonight, Credence Clearwater Revival
7. Some Days You Gotta Dance, Dixie Chicks
8. … then my iPod died. No batteries left

Hope you are all having a wonderful Sunday.