Recently there has been a lot of discussion on the concept of running barefoot. There are some purists who suggest we should all be running barefoot, period. Personally, I don’t care for the word ’should’ in any context. It implies someone else telling us what to do or be, when we all have to decide that for ourselves.

But can we just go run barefoot? To help you answer this, consider how long it has been since you ran barefoot. 20 years, 40 years, 60 years?; most of us have not been running barefoot since we first learned how to run as toddlers (*). How many years of shoes, dress shoes, high heeled shoes, perhaps periods of inactivity, or of modern running shoes do you have in you? These are just a few examples of all the stimulus the body is adapting to every minute of every day. This adaptation happens slowly and if we want to reverse the resulting changes in posture, muscle strength, flexibility, balance and confidence; then (more…)

As wonderful and liberating as trail running can be, it is almost inevitable that a fall is somewhere in a trail runner’s future. The question is not “if” but “when” and how well the runner will roll, recover and begin running again. Along these lines, I’d like to share a recent experience I had while running a trail marathon near Mt Hood in Oregon.

During the second of two loops on a trail around a large lake, I was running along in good ChiRunning style only vaguely noticing the plethora of roots that  covered the terrain. I recall feeling good, moving steadily forward with no apparent worries in the world.  Then, in an instant,  as if hit by a bolt of lightening, I was stumbling and on my way down.  No time to think, I hit the dirt and like a child in a gymnastics class, I rolled forward over one shoulder and was back up and running before I knew what had happened. (more…)

Life has been pretty stressful over the last week or so.  Of course, the time of year doesn’t help either.  A bit of fire fighting needed to be done and too much time and energy has been spent on it but sometimes you must protect the reputations of others and stand up for what you believe in.  As a ChiRunner, the two most important things for me when running are alignment and relaxation.  So I am very grateful that I am able to run and escape from the stresses of life and spend a highly focused period of time switched on to my running form and how I am moving. (more…)

Like my fellow ChiRunning Instructor Bloggers, I was recently in Asheville for the ChiRunning Instructor weekend. You have probably read about the incredible running experiences we had and what a wonderful opportunity it was for us all to focus even more on our running form. It was a happy band of midfoot strike runners that’s for sure. What struck me though during the introductions was just how many people had turned to ChiRunning because they were experiencing, or were tired of dealing with running pain and injuries. As each person reflected on those times there was a different tone in their voice.

When I got home (I live just north of San Francisco) I was excited to go running with some friends, get caught up and tell them about the weekend. Then, one friend called to say he couldn’t make it. The reason? A sore Achilles Tendon was creating too much running pain. (more…)

The way we stand and move are habits formed over time from our life experiences. Making adjustments to your posture and motion will take time; but with consistent focus and practice, not nearly as much time in which those habits were formed.

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When I first picked up a ChiRunning Book about four years ago - in pain, injured, frustrated and confused; I first realized my running philosophy was a bit off and then I realized my running technique was a bit off also.

On the surface, ChiRunning is about adjusting running technique to improve efficiency and prevent injury. Underneath, ChiRunning in rooted in simple principles of nature that if applied can dramatically change your running experience.  The same is true for ChiWalking and your walking experience.
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Many of us have heard the concept of “running is a metaphor [or mirror] for life”.

There have been many ways to apply and learn from this concept. Just Google the phrase and you will see many posts on the subject.

A few days ago a great quote came across my path:

“Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are” ~ Chinese proverb

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