Run longer and easier

That statement seems to be such an absurd cliche’. How can you run and not avoid pain? Right? errr…actually wrong! As indicated in my previous posts, I am a newbie to running, with just one 13.1 under the wing and I am just starting to learn how to run and yet enjoy it, avoid injury and get the fullest out of my body.

I have been exploring various means of making running easier on the legs and the body. I tried new shoes as the first recipe. It worked. Partially. Getting the proper running shoes is the ONLY investment you need to make when you start running. Running with those old shoes since you think they still look good is the biggest mistake you could be making. So get moving to the closest runners shop and get yourself a pair of good custom fit running shoes.

Now that we are all geared up to run, how do you actually avoid pains that surface while running long distances? To be frank, I do not have a ready made answer for this. This depends totally on your current physical fitness level, any ailments that you already might have and the amount of tolerance your mind can really show to pain. Therefore, it is a new story from person to person. However, there are certain common things that can work wonders, if you overcome your physical ailments. This is where, I introduce the concept of CHI RUNNING.

Potentially fit people who start running often lose interest early on, since they believe running inherently induces knee pain, shin splits, injuries to hip and back. While I cannot guarantee you will not feel the pain in future, one thing I would like to put to sleep is the myth that running induces these pains. The primary cause of pain during running is poor bio mechanics. Not running itself! Running is a natural movement says the founder of Chi running. If you run in unnatural way, you deliver unnecessary stress on certain muscle and joint groups, culminating in injury and pain. Therefore, set aside any thoughts that running is bad for the body, that it erodes bone and joint tissue and so on and so forth. The way you run causes most of the issues. That is exactly where Chi Running steps into your life. I am yet to master this myself but I do notice certain very important improvements in my running form ever since I started practicing running the Chi way.

So whats Chi Running anyway? Danny Dreyer, the author and founder of chi running, says that running should be a natural movement of the body. So dont let your muscles do the work for you. Let your chi do it. Chi is the inner life force within each human. You need to concentrate and feel the centre of your body. The chi running form asks you to let your hands and legs go limp and let your torso pull you forward while running. There should be absolutely no stress or tension in your hands and shoulders while you run. Slightly lean forward, let your torso take over and start running.

Is that it? Apparently no. It takes a little practise and a lot of patience to understand what I just said in the above lines. So how do you go about this? Ah well…thats a good discussion for another post, to examine in depth how to attain a good chi running form. I will post some chi running practice drills to get you started in understanding the right running form as well. Till then, keep up the miles runners….theres miles to go…