Tag Archives: injury

Shoes and running technique

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Some shoes are better at promoting an efficient running technique thus reducing impact and injuries. When it comes to running easier and injury-free, we here at Wholistic Running believe learning proper running form is essential and the correct shoes can help promote efficient technique.  A 2012 university study confirms that runners who learned the Chi Running technique while wearing any shoe had greater reduced impact compared to other runners who wore conventional or minimalist shoes and did not use the Chi Running technique.

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To help you get started, here are some tips for choosing shoes that promote a healthier way of moving.  Most shoes have an elevated heel which promotes a heel strike (think high impact).  We highly recommend shoes with ‘zero-drop’.  A zero-drop shoe encourages a full foot landing.  A full foot landing has been proven to reduce impact in several studies (2010, 2011). Zero-drop shoes also promote correct posture and alignment as well as engagement of the core when we stand, walk and run.

Altra shoes are zero-drop and have another benefit, a wide toe box:

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Minimalist shoes help promote a ‘light’ running technique.  The less cushion a shoe has, the lighter you will run reducing impact and making running easier.  Read more about how minimalist shoes can benefit you HERE.

Remember, to most effectively reduce and recover from injuries as well as run easier, learning efficient running technique is essential and shoes such as Altra’s can promote proper technique.  Damian teaches Chi Running because it is the easiest and most effective way to learn how to run efficiently.  His trusted approach and expertise has results for runners of all abilities.  When you take a Chi Running class with Damian, he can recommend the specific shoe that will benefit you the most.

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Wholistic Running fans get 10% OFF Altra shoes here:

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Why I’m so passionate about Chi Running

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Chi Running has greatly enhanced my running and has also helped countless other runners around the world.  Being free of injuries, running with more joy,  using less effort and performing better are just some of the many benefits of Chi Running.

I would like to share my story how Chi Running has helped me overcome chronic running injuries and stay injury free for the past 8 years.  It has also helped me perform and race well as an accomplished ultramarathon runner.  I absolutely love running and I have Chi Running to thank for this!

In the past I have suffered from many chronic running injuries including runners knee, shin splints and IT band issues.  The worst of it began 10 years ago when I developed severe patellar tendonitis in both of my knees from running.  I was in pain 24 hours a day and many days I could barely walk, laying in bed much of the time.  This lasted for over two years!  I saw some of the best physical therapists, doctors and alternative therapists in New England.  Nothing helped.

I was even told by several doctors and physical therapists that I would never be able to run again.

Since finding Chi Running, I’ve run over a dozen mountainous 50 mile races, a few 100 milers and all of this staying injury free for the past 8 years.  How?  Chi Running!

I found out about Chi Running and immediately devoured the book in one sitting.  I quickly set out to try this technique which sounded too good to be true.  Skeptical, I went for my fourth run in 2.5 years because of being injured.  Those few previous runs were only 15 minutes and left me in excruciating pain and hobbling for days.  But this run was different.  I was focusing on my technique so intensely that when I got home, I realized I ran for over 45 minutes.  And I wasn’t in excruciating pain.  In fact, I had very little pain.

I started ‘Chi Running’ 3-4 days a week focusing on my running technique and I slowly healed.  Yoga helped speed up the healing process and Chi Running allowed me to run with less impact.  Now 8 years later, I teach the technique which helped me rediscover my passion for running and has allowed me to stay injury free since my days of chronic injuries and being told that running causes injuries and to “never run again”.

I’m also passionate about Chi Running because of how it greatly benefits performance.  I’m a competitive ultrarunner (see my results here) because of the Chi Running technique and mental focuses.  Some runners tell me that the only way to run faster is to train harder.  They also say you have to train faster, go to the track and do complex workouts and that is the only way to get better.  What if this wasn’t true?  For me, it’s all about running smarter not harder.  I run 3-4 days a week (about 40 miles) with no ‘speed work’ but can still run far and fast because I have a very efficient technique.  To run faster, I relax more.  Every other sport focuses on technique, why would running be any different?

Some say I’m just naturally gifted.  Well, if being a runner with chronic injuries is naturally gifted, then there are many naturally gifted runners.  Also, in my opinion, most humans are in fact naturally gifted runners, for we are born to run.   We ‘forget’ how to run correctly.  Fortunately we can relearn how to run the way we were designed with Chi Running.  I’m also told “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.  Well, all I can say to that is over 70% of all runners are injured every year.

I’ve been injury free for over 8 years, overcoming many chronic injuries with the help of Chi Running.

Finally, I owe much of my joy, love and passion for running to Chi Running.  Because of Chi Running, I get a ‘runners high’ just about every run I go on.  Running is a moving meditation that benefits my whole life and I am a deeply happy and successful person because of this.  I hope you get to experience the benefits of Chi Running as well.  Please practice with no expectations, a curious mind and an open heart.  It takes lots of practice, patience and determination but the benefits are well worth it!

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An easier and lower impact running and walking technique

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When you run, do you feel like water flowing down a mountainside?  Is it effortless, easy and peaceful?  Is running a joyful meditative and relaxing experience   Are you rarely or never injured?  I ask because running can be all the above and pain-free. 

Think of the last time you rode a non-motorized scooter. To propel yourself forward, you would place your foot flatly underneath you and kick back.  Of course you wouldn’t reach your foot out in front of you with a straight leg, heel strike and then kick back to propel yourself.  It doesn’t work because an extended leg acts more like a brake.

But this is exactly what I see most runners do. And when I say most, this MOST likely means you.

This is what I see most runners doing with their feet and legs and the same is exactly true when I see people walk!  The jamming impacts your knees and back and you are running as if you are constantly applying a brake instead of letting gravity do the work for you.  The only way to create movement is to push off with the back leg which wastes energy and causes fatigue.

So what exactly are most runners and walkers doing (think you)?  With their legs, they are reaching out in front of them.  They may or may not heel strike and usually land with a pretty straight leg and sometimes with a locked out knee.  This results in a lot of excessive impact (think of the jamming of the scooter) and needless running related injuries.  What is important is where the foot lands in relation to your hips or center of mass.

This is how many people run.  Notice the foot landing in front of the hips and heel strike creating excessive impact especially on the knees and back.

A more efficient, less impactful and more natural way to run is to have the feet land mid-foot and underneath the hips.  The faster you go, the more they will actually land behind your hips, same as when riding a scooter.

Danny with proper ChiRunning technique.  Notice how the feet land underneath or behind the hips just like how children run.

Please don’t think you accomplish this by thrusting the hips forward when you run.  You accomplish this by leaning slightly from the ankles with proper posture allowing the legs to open behind you.  This is the foundation of Chi Running.

Danny Dreyer, founder of ChiRunning, has found a very effective way of teaching runners how to run in a way that is more natural, reduces impact and therefore, reduces injuries.  Because you are using gravity instead of your own energy, ChiRunning is also more efficient, easier and more fun!

So much attention is being made about heel striking and how it is ‘bad’.  It is, but what is more important is where the foot lands in relation to the hips.  It is almost impossible to heel strike if your feet are landing underneath your hips.

For a more efficient, low impact way of running, try these quick tips: 

Have your feet land more underneath the hips.  You can accomplish this by having a shorter stride. Think smaller, shorter steps.  You will not lose speed because you can open up your stride behind you and relax to increase your stride length therefore your speed.  Also, with good posture and long spine, think of leaning from the ankles and letting gravity pull you forward.  The key is not leaning from the hips or head.  You may not get it right away and feel the difference at first, but ideally you will progress gradually.

Poor technique resulting in fatigue and injuries.  Don’t lean from the hips or neck.  Proper alignment, an engaged core and good posture is key and emphasized in ChiRunning.

Barefoot running can accomplish some of these goals.  But still, many people run poorly and have poor posture resulting in fatigue and injuries while barefoot running.  Also, I have many students who come to me saying they have practiced the ChiRunning technique and it has made running more difficult.  The problem is that they are doing the technique incorrectly without knowing it.  This is why it is important to have a certified instructor watch you run, video tape your form and make appropriate corrections.

Is running difficult and painful?  Do you not feel graceful and flowing when you run?  Do you often get injured because of running?  Most likely you are running inefficiently, with poor posture and gait.  The good news is, with practice running can be easy, more enjoyable and flowing, like water down a mountain.

Find out more about Chi Running on my website, check out the Chi Running & Chi Walking books and DVD’s,  visit www.chirunning.com to find an instructor near you, and most importantly, practice so that you can be on your way to learning how to love running again.  Feel free to contact me with questions and for your own Chi Running lesson.

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Would you like running to be easier and more enjoyable?

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I would like to share how you can transform your running so it is a more enjoyable and satisfying experience resulting in more benefits and greater happiness.  Running with a more efficient technique results in less effort and is the foundation to finding more joy in running.  Also, if you change how you approach running, it can be a more meditative, relaxing and effortless experience instead of just a workout or a way to stay in shape.  You still get the results you want but with more freedom, joy and energy gained.

Practicing a more natural and efficient technique has many benefits.  By bringing awareness to your physical body, you are more likely to be in the present moment.  And instead of thinking about your worries and stresses, you will be able to experience and find joy in this moment.  The present moment is truly a gift, for it is the only moment we have.  Also, running more efficiently is easier, obviously.  This alone makes running more enjoyable and fun.  I have found Chi Running to be the most effective way to run efficiently and naturally.

Why do you run?  Is it to stay in shape?  To get a workout?  I suggest letting go of those ideas.  Instead, run because you want to.  Because it is truly a gift to be able to use our physical bodies to move through space.  Run to get outside and see the beauty this world has to offer.  Run to say hello to other runners and smile because we are lucky to be able to do what we love.

Running can be a moving meditation with similar benefits to yoga and sitting meditation.  With mindful practice, remind yourself to bring your mind into the present moment.  You can do this by focusing on your form and the physical body as well as your breath.   I recommend just noticing the breath and not trying to control it.  If you are relaxed and efficient, your breath will be optimal.  Running can be more enjoyable by being aware of and appreciating the beauty of the places you run.  Appreciate the little things: seeing an old friend, the textures of trees, the smile of a child, the feel of the wind against your legs, the sound of your soft foot falls…

Remember, the choice is yours.  If you consciously allow running to be more enjoyable, you will open a door to allow running to be just that.  Focus on the physical body, technique and breath.  Allow your mind to find the present moment and give thanks for doing what you love.  Allow your spirit the freedom to enjoy this movement by giving up expectations, time, goals and just appreciate the movement and joy of what we are born to do.

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Barefoot Running and Minimalist Shoes

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Barefoot running and ‘minimalist’ shoes have many benefits if approached correctly and patiently.  Many benefits can be experienced by running simpler and I will share how to achieve these.  In the past, I suffered from many chronic running injuries.  I have now been injury free for over 7 years even as an ultramarathon runner because of Chi Running and running barefoot!

My fastest 10K I ever ran was barefoot.  Truly barefoot.

How is this?  It encouraged me to run light and took my focus off the pain and instead on running with grace and fluidity.  I don’t recommend this for everyone.  I have been barefoot running and ChiRunning for over 7 years and with gradual progress.  My longest run truly barefoot was in the desert southwest and was over 40 miles.  I felt incredibly connected to Earth and more grounded than ever before while running.  There was a deep sense of joy and peace that is difficult to describe.  Over 3 hours of the run was also completely naked but I don’t recommend that without gradual progress either!

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Barefoot running encourages a lighter, more efficient running technique.  However, if you approach running barefoot or in minimalist shoes with improper technique, you may set yourself up for injury and frustration.  This is why I recommend gradual progress and the ChiRunning technique.  Most runners have been running in ‘traditional’ running shoes for 10 or more years.  You cannot jump into barefoot running and expect there not to be consequences and changes.  For changes are what we are seeking.  But, if done too quickly, change can equate to injury.  Because we are used to walking, running, and living in shoes with a heel lift, wearing a minimalist shoe will require your Achilles heels and calves to ‘lengthen’ and stretch.  If done too quickly, this causes injury.  We do want to see this change happen, but gradually.  The slower the better.  I recommend walking barefoot once a week and gradually increasing this to three days a week if possible.

We can run barefoot and still have an inefficient and high impact running technique.

Barefoot running does not completely fix your running technique.  This is why I recommend and teach the ChiRunning technique.  It is a way of running proven to reduce impact and injuries.  I tell people “ChiRunning allows you to run as if barefoot while wearing whatever shoe you choose”.  Once you have a more efficient technique, you can transition into minimalist shoes with a reduced chance of becoming injured.

The benefits of running barefoot are many.  Running barefoot does encourage a lighter, more graceful running form that may reduce injuries and impact.  It also strengthens postural muscles that have become weak because of shoes and our ‘modern’ society.  Also, running truly barefoot allows us to have a greater connection to Earth.  It makes us more grounded and brings greater peace and tranquility by slowing us down on a physical as well as spiritual level.  I attribute my accomplished running career to Chi Running, running barefoot, and healthy life choices.

When I run barefoot I feel more alive and my senses are completely awakened which brings me absolute peace and happiness.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions about how to transition safely to a simpler, easier, more joyful way of running.

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Yoga and Running

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What can yoga do for you?  Give you more energy.  Reduce injuries and recovery time.  Increase patience, courage, and clarity.  Increase endurance, lung capacity, performance, speed and mental determination.  Reduce dis-ease including aches and pains, digestive issues, arthritis, tendonitis, sleep issues, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, skin issues and more.  Yoga will help bring you more into the present moment and give you abundant peace of mind bringing more happiness and joy.  Now who doesn’t want that?

For runners, yoga can be an incredible asset and complement to your training.  I have experienced many benefits in my running because of yoga.  I often say,

“yoga keeps me in better running shape than running does.” 

And it isn’t a joke.  As an elite ultramarathon runner, I don’t run as much as you may think.  Yoga and Chi Running allow me to run far and fast.  Some benefits I have experienced from yoga include reduced injuries, faster recovery time, increased performance, more speed and endurance, and less effort and more joy while running.  This all sounds too good to be true?  Let me share how yoga may benefit you.

How does yoga reduce injuries?  Yoga is all about balance.  Contrary to what many people may believe, yoga isn’t just about stretching.  Yoga brings the body, mind and spirit into balance bringing overall health and well being.  Hatha yoga (physical yoga) increases flexibility and range of motion, strength, and balance.  In order to prevent injuries, the body must have a balance of flexibility and strength.  Too much or little of one and you are more susceptible to injury.  Yoga challenges the entire body bringing strength to every muscle and encourages your body to move correctly and efficiently.  By practicing balancing postures, we teach the body to move with strength and fluidity.  Increasing flexibility promotes a more graceful and light running pattern which reduces impact and effort.

How does yoga increase performance?  Yoga increases lung capacity, efficiency, mental strength and reduces recovery time allowing you to train harder and more often.  Breathing exercises in yoga expand your lungs allowing you to run faster and harder while more efficiently bringing oxygen to your muscles.  Breathing with your entire lungs, especially the lower lungs where more oxygen exchange occurs, is a more efficient way to breathe requiring less effort and producing more energy.  You will run more efficiently because of increased range of motion and flexibility.

By ‘opening’ up the body, you will run more like when you did as a kid.

With ‘open’ hips, your stride will be more graceful and fluid.  Yoga promotes spinal twisting which will allow your body to move effortlessly and efficiently.  Yoga reduces recovery time by detoxifying metabolic wastes produced by the body when running and increasing the healing potential of your body.  This is done by ‘squeezing’ and releasing body parts which flushes the body of wastes and opens the body bringing healthy, healing oxygenated blood to your whole body.  Yoga greatly increases mental strength and determination allowing you to train and race harder and faster.  You will develop patience and acceptance while practicing yoga which will help you accept the increased effort and sensations of running harder.

Yoga helps reduce dis-ease.  Everyone experiences dis-ease of some sort whether physical, mental, emotional or spiritual.  Yoga benefits your entire physical body including your organs promoting overall health and well being.  Yoga treats your entire body, it is a wholistic practice.  Many times, we suffer physically and the cause is mental or emotional.  Yoga brings your whole life into balance encouraging health on all levels.  With yoga, you learn and experience Self awareness and therefore you can treat the real cause of your symptoms whatever they may be.

Experience an increase of joy and happiness by practicing yoga.

This will help you be a happier, healthier runner as well.  Yoga teaches you to be in the present moment. By being in the present moment, you will be released of unnecessary suffering and on your path to happiness and health.  Acceptance, love, gratitude and patience are experienced while practicing yoga.  How does yoga do this?  I’m not exactly sure to be honest.  But from my experience as well as many other practitioners, it just ‘happens’.

Chi Running has many similar benefits to yoga.  They are both a great complement to each other and will enhance your running as well as your entire life.  Just like yoga, Chi Running is a practice.  I highly recommend finding a yoga practice that best suits you.  In my opinion, it usually isn’t the easiest practice.  Find a studio, teachers, and community you connect with.  I personally connect most with Bikram Yoga and it is the most physically healing practice I have tried.

Most importantly, practice.  Reading about it and wondering if it may help won’t get you anywhere.  Experience the benefits of yoga for your Self by practicing.

Combine Chi Running, yoga, amazing food and Big Sky country at Molte Yoga Retreats.

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