Author: Wholistic Running

Founder of Wholistic Running, professional runner, coach and nutritional consultant

Race preparation

Published on by Wholistic Running

Here are some quick tips to help you have your best, most enjoyable race day experience.

Pre-Race

  • Hydrate well. Be sure to drink enough so that your urine is clear the entire week before the race.
  • Eat well.  Forget carbo-loading!  Don’t change your diet too much.  Eat healthy whole foods and keep it simple.  Humans have enough fat stored on us to run much farther than a marathon.  Check out my other blogs about specific performance enhancing foods.
  • Do not eat too much the morning of the race!  Before 50 and 100 milers, I eat a banana for breakfast and drink a coconut water and that’s it.
  • Rest:  The less you do the week before a race, the better!  Run very little and easy!

Race

  • Try to drink 8-20 oz./hour of water during a marathon depending on how hot it is.
  • For races half-marathons and shorter, I suggest not consuming any food or water.  You should be sufficiently prepared before the race and not playing catch up.
  • For marathons and longer, consume 140-200 calories/hour of easy to digest foods during the race.  Look for gels, drinks and carbohydrate dense foods.  This reduces the chance of ‘bonking’ at mile 20.  Minimize hard to digest foods!
  • Consume electrolytes during the race from quality sources.  Hammer Nutrition’s Endurolytes and Saltstick are two great options to use during the race.  I also pre-load a few days before the race by taking 3-5 a day.
  • Go slower than you think, especially at the start.  Use the first few miles to warm up.  A consistent pace is more enjoyable and usually faster than going out too quickly.
  • Focus on relaxing both mentally and physically.  Practice your  running technique and use positive affirmations and mantras such as “I am strong, I am light” to take your mind off of any discomfort or fatigue.

Post Race

  • Within 30 minutes of any run, consume 8-16 oz. of water and 200-300 calories of a high-quality recovery drink such as Recoverite or Shakeology.
  • A natural anti-inflammatory such as Tissue Rejuvenator will help reduce soreness and help you recover quicker.

Special Considerations

A common question I have been getting lately is how to have your best race if you feel under trained.  The most effective way is to breathe easier and slower by focusing on relaxation and running with an efficient technique.  Chi Running addresses both of these!  An efficient running technique will allow you to breath easier.  Allow yourself to be ‘pulled by gravity’ by leaning from the ankles (not the waist) to reduce effort.  Watch this video to learn how.  Be ok with going slower than you are used to.  Focus on having fun and forget about your time.  Chat with other runners, enjoy the scenery and stay in the present moment.

Use positive affirmations, mantras and breath work to reduce energy usage.  I suggest you don’t try to control or judge your breath.  Instead, watch it and allow yourself to breath easily and deeply.

Finally, after the race, be sure to eat foods high in anti-oxidants and cleansing foods to help reduce fatigue and soreness.  Fruit, veggies, wheatgrass, Tissue Rejuvenator and Chia seeds can help reduce inflammation and help your body heal quickly.

Most importantly, listen to your body.  Practice accepting the conditions, where you are at and enjoying the present moment.  By going slow and having fun, you may be surprised at how well you do!

–Daman Stoy, elite ultra marathon runner, founder of Wholistic Running and Certified Chi Running instructor

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Why I’m so passionate about Wholistic Running

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Wholistic Running has greatly enhanced my running and has 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 what I teach here at Wholistic Running.

Let me share my story how Wholistic Running has helped me overcome chronic running injuries and stay injury-free for the past 9 years even as an accomplished ultra marathon runner (see my race results).  I absolutely love running and I have Wholistic 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 Wholistic Running, I’ve run over twenty mountainous 50 mile races, a few 100 milers and all of this staying injury-free for the past 8 years.  How?  Wholistic Running!

I found out about efficient running technique and 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 ‘Wholistic Running’ 3-4 days a week focusing on my running technique and I slowly healed.  Yoga helped speed up the healing process and Wholistic 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 Wholistic Running because of how it greatly benefits performance.  I’m an accomplished ultrarunner because of the Wholistic 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 Wholistic 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 9 years, overcoming many chronic injuries with the help of Wholistic Running.

Finally, I owe much of my joy, love and passion for running to Wholistic Running.  Because of Wholistic 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 Wholistic 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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Community, support, faith and losing my Self

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My passion and love for running and community continues to grow!  I really enjoy racing for it encourages my Self-Realization.  For me, races aren’t about competition, time or winning.  They are about meeting new friends and deepening existing friendships, pushing my limits, breaking my boundaries, being inspired by others and doing what I love to do.  Racing is an exploration of my Self and this place we call home, Earth.  I am so grateful to the wonderful family of running friends I have and being able to run.

I recently ran Bozeman’s Run to the Pub Half-Marathon and didn’t have any goals other than to have push my boundaries and have fun.  And did I ever!  I had such a great time chatting with other runners, checking out goofy costumes, cheering runners on and enjoying a beautiful day!

I do have to admit, I was surprised at how fast I ran and how effortless it was.  The past five months I have run an average of 2-3 days a week.  By far, most of it at a 8-12 minute/mile pace with 1 day of speedwork in 5 months.  But somehow during the race, I ran over 13 miles at almost sub-6 minute pace finishing at 1:19:54.  I keep asking, “how is that possible?”.  I believe it is a result of my very efficient technique, relaxed mental state and overall health from eating well and practicing yoga.  Chi Running continues to amaze me!

Six days later I ran the Buffalo Run 50K on Antelope Island.  This gorgeous island is on the Great Salt Lake and has unique geology, plants and bison on it.  Not to mention being surrounded by water and magnificent, towering mountains all around.  My goals for this race were to have fun and again, push my limits.  I went into the race feeling ill prepared and under trained.  Running 20-35 miles a week for 5 months is not great preparation for a 50K.  But I relied on my efficient technique, mental strength and health to guide me along.

The few days prior to the race, I was having stomach issues.  I wasn’t able to eat much or as well as I would have liked.  The morning of the race wasn’t much better.  I didn’t eat much breakfast but hoped I could rely on Chi to sustain me during the race.  As we began to race, I had the privilege to run with many close friends.  Some from Bozeman, some from Wyoming and Utah and others from surrounding states.  We goofed around and I said awkward comments and bad jokes.  I loved it!  Running with friends is very special to me and we laughed and enjoyed the magic of another day on this beautiful planet.  I ran the first lap (about 16 miles) completely with two good friends.  We were feeling really strong that first lap.  About a mile into the second lap I started to pick up the pace relying on Chi, efficiency, gravity and relaxation.  I focused on less effort to go faster.  A strange concept for many but it really works.  Relaxation equates to speed.  After a mile, I took a wrong turn to hear a friend yell “wrong way” and was teased for my mistake.  My excuse:  “I was in the zone!”

I continued to push my limits and relax even more.  I found this deep place of peace and freedom.  After the second aid station, I proceeded to get lost once again but this time for real.  I took a wrong turn and ran up a ridge to find myself looking hundreds of feet down to the correct trail below.  I stopped to assess the situation, breath and prepare for the adrenaline and joy of bombing down the mountain.  I finally got back on track, losing about 5 or 8 minutes in the meantime.  I passed a few runners for a second time, each of them asking “what happened?”.  My response, “I was in the zone!”.  My poor excuse for not paying attention.

I continued to push the pace, running as fast as I could while relaxing.  I’m amazed at how effective this can be.  I began to have pretty severe stomach and digestion issues.  After mile 20, I wasn’t able to consume any calories or liquids.  This can have devastating consequences, especially considering the heat of the day.  75 and sunny, which for a Montanan in March feels like an oven.  I was able to sneak a couple Hammer Gels and luckily Endurolytes saved the day which prevented me from cramping.

I ended up finishing with a smile on my face and the lack of ability to walk straight because of severe low blood sugar and dehydration.   I asked the EMT’s to keep an eye on me so I didn’t pass out or get lost once again.  A little Mountain Dew fixed everything within minutes.  Totally gross but I was so out of it that it tasted like heaven in my mouth.

My second lap split was about exactly the same as my first lap, I actually sped up the second half since I got lost.  I was very happy about this and how well I ran.  I finished in 4 hours and 21 minutes for 4th place.  Not bad for a Montanan in March with very little training.  Chi Running continues to amaze me!

So really, what do I love about racing?  It’s the community, support and love that abounds at races.  Especially at ultramarathons.  Egos are checked at the door and we are grateful for doing what we love.  I suggest volunteering at or running an ultramarathon and I guarantee you will be inspired.  Over and over again actually!  I’ve run quite a few and continue to be amazed and inspired by the stories of others and seeing others overcome personal struggles, pain and mental boundaries.  I look forward to my next race, whatever it may be.

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Reduce fatigue, race faster and perform better

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Damian Stoy is a professional ultra marathon runner, biomechanics specialist, respected coach and nutritional consultant.

You may believe that you need to train harder and very often to perform well.  However, I train infrequently and perform very well (see my race results) because I run smarter not harder and I use these tips I am sharing with you now.  Eating well and an efficient running technique can greatly reduce fatigue, improve your performance and make for a more enjoyable running experience.  

What causes fatigue when you run?

Energy inefficiency:   The most effective way to have a less fatigue when you run is to reduce energy expenditure. If we can run more efficiently, we can run faster and farther with less effort and more joy. Running can literally be easier.  An efficient running technique reduces energy expenditure and increases performance. Damian teaches efficient running technique for runners of all levels.  He also offers online coaching and online video analysis with individualized technique guidance plans..

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Oxygen debt:  Muscles require maximum oxygen to function optimally.  How do we increase our oxygen capacity?  One way is consuming adequate iron.  Iron, a component of hemoglobin, is what transports oxygen throughout the body.

Foods to consume daily for optimal iron levels in the blood:  chlorella, blackstrap molasses, dark leafy greens

Metabolic waste buildup:   Waste products build up in the muscles causing fatigue (i.e. lactic acid).  Having a healthy body pH is crucial for overall health but also to handle the excessive waste products accumulated during running.  An alkaline body will feel much less fatigued during a race than an acidic body.

  •        Alkalizing foods:  Fruits and vegetables, wheatgrass
  •        Acidifying foods:  Meat, excess protein, dairy, sugar, alcohol, coffee

Impact and stress on muscles:  Impact causes injury and fatigue during races.  Reducing impact is crucial for increased performance especially for longer distances but is helpful for all races.  The best way to minimize impact is an efficient, low impact running technique. 

Inflammation:  Excessive inflammation also causes fatigue.  We can reduce inflammation by going into a race with a ‘healthy’ inflammation response.  Consuming omega-3’s and other natural anti-inflammatories daily helps decrease inflammation during races.  I recommend flax oil and Tissue Rejuvenator daily.  High daily antioxidant levels as well as during a race reduces muscle damage and fatigue.  Incorporate goji berries, wheatgrass, fresh juices and lots of fruits and veggies for high levels of natural antioxidants.

Pre-Race:  I taper/rest 7-21 days before a race, depending on the specific race.  You can rarely rest too much but you can train too much before a race.  As I taper for a race, I also make sure I’m eating plenty of alkalizing foods including fruits and veggies.  I make sure to have sufficient electrolytes in my body by consuming Endurolytes for a few days before a race.

Race:  The morning of the race, I eat very little.  People are surprised to hear I eat a banana or two and that’s it before a 50 mile race.  I don’t want my digestive system taxed during the race.  If prepared properly, my body should have plenty of stored glycogen already.  Please be advised, I am pushing myself harder than the average runner and therefore am very picky.  Also, do not try any new food right before a race.

An easier and lower impact running and walking technique

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Damian Stoy is a professional runner, coach & founder of Wholistic Running. He offers personalized Online Coaching and Injury Prevention Plans. Find out more HERE.

When you run, do you feel like water flowing down a mountainside?  Is it effortless, easy and peaceful?  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.

Proper running 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.

I teach a very effective way for runners to easily learn 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, you’ll also run more efficiently, easier and have 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 or higher cadence (steps per minute). 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.

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 some runners who come to me saying they have practiced running 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 learn from an experienced teacher and runner.

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Foods for Increased Health, Healing, Energy and Performance

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Damian Stoy is the founder of Wholistic Running, elite ultra marathon runner and coach

I am often asked what are the best foods to eat for health, increased energy, recovery, healing injuries and performance.  I believe certain foods are beneficial for everyone and I will share my thoughts including what has worked for me.

Eating for Overall Heath and Well Being

I suggest eating a variety of food that is whole, unrefined, local, and organic.  Eat real food!  Keep it creative and fun and try not to be too restrictive.  Include lots of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, seeds and nuts.  What you eat everyday is the foundation of health.  Do not rely on supplements, pills and miracle foods for health.

I highly suggest getting rid of dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt) as well as other highly inflammatory and mucus forming foods such as refined flours, sugar, wheat, eggs, alcohol and fried foods.  Excessive mucus lines the GI tract and severely hampers your body’s ability to assimilate nutrients and digest food.  Also, these foods are common allergens and produce symptoms such as runny noses and phlegm in the throat or lungs.  This is not normal!  If you have these symptoms, play around with eliminating certain foods for a week or two and see if you notice any improvements.  Foods that help rid the body of excess mucus includes lemons, apple cider vinegar, ginger and cayenne.

For runners specifically, I suggest nutrient dense foods such as quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth and brown rice.  Try to limit pasta, non-whole grain and wheat products.  Enzyme rich foods provide energy and include sprouts, raw foods, fresh juices, miso and wheatgrass.  Include foods rich in healthy fats including flax seeds, avocados, olive oil and coconut oil.

Foods for Performance

Incorporating specific performance enhancing foods is something you may want to try.  Foods known as adaptogens are beneficial for many reasons including increased endurance, stamina, energy and a healthy immune system.  Adaptogens include ginseng, maca, astragalus, chia seeds and goji berries.  I also recommend flax oil, turmeric, ginger and wheatgrass for their anti-inflammatory properties and greatly reducing recovery time.  For runners, I recommend foods high in iron and those which build the blood.  Those include dark greens, spirulina, cherries, seaweeds, beets, parsley and molasses.  Incorporating these foods will allow you to assimilate oxygen more efficiently and result in greater performance.  Ample fresh herbs and spices are recommended for anti-oxidants and to benefit digestion.  Examples include ginger, cayenne, garlic, cinnamon and oregano.

Supplements

I don’t use supplements most of the year but during the race season I incorporate a few to recover faster and improve performance.  I highly recommend Tissue Rejuvenator from Hammer Nutrition for healing, reducing inflammation and speeding up recovery.  Zyflamend is another great product with similar benefits.  Hammer Nutrition provides a variety of super high quality supplements that increase performance and overall health.  Click on this to get 15% off your first order!

Choosing healthy substitutions can make an immense difference in overall health.  Don’t just get rid of the bad, enjoy the good!  Since we all have cravings, here are some recommendations for alternative foods that satisfy and actually provide healthful benefits instead of dis-ease.

  • Replace ‘bad’ fats with coconut oil, olive oil, avocados and flax oil.
  • Replace table salt with Celtic and Real Salt.  Seaweeds, herbs and spices provide the real flavor and nutrients we crave.
  • Replace white sugar with maple syrup, honey, molasses, dates and agave.
  • Snacks:  seaweed or kale chips (salty), apple with almond butter.
  • Hydrate with herbal teas and fresh juices not soda or coffee.

To find out specifically which foods benefit you, I suggest listening to your body.  Remember, eat real food and play with what works for you.  You’ll have more energy, greater health and will be able to do more of what you love to do in life.

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 Wholistic 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.

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 Wholistic 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’.

Wholistic 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, Wholistic 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.

Why I Love Running

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I love running for the beauty, simplicity, community, love, pain, courage, struggle, and patience it brings into my life.  I hope to inspire you to love what you do and do what you love.

“The music of a marathon is a powerful strain, one of those tunes of glory.  It asks us to forsake pleasures, to discipline the body, to find courage, to renew faith and to become one’s own person, utterly and completely.”   -George Sheehan

I love watching other runners. The simplicity, grace, beauty, efficiency and joy.  I love seeing them smile, struggle, laugh, and cry all in one race.  I love running with other runners.  The community and compassion that builds between runners.  The friendships that form and the encouragement and struggles we share.  I love running alone.  The peace, tranquility, and quietness becomes a journey into my self.  The smile across my face when I find my self a part of nature.  The vastness of being in the mountains and the realization of how lucky I am.

I love running because it teaches me about my self and life.  The simplicity of running is a beautiful thing.  The more I can learn to live simply, the happier and more joyful I am.  Running has taught me the value of patience and determination.  An ultra running quote is “If you feel good, just wait”. The beauty of the quote is the truth it reveals.  If you feel miserable all you have to do is wait.  And the same is true in life.  Things change whether they are ‘good’ or ‘bad’.  Running has taught me to accept either and enjoy the beauty of both, the ‘good’ as well as the ‘bad’.

One of the greatest lessons I have learned from running is that pain is part of life.  It is suffering that is an option.  Suffering is truly a choice.  It is how we react to pain which determines if we suffer.  Because of running, I have learned that anything in life is possible.  Sure, it may take a lot of work.  It may take a lot of time, effort, sweat, tears, stress, and many ups and downs.  But with patience, courage, determination, anything truly is possible.  We have no boundaries!  

Running has become a moving meditation for myself.  I dwell within my self and ponder what else life has to bring.  Because I treat running as a practice the benefits are more intense, the positive feelings are more rewarding, and I experience more joy, clarity and peace.  Better doesn’t mean faster.  Most of the time for me, it means slowing down.  ‘Better’ at running to me means being able to go deeper within my body, mind and spirit.  I accomplish that by enjoying nature, focusing on my technique and by loving the activity and people I share it with.

I love running for how it makes me feel, the lessons I learn, and the people whom I share it with.  I hope you find this as well in whatever it is you love to do!

“There will never be a day when we won’t need dedication, discipline, energy, and the feeling that we can change things for the better.” -George Sheehan

Why a focus on running form?

Published on by Wholistic Running3 Comments

There is a lot of interest in more efficient and low impact running form these days.  The reason being that many runners are finding fantastic results (less injuries, less effort, more joy, more speed) when they adjust their running technique for maximum efficiency.  There are several popular running methods (Pose, Evolution) out there and I have tried several.  For myself, I have found ChiRunning to be the most effective and the one I connect with the most.  ChiRunning is all about alignment and relaxation and allowing the body to flow in its own rhythm.   Proper alignment and relaxation both lead to efficiency and injury prevention.  Efficiency and injury prevention lead to less injuries, less impact, increased speed and distance as well as increased joy and fulfillment. 

Example of common poor running technique.  Notice the heel strike, foot landing in front of hips, and a lack of lean resulting in more impact and wasted energy.

I found my passion for running in college but a severe knee injury in 2002 kept me from running for over two years. I tried everything!  A few doctors and physical therapists even told me I would never be able to run again!  I knew it wasn’t running that caused the injury but how I ran that did.  After over two years, Bikram Yoga and specific nutrition finally helped heal my knees but running was still painful.  After researching and trying several running methods, ChiRunning changed my life.  Finding ChiRunning was truly a gift.  Not only did ChiRunning change the way I ran, it has allowed me to run injury free and enter the world of ultramarathon running.  Even running up to 100 miles a week, ChiRunning has allowed me to be injury free for over 6 years while running faster and with less effort.

 Another common poor running technique.  Notice the lack of core strength resulting in excess fatigue and tension.

There were a few reasons that ChiRunning really connected with me.  I believe that it isn’t running that causes injury but how we run that does (again, read that sentence a few times).  Children can run for what seems like forever and not get tired.  Native peoples including some in Africa and the Tarahumara in Mexico seem to be able to run forever without many injuries at all.  But why as Americans do runners get injured so often.  We have found it acceptable to get injured as a runner.  It just happens.  Runners expect it.  For me, it is unacceptable!  An injury is our body telling us that something isn’t correct.  When we watch many (not all!) elite athletes, native peoples, and especially children run, they run with very similar form.  And that is what ChiRunning is all about.  Teaching us to run the way we were born to run.  The way we did as kids.

Proper ChiRunning technique leading to a very efficient way to run and less impact.

Why don’t we run like children anymore?  There are many reasons but I will address what I believe are the major factors.  Our lifestyles promote poor posture.  We sit most of the day.  We drive a lot.  We carry old injuries which produce ‘bad’ habits and improper ways of moving.  What happens then is the body adapts and changes in ways that aren’t normal.  The body is designed to move a certain way.  Our lifestyle has taught us to hunch over and have poor posture which causes muscles to become ‘tight’ and ‘weak’.  Strong, reselient muscles that are meant to support us become weak.  Our core muscles become weak and aren’t used when we run.  Smaller, weaker muscles need to compensate and perform work that they were not meant to do.  Then, when we run, we run less efficiently and with poor biomechanics which causes injuries and can make running less efficient and just plain not fun.  Notice that runners with poor form look like they aren’t having fun.  Or are they not having fun because they have poor form?

Children running naturally with great ChiRunning technique.

Another major reason we run with poor form is that we learn quickly from the people we surround ourselves with and watch, whether it is concious or subconciously.  And most people in America have poor posture and run with poor technique.  A great story I like to tell is about when I was flying from Pennsylvania to Denver one day.  Next to me was a blind lady, about 50 years old.  The whole flight she sat with ‘perfect’ posture.  Very upright, not even using the backseat for support.  To some people, maybe she looked stiff.  But I could tell she was very relaxed during the whole 4+ hour flight.  I finally asked her if she knew that she sat with good posture.  She said “I do?”.  I replied,  “you didn’t know, you don’t try to”.  She responded “Everyone doesn’t sit like me?  Hm, I never knew, I just sit the way I was meant to sit”.   Not being able to see the way most people sit, she sat naturally.  She never ‘learned’ to sit poorly.  When I watched her walk, perfect ChiWalking technique.

Another reason we don’t run like children anymore is because we are taught not to.  Many runners I know are taught to ‘power run’.  Power running encourages pushing off with the legs to propel ourselves and over stride to increase stride length.  ChiRunning believes (and science confirms) this is a very inefficient way to run.  And it shows!  With all the injuries runners suffer from as well as all the people who believe that running is bad for us.  ChiRunning teaches us to run the way we were designed to run.  Instead of using the legs to propel us, we lean from the ankles and allow gravity to propel us.  Much more efficient.  We also don’t over stride which acts like a brake on the body.  Power running is like driving with one foot on the gas pedal and one on the brake.  Who would do that?  Most likely, you!  Instead, with ChiRunning we use gravity to our advantage and we cooperate with it to propel us.  Our legs naturally open up to the back cooperating with the force of the road/trail which dramatically reduces impact and injuries.  Less muscular energy used, less impact.  Not only does science back this up, it makes sense.  And the results are out.  Thousands of runners are finding that ChiRunning dramatically improves their running experience.

As a certified Chi Running instructor I would like to address as well as correct quite a few misconceptions about ChiRunning.   And I only speak for ChiRunning.  I have tried other methods out there and found Chi Running to be the one that works for me.  Also, as a scientist, it just makes sense.  ChiRunning is not ‘very similiar’ to the Pose and Evolution methods of running (which isn’t to say they aren’t good!).  That would be like saying apples and oranges are very similar.  Sure they are tasty fruit, not very similar in my opinion.  I would not like to get into too many details about how ChiRunning is different.  The technique is different and ChiRunning gets into the ‘spiritual’ element of running if desired by the runner.  It also brings in the concept of body awareness and being in the present moment which can result in a running meditation.  This is not taught, it happens.  A runners high, the zone.  Focusing on technique when running is like yoga.  It gets you into these happy states easier and quicker.

Should runners worry about their form?  Of course not!  Would becoming more efficient allow you to have a more positive experience and to possibly run faster and with less effort?  For some people sure.  It is silly to think that working on technique does not have a beneficial affect on speed and efficiency.  A simple refinement of changing a runners arms to swing back and forth versus side to side can significantly decrease energy expenditure.  Many runners do not realize they are running inefficiently.  That is one reason I video tape.  And most importantely, many runners do not know how to change their running form to become more efficient.  ChiRunning has found the most effective way to do it with easy to learn lessons.

Some folks believe ChiRunning would only benefit ultrarunners or runners who appreciate ‘eastern’ wisdom.  It is true that ChiRunning is not for competitive sprinters who run 800 meter events or less.  They want to maximize power by pushing off with the legs and that is fine.  But how many runners actually run sprint events?  ChiRunning will benefit beginner runners, recreational runners, injured runners, and competitive athletes.  Also, runners looking to do 5K races as well as runners doing long events such marathons and ultras greatly benefit from ChiRunning.

A major misconception I would like to address is that ChiRunning is all about ‘minimalist’ footwear and getting rid of heel striking.  We teach runners to run in whatever shoe they are comfortable in and appropriate for the terrain they are doing.  Does running barefoot once in a while improve running technique (therefore speed and efficiency)?  Yes.  Does it help teach you to run lighter and reduce injuries.  Yep.  ChiRunning teaches you to run as if you were barefoot while wearing the shoes you want to wear.  Lighter, more efficient, less impact.  A holistic running approach.

In ChiRunning we teach the idea of ‘Gradual Progress’.  Results do not and should not happen over night.  ChiRunning is a practice and is not goal oriented.  It is process oriented which results in a much deeper sense of joy from running then if it was stricly an exercise or work out.  Also, every aspect of ChiRunning is not for every runner or person out there.  And that is great, we are all unique.  Science backs up that ChiRunning is more efficient.   In ChiRunning, we cooperate with forces and use gravity instead of working against it.  Sounds simple to me even though I know it isn’t.   But ultimately, it needs to work for the runner.  We introduce many concepts and hopefully the runner will connect with some of them.  For many runners, they connect and love the whole concept.

There are literally thousands of runners who have benefited from ChiRunning.  If readers are interested in how Damian and Chi Running has helped many runners check out some testimonials. https://wholisticrunning.com/damian-stoy/wholistic-running-testimonials/

I would like to emphasize that readers try these different running methods (Truly give them a shot, ideally from a certified instructor) and make your own opinions.  There are studies out there showing how low impact methods do help with efficiency and speed.  But who cares, try it and determine for yourself!

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