Did you know?
Peanut butter is a great food to fuel up on before a 5K or 10K because of its low GI, high carbohydrate and high protein content.
What to eat before a 5K or 10KWhat is chi running?
Chi running is a form of running that was developed in 1999 by Danny Dreyer. Chi (or Qi) translates to mean energy or life force and is largely involved in Chinese medicine, yoga and T’ai Chi principles. Chi running is a mindful form of running that encourages you to listen and connect to your body. We have an innate instinct to run and Chi running allows us to discover what our body is capable of. It emphasises running in a pain-free way and uses techniques to prevent injuries. When I asked Mark what Chi running was he replied ‘it’s about running from your centre, rather than running from your legs.’
How is chi running form different from other running forms?
Form is an important of Chi running; it uses a slight, gravity-assisted forward lean with relaxed shoulders and arms with the elbows bent at a 90 degree angle. The correct technique helps to prevent injury and allows you to run pain free. In the running world different techniques encourage hitting the ground in different ways on whether you should land heel, mid, or fore-foot first during a run. Chi running opts for a mid-foot strike with the foot landing in alignment with the hips. Over-striding – landing with the foot out in front of your body instead of underneath you – is one of the major causes of knee and hamstring injuries.1 Chi running with a mid-foot strike helps to protect the ankle and knee joints from absorbing the full impact each time your foot hits the ground.
In standard forms of running the average cadence (the amount of steps taken per minute) is usually between 160 and 170.2 Whereas in Chi running the cadence differs; ‘the cadence is very important and is slightly quicker than traditional running’ Mark explained ‘in Chi running you aim to have a cadence of around 175.’ Mark went on to explain to me that having a faster cadence means you spend less time on the ground which makes your running feel lighter and more comfortable in your body. ‘I kept the Viennese waltz beat in my head during my last Ironman triathlon and matched my cadence to the beat,’ he laughed humming the Viennese waltz.
What are the benefits of chi running?
So Chi running is slightly different from other running techniques but how does this benefit us?
• When you run, you are always on one leg which means you are more likely to feel sore from poor posture. Chi running aims to protect the body by having good posture and alignment. Improving your running posture will not only improve the efficiency of your running but it will also improve your circulation.
• Having a mid-foot strike engages the entire foot and helps to balance the weight of the body, which reduces impact related injuries that can occur from heel-striking.
• Chi running encourages you to listen to your body and not push through excessive pain or discomfort. Instead, you are asked to be emotionally engaged with what happens in your physical body. Establishing this communication with your body requires mental focus and discipline in order to change and adapt to your body’s requirements.
• Having a deep 90 degree bend in the elbows takes some of the workload off of your muscles, which helps to protect them from over use and strains.
• Breathing from the belly is a technique not only used in Chi running, but also encouraged in other forms of running. Using the full diaphragm maximises your oxygen intake which then increases your ability to transfer glucose into energy.
Ultimately Chi running is about doing what is right for your body; it uses T’ai Chi principles to focus on alignment, relaxation, and proper form. It is a style of running that focuses on mindfulness and awareness within the body to protect the muscles and joints.
