This is a subjective rebuttal of Carol Scheible’s ChiRunning vs PoseRunning blog. I am a beginner runner and a novice ChiRunner, so please read this with a grain of salt. If you are an experienced ChiRunner and wasting your time in front of the computer instead of running, please feel free to add your comments and correct my mistakes.
My running mentor, Manohar, follows the Pose technique and has huge success with it. My comments here are not a critique of the Pose running methodology. I am certain that Pose technique is correct and it works very well, as well as the Chi Running technique. In fact, after consulting with Manohar, we tend to agree the basic concepts of both Chi and Pose are strikingly similar and the ways to achieve proper form is where they differ and there is plenty of things to learn from each technique. In fact, once I do get the hang of ChiRunning better, I do plan to run with Manohar to learn from him about the unique things in Pose technique and evolve my running.
My intent in this post is to refute the F.U.D that Carol spread in her blog. Her blog ranks high for those who search for “ChiRunning vs Pose” and this is an attempt to correct some misgivings.
My minimal experience with Chi has be diametrically opposite of Carol’s. I am recovering from an ITB injury and as late as five days ago, I wasn’t able to run a few hundred feet without injuring my knee. Last Saturday, I took my Chi Running workshop, I was able to run two and a half miles (track, uphill and downhill) at a faster pace than I could imagine. This was in addition to standing for nearly five and a half hours. Absolutely no pain at all. Yesterday, I ran another couple of miles, posted a 15% increase in my fastest timing without having to push too hard. Absolutely no pain at all. At the end of the run, I had way less soreness than I usually have.
Yes, I know it is far too early days to comment on the benefit of ChiRunning, but I like the results I get so far. Going from not being able to run a few hundred feet to be able to run a few miles within a few days just by paying attention to form clearly tells me something is good with ChiRunning.
Let us first analyze the basics of ChiRunning and then I will comment on Carol’s specific comments.
1) Upright posture with a strong column.
2) Relaxed upper and lower legs.
3) Landing mid-foot directly under the body and not braking your fall (when you land ahead of your center of gravity).
4) Use the lean and gravity to propel you forward.
5) Run from your strong core and not use the leg muscles for anything other than picking your feet.
There is no kick
Chi Running Form: note how the foot is kicked way out behind the body. I worked very hard to kick this way, and I think this is what was causing my ITB problems.
This was the first mistake I did which my instructor, Larry Neumann found and corrected me within the first minute of the workshop. It is a common newbie mistake to stress your hamstrings and quads in a concerted effort to kick your legs backwards. That defeats the purpose of Chi Running. Once you relax your legs completely, you are using your upper leg to simply pick the leg from the ground.
The exaggerated kick that Carol suggests comes naturally when you are sprinting. From the photo of Danny in her blog, from the lean, Danny is in his 3rd if not 4th gear. He is sprinting. Once your legs are completely relaxed, they freely dangle and the exaggerated kick comes naturally without having to work his upper legs.
Chirunning suggests you maintain a biking like motion to your feet, so your feet actually do what the photo she displays about the Pose method does. In fact the following screenshot from my instructor’s home page is eerily similar to the photo of pose method she posted. Ouch.
Relaxing your legs
This is key. You have to relax your legs completely. I have some basic experience with meditation in the past and during the workshop, I was able to get my ankles and calf muscles to relax completely.
The Chi book starts out with 4 chapters of the philosophy of Tai Chi and how there’s a life force in all things that we can tap into.? I tried to approach this idea with an open mind.? Maybe I’m just not enlightened…I never felt this mystical energy!
I spent a good couple of weeks reading and re-reading the first four chapters. They set you up and your mind that train you how to relax your body and how to have a conversation with your body. I understand that is not everybody’s cup of tea, but since I already had a spiritual bent towards life and running , I could enjoy those chapters. Body focusing and relaxing the leg would make it impossible to create new ITB, assuming there are no other bio-mechanical issues.
In short, I think it was a case of wrong technique and not the process itself.
. That itself is a great achievement for me already. I am pretty convinced right now that choosing a workshop was the best thing to do, I think it has definitely given me a head-start with understanding the basics of ChiRunning.
