Chi Running ? Does it work?

Inspired by the 'shin splint' thread in the exercising with weights thread, I thought I'd create a thread on a concept that has intrigued me for a few years that I just have not been able to totally grasp and that is Chi Running. Most likely, Mr. Pete was not referencing his "relearning to run" remark to Chi running but I believe proponents of Chi Running, at least in the West would reference Chi Running as this, "relearning to run".

Now a picture to 'simplify' matters.



http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/074325144X/javabooks-21 By the way, positive reviews mainly.

This book is probably the introduction to Chi Running, it is not quite a 'craze' or popular the way say Kettlebells seem to be.

Anyway, I'll keep this thread simple, I understand the theory behind Chi Running but I wonder if anyone has experience with it to share. That is enough to get this thread started.

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Now to expand, the authors would say, look at a child, they run naturally and as adults, we have lost some of that. Chi Running exponents would claim one would not tire as easily Chi Running, I even saw someone do that on TV and Yes, like Kettlebells, etc. there are plenty of youtube videos on this subject.

But key to this is a Far East Asian thought to this. Chi Running Philosophy would assert you don't run with your legs, you run with your body core, the center of the body.

You also run and gravity pulls you forward, you run at a tilt basically and you run on an axis, a forward line sort of bisecting your body as has been diagrammed. You can definitely see this concept from the below picture.


okay, finally maybe.


Photo is from the book, I'm not sure if they are displaying.

That should be enough for now and we will see if a discussion ensues. With anything more said, I need to make sure I've got the proper info. A part of this too is how you land on your feet.

http://www.chirunning.com/shop/home.php

The Chi Running website, it's suppose to be an 'easier' more 'effortless' way to run.

I must say I really rate Explosive Running by Dr Michael Yessis

Here's a youtube advert



By the way Yessis is pretty well respected in the strength field as he's done some decent work with lifters & everything is science based (plus it sorted out both my hip & knee issues!).

Just a sidelight here, I did not know there is a book from 2009, "Born to run" which is about the Tarahumara Indian Tribe running habits. Of course, people have long known about the tribe in Northern Mexico.

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282658549&sr=1-3

Wildly popular book. I'll have to see if it is in the library.

That area is in upheaval now, Northern Mexico, I would plainly just avoid it, even if there was little tourist risk, I just wouldn't want to even be near those warring cartels, I may be wrong, Mountain Biking was becoming popular in that Copper Canyon area.

I've got the audio version of born to run. I've not found time to actually listen yet - I'm going through a book about the 1918 influenza epidemic that killed more people than any other disease in history - including aids & the Black death & mainly killed the adult population who were in their prime 18-30 years old as the disease caused the immune system to destroy the body (most commonly the lungs), so those with the best immune systems died first!!! It was scary stuff with a large % of the worlds population dying within 24 weeks of the start of the outbreak! Many more died than died during WW1 from the fighting!

Pete wrote:

I've got the audio version of born to run. I've not found time to actually listen yet - I'm going through a book about the 1918 influenza epidemic that killed more people than any other disease in history - including aids & the Black death & mainly killed the adult population who were in their prime 18-30 years old as the disease caused the immune system to destroy the body (most commonly the lungs), so those with the best immune systems died first!!! It was scary stuff with a large % of the worlds population dying within 24 weeks of the start of the outbreak! Many more died than died during WW1 from the fighting!

This is from the book:

Quote :

If it's any consolation (for those who think it's too late to do it), we also learn that, from age 19, a person reaches his maximum speed at about age 27. Guess how old one is before one falls back to what one's speed level was at age 19: AGE 64!!! "You don't stop running because you get old... You get old because you stop running!"

http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/product-reviews/0307266303/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R1YZ3KLEEO96Y6

You were trying a fast one saying that. A person won't slow down until they are 64, no talk of prime here.

Quote :

If it's any consolation (for those who think it's too late to do it), we also learn that, from age 19, a person reaches his maximum speed at about age 27. Guess how old one is before one falls back to what one's speed level was at age 19: AGE 64!!! "You don't stop running because you get old... You get old because you stop running!"

I don't think that statement holds true for higher level athletes. Both for distance & sprinting I have yet to see anyone in their 60's in serious competition to younger people even at regional level - there are certain limiting factors like recovery, food assimilation, energy utilisation that will limit an older athlete. Sure an person who keeps running will be fitter & quite possibly in better health than one who gives up & becomes a couch potato, but I've not seen any anecdotal or scientific evidence that a 60 year old could compete with say a 20 year old at any major event running (that is both are serious runner, with comparable training etc). That is purely my opinion, I've not looked into it, but it appears right just looking at competitions at both a regional & international level.

Well, this thread is about Chi Running and not what ages are running against each other. But it's convenient for some people to talk about I guess, I wonder why.

Addendum: But it is interesting to read about the Tuberculosis plague, swine flu or whatever took so many lives back in those years, I know there were some serious illnesses I read about it.

So that part is okay, but the other, frankly I miss my home state, it will always be home but I think the people there are being belligerent, simply put, I've had (this is off topic) run ins with the law, minor stuff I hope but now, I think these people who follow me, they should likewise obey the law and if they get in trouble, they chose that. I have gotten in trouble and I have never done nearly as bad as what they have.

"Chariots of Fire" has a little bit about World War I in it and then, those guys ran in the 1920s, ran at Paris Olympics 1924, movie about those guys, Eric Lidell, Scoltland and other characters.

Anyway, I doubt if the author's book is talking about "Elite Competition" in the end. We are talking about general interest.

Back to other off topic stuff, I'd go back to New Mexico, I grew up in Roswell where they say the UFO crashed, now it is a business you know ... but I cherish it.

But an idol mind is bad too. There is little in New Mexico and those people who give me a hard time would have to answer to the law. Pete's got a good heart.

I'd promise, if I got back to New Mexico, justice done too, old job back or something, I'd probably make sure I'd stay vegetarian always, living as I do, it's not easy to always cook, say eat Kale and the like though I'd like to go that route. I love new mexico but I do things here, I could never do much down there. Even playing soccer/football, I just like it for cardiovascular reasons, I don't care who wins too much. I'd never do that down there.

And Mexico?? Use to be a nice place to visit, now I don't think you could pay me to go there, at least the border.

New Mexico can be a bad place with horny toads, lizards, not many people but I am peaceful. I did my job hard and good and by gosh, simple justice says those who detract from me, should be held to standards, up here, I'm attracting women, Swedes migrated here many decades ago, I'm doing okay but it isn't quite home or the Hmong over there in St. Paul.

Grand Torino, Clint Eastwood movie, let's see, written for the Twin Cities, Detroit gave them a tax break so the movie was actually adapted to take place there, about the Hmong, hero has a Polish surname, hmmmn... could be something to that, sounds familiar. The Hmong are sweet, but I've even outlived this a bit now but I've never exercised as before, 2 straight sundays from running, I'm getting blisters on my big toe.

Those people in New Mexico are giving me a bad deal, if they slightly break the law, really they should pay, only on the internet, few places can they pull their stuff because I say, let's talk to the police.

A friend recently sent me the DVD Evolution Running: Run Faster with Fewer Injuries I actually forgot I had it until this thread. There is actually a website here. Again it's not chi running, but I should really take some time to check them out a little bit to compare ideas.....
....UPDATE a mate has some chi running DVDs it seems (I just mentioned it to a few people & he got back to me), so he'll let me have some to look at, so at some point I'll be able to compare Explosive running, evolutionary running & Chi running & see how they stack up against one another (that will obviously be my personal view).
You can check out a bit more about chi running on their website here
You can find out a bit more about the author of Explosive running Dr Yessis by popping over to his blog here

I will look into 'explosive running', I see the authors have other books, 'explosive basketball', maybe more.

Yes, he is a pretty well respected coach & has worked with numerous athletes.

I've now taken the time to watch both Chi running DVD & Evolution running DVD (I've still got the 'born to run' book listen to - I've got the audio version).
I thought both were a little bit 'cookie cutter' there seemed to be no mention or technique variation (except in evolution running where they said you don't need to make any variation for anyone?). Basically Chi running gave a little more leeway to modify stuff in terms of step cadence (although both recommended 180 paces per minute - basically remember a fast waltz tempo & you'll get the speed correct for that one or think of the song "I'm forever blowing bubbles" sung quite fast as that's about the right tempo for your feet). It seems they both believe that everyone will & should run the same way..which doesn't follow I don't think as we all do everything else differently, walking, even sitting (you can often recognise someone by their walk long before you can see who it is).
There might be some useful tips about posture & maybe rough guidelines to start a person on the road to achieving their ideal running form, but I believe following these blindly will not achieve the optimal result for most people as unique variations must be allowed for in any system.
It's a shame they didn't attempt to create a system (that is design into their programs some variations so that people could adjust the methods to suit their particular case). That is the real difference here I think, both these DVDs create 'cookie cutter' programs & not fully developed systems - a big difference!
But for the some people you can certainly find some ideas you might want to try out with your running.