ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running (Chi)

Dreyer's approach is to apply the teachings of Tai Chi to running. He teaches about four skills: focusing your mind, Body sensing (high speed access), breathing (tapping into your chi), and relaxation (the path of least resistance). The idea of body sensing and thinking about posture, as well as relaxing, has already started working well for me. For several years I have needed a lot of walk breaks when I've been out running. In the past year I have lost a lot of weight and I'm sure that has helped a lot, but even after losing the weight, I found myself out of breath very quickly and still taking a lot of walk breaks. Since I've been focusing on my posture and maintaining a relaxed state I have not had to take any walk breaks at all. That is very exciting to me. I started adding miles to my long runs and I've found that I still need to work on my endurance, but I have been able to control my breathing and continue running even when my body has started getting tired. That is a huge change for me and is plenty enough reason for me to be excited about this book. The book has chapters on injuries; how to prevent them and what to do if you are injured. I think most runners at one time or another have dealt with some kind of running injury, so that chapter is well worth the read. I have been very fortunate over the years, having had only one serious running injury in over 30 years of running, but I still will apply these ideas to ensure my continued good luck. There is also a chapter on diet and nutrition, in general. He gives advice that is good, I'm sure. I believe Dreyer, but I'm not changing. I'm not giving up my coffee. I'm just not. That doesn't mean I think Dreyer is wrong; I just think his suggestion is a bit unrealistic for most of us. But if you follow his advice I'm sure you will get amazing results. You definitely will not hurt yourself. I really like this book. It has already helped my running a lot just since I started reading, and it is written so that it is easy to follow and understand. It would be great for a beginning runner or an intermediate runner hoping to improve, but I think even an elite runner would find it useful.

ChiRunning, A revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running is an amazing book and DVD. Growing up, I played a lot of sports from football to baseball to track, all of which required explosive running or sprints if you will. At age 17 I joined the Army and the distances I ran began to increase. As part of the semi-annual physical fitness test, the Army requires its Soldiers to run 2 miles within a certain amount of time. The morning PT program usually consists of training at much greater distances. When I was young it did not matter, or better put, I did not know any better, nor did I realize that running is an art. When I was in my early twenties I decided I wanted to run a marathon and began to train. Once again, as a youth, I simply went out and ran. After a couple months of training, I discovered the weight room, and stopped running in favor of lifting weights. I had to continue training in order to pass the Army physical fitness test, but that was the extent of my running. As I grew older I put the marathon ambition back on my bucket list. While training I began having problems in my hips and my hamstrings. It became so painful that I went to see the doctor and he referred me to physical therapy. The physical therapist tried everything from stretching to dry needling to try and relieve the pain. In 2010 my unit deployed to Iraq to support the draw down. During this tour I was introduced to a therapist, who was an avid runner. He put me on a treadmill and observed my running. He told me I spent too much time on my heels. I was a heel toe runner who over used the heels of his running shoes. He made some recommendations, and I attempted to make the adjustments, but it wasn't until another Soldier recommended ChiRunning that I really understood what the therapist was talking about. ChiRunning is a book and DVD by Danny and Katherine Dreyer. It has been hailed as an elite source in all sports to include football, baseball, yoga, and of course, the running community. ChiRunning is a step by step plan with instruction and exercises that help you transition from your current style of running to a more proper style that is less prone to injury. The Dreyer's walk you through the techniques necessary to change your current running style. Their overall goal is to relieve stress and tension so you run more like you did when you were a kid. They break down the difference between ChiRunning and Power Running, and they take you through exercises that focus on and help develop the core, which is essential to running properly. From beginning to end the book is a process that will help professionals run better, and enthusiast like myself run more efficiently. It is a process, so be patient, but from the very first lesson you will start realizing things to work on. The DVD is an excellent resource as it helps solidify what is in the book by providing the reader with a visual of the different exercises. After reading the book and perfecting my technique, In the last year I have effortlessly run the Army 10 miler, two half-marathons, 3 adventure runs (dirt/mud runs), and shaved 30 seconds off my Army two mile run time. I also, finally, marked that marathon off my bucket list.

I purchased this book on advise from a runner. I had just started running last year, and after several knee issues thought I would have to stop running all together. If you learned to run like most of us, long strides, heal to toe, no pain no gain, this book will change your perception of running. This method allows me to run faster, longer, with less effort, and less pain than before my injury. The only issue I have with the book is like most how to books, it could be written in pamphlet form. The beginning is filled with anecdotes and reasoning and stories, that I really could care less about. If you can last through all that, this book will be worth twice the price. If not, then skip the first 4 chapters, pull up you tube for visual explanations of the fine points. Either way it will help you run better.

"気"ランニングというタイトルで日本語版も出てますが、こちらはその改訂版(2009年)です。読者からのフィードバックを反映して大幅に内容を改訂しているようです。体の部位等の専門用語が幾つか出てくるのを除けば、読みやすい内容です。 「画期的」かどうかはともかく、ケガをしないランニング法について、フォームに重点を置いて書かれています。 -骨盤を起こし、頭頂〜肩〜腰〜踝まで一直線の姿勢を作る (この姿勢作りの説明に20ページ以上割いています) -その状態のままわずかに前傾し、重力の助けを借りて推進力を得る -足首を脱力し、体の重心より後でMidfoot着地 -下肢は回すだけ。踵をはがすイメージで持ち上げる。つま先で蹴らない -ピッチは170〜180歩/min(結構速いですが…ロードバイクの最適ケイデンスと同等) …など。 試してみると、確かにふくらはぎ・すね・足首周りの筋肉や腱への負担が減り、ほとんど筋肉痛になりません。ただ、かなり速いピッチになるのでそちらのほうがしんどいです。これに関しては｢時間をかけて徐々に慣らしていくこと｣が大事だそうです。 考え方は｢体幹ランニング｣や｢非常識メソッド｣にも通じる内容だと思いますが、効率の良いフォームを身につけていく上で意識するべきことがより丁寧に書かれているように思います。 この方法を取り入れることで、最初は一時的にタイムが落ちるかも知れないが、時間を掛けて体に馴染ませていくことで効率の良いケガしないランニングフォームが身につくとのこと。 まだ始めて一ヶ月なので★４ですが、半年くらい続けて良い結果が出ればまた評価を見直そうと思います。

Um livro excelente, um dos poucos que recomendo a qualquer corredor. É meio filosófico, e tal, mas ensina muito bem a ter uma técnica de corrida menos lesiva e mais eficiente.

I read about this book many places and am glad I got it. It introduced me to the idea of running with a central column leaving the arms and legs loose - using the image of a cheetah who moves his core body forward using his legs lightly. It is based on the principles of Tai Chi. There is breath work that I have read elsewhere however seeing the date of this publication, he said it first. Really worth reading since it is so different than most of the running books around with ideas geometrically opposed. Rather the strength and force, lightness. Worth reading whether you agree or not just to think about the ideas. It helps me with my running by reducing my "perceived effort level". I also bought Chi Marathon. I do not plan to do a marathon, the ideas are similar carried a bit further as they have learned over time. This one is enough unless you are obsessive like me and need to read ALL the info.

it is a manual more than a good read book, still absorbing

Original product which is rare amongst books these days. Introduces you to a revolutionary form of running, one successfully used by thousands arounds the globe. A month into practicing it, feeling the change already.