ChiRunning

When I last wrote, I had decided to take a hiatus from running to improve my running. It sounds a little goofy, I know, but I felt like I needed a break from pounding my joints into the asphalt to learn more about how to run safely and without impact and as much effort (and therefore faster and longer). I planned to take some time to read "ChiRunning" (if you want more info, there's also a website: http://www.chirunning.com/).

I took about a week off to work on my technique. It's so funny that I had to not run in order to run better. I think it's a brilliant method and once I get it down really well, I think it will my runs will be worlds better.

On Sunday night, I spent a good part of it working on posture, etc. I didn't really get the leg part of the equation, but I tried to do as best I could. I still don't get how to work my legs!

I went for my first run yesterday morning. I didn't have any real goals except for trying to incorporate ChiRunning as much as I could during my scheduled three-mile run. I found it really frustrating--the first time I tried it I ran way too fast and had to stop really quickly because I was gasping for breath. The next time I tried it, I got the lean right, but my breathing was off and my legs hurt. A few times running later, I think I got the lean, my breathing was improving, but now my shins hurt! That has never happened during a run! (It's always my calves, but I've never had shin trouble). Gah.

So, I finished my run feeling annoyed and tired. I felt like I had only run 10 minutes of the whole session. When I looked down on my watch, though, my 3-mile run time had decreased by 3 minutes! Hot dog! So, even though I don't think I could have had the very best run, I improved! I'm excited about really getting everything down and getting even better!

As I took a large amount of time away from my training, I'm not sure what this will mean for my marathon training. Right now, I feel like my training should focus more on form and technique than on increasing distance. For now, I think I'll keep my runs under 5 miles until I feel comfortable with how the runs are going. I'll keep you updated on how this progresses!