I’m so excited!
Yesterday I ran in my first running event in 18 years!
While it was only a 5k I did it! I began the
Trot with the intention of feeling exhilarated, healthy, and like I could
continue running after the finish line.
I also envisioned being injury free and capable of running the next day. And, I accomplished my goals! Suzanne and I accelerated the last hundred or
so feet to the finish line, so I focused on leaning forward to accelerate and
my legs left wonderfully light and flowing.
As we crossed the finish line I felt like running more! Yes, I could notice my right calf had been a
bit over used, but I felt great!
I was beginning to
doubt that I would ever experience joy in running until this Turkey Trot.
In my 20’s and 30’s I ran 3-6 days a week, did 10k’s, played
a lot of sports, and lifted a lot of weight, but, because of improperly taking
care of a back and neck injury, I was always in pain (that I was able to endure
due to my youth). As I approached 40, I
had chronic sciatica, headaches, and plantar fasciitis in both feet, my right foot
had been pulled flat, and I regularly experienced right knee pain. I resigned myself to walking which decreased
my discomfort but did not alleviate it, and fell off the workout wagon. Oh, did I mention my depression? Yea, that
too, along with putting on an extra 50-60 pounds. All the while though I felt a desire, a
longing to run. A desire that I didn’t
understand until I read Born To Run
by McDougall.
A few months ago a client told me about a running program
she heard on NPR radio, something about running barefoot and a native culture
in Mexico that run hundreds of miles without injury. I began investigating and learned of the Chi
Running technique, Pose Running technique, and the non-fiction book, Born To Run. I first happened upon the book Chi Running in a used book store, quickly
read it and immediately began working at some of the concepts in the book. I found that if I focused my thoughts on
relaxing my shoulders, running with my lower legs relaxed, and enjoying
everything about the moment that I was in, nothing seemed to hurt! Of course these pain free moments were in short
spurts during only a few blocks of jogging during the course of a walk, yet the
feeling was spectacular! Every time my
mind wondered and I went back to heel-striking mode I would experience
discomfort in my feet, knee and calf muscles.
But when I replaced my thoughts to relaxing, the discomforts went away.
I picked up Born To
Run and raced through it, loved it! I learned of the Pose Running technique
as well as why I yearned to run and more about the importance of enjoying
running rather than forcing myself to run.
I’m working on running for the shear joy of running, the joy of being in
the moment and working with my body
(which IS me) rather than against the
clock, pushing to complete a task, or pushing to accomplish a goal. Just run. Just run for fun and enjoyment. No watch.
No heart rate monitor. No clock
or schedule.
I then read Dr. Romanov’s book, The Pose Running Method. Chi Running was developed by Danny Dreyer
and Katherine Dreyer in San Francisco and is based on Danny Dreyer’s Tai Chi
foundation. Dr. Romanov’s Pose Method of Running is grounded in physics
and bio-mechanics. While the two
techniques come from different origins, the two parallel lines come together,
using our mind to master a wholesome running method based on using (rather than
resisting) gravity and circular motion.
I consulted our trainer Sergio Maldonado because he is a
successful injury-free runner that coaches running groups. I also consulted Donna Fong (you’ll see her
at Shawsu Thursday afternoons helping out) because she’s about my age and
beautifully running marathons and tri-athalons. In fact Donna recently qualified for, and will
be running in, the Boston Marathon.
Sergio had heard of the Pose Running Method but not the Chi Running
method. Sergio quickly read the books
and we’ve been working together on the exercise style.
Donna read Chi Running
years ago and though she has always been a light-footed runner, Donna continues
to employ Chi Running techniques that have carried her to the Boston Marathon. One thing in particular that Donna picked up
from Chi Running was buying her running shoes a size or two too large and
wearing them loosely so that her feet have the space to move in the way that
they need to for healthy running. Over
the last year and a half to two years of rehabilitating my feet, wearing larger
shoes with loose lacing is one of the measures that I’ve taken and at least one
consequence of this (knock on my wooden head) I haven’t sprained my ankle(s) in
ages. Of course I’ve also been including
feet exercises for the last couple of years and weaned myself from orthotics
and arch supporting shoes in order to be pain free walking barefoot (or in my
Vibram 5-finger foot gloves).
While running the last couple of months and working to
employ my recently learned old-style-running, I’ve noticed that I’m getting
sore in areas that I can’t remember feeling before. For instance, my calves get sore but it’s the
calf muscles, not my Achilles tendon. My
feet have gotten sore, but it’s the muscle that runs from the base of my big
toe to my heel bone, not the plantar tendon. Based on the parameters discussed in Chi
Running, Pose Running, and Born To Run, I’ve tried several styles of running
shoes that I have laying around the house, from an old pair of Saucony’s to my
flat Nike’s (that aren’t classified as running shoes actually) and I haven’t
found them terribly useful.
Prior to the SV Turkey Trot I went to Zombie Runner in Palo
Altos and asked to try on the lightest and least supportive shoes they had to
offer. After trying on 5 or 6 different
shoes, I purchased the lightest and least supportive shoe Zombie carries, the
New Balance 100, and of course their maiden voyage was the SV Turkey Trot 5k.
And, wow has I happy with these shoes!
My feet NEVER HURT and my legs felt fabulous!
At about the mile marker I felt a slight pull in my left
calf as I thoughtlessly accelerated between a couple of people using my old
running style (toeing off my left foot and reaching out in front of me with my
right leg) rather than merely leaning forward from my ankles to
accelerate. Upon feeling the sharp
discomfort (having had two babies, I’d hardly call this pain), I was
immediately reminded to resume running with loose lower legs and lifting my
feet by my hamstrings, and this eased the discomfort, allowing me to finish the
Trot.
Two other tips that helped me feel fresh and exhilarated
during and after the race came from Suzanne, a long time injury free runner. In the last month Suzanne participated in a barefoot
running clinic and a Chi Running Clinic.
From these clinics and reading the books, Suzanne suggested that I relax
my hips whenever I started feeling tired and work to keep from oscillating
(head going up and down) by running with slightly flexed/bent knees. Suzanne coached me on these points during the
first few blocks of the Trot and they came to mind each time I noticed feeling
tired, or I noticed that my legs felt heavy.
As soon as I relaxed my hips and let my legs swing like pendulums, I
immediately felt energized and was able to enjoy the moment that I was in.
Sergio ran the 10k Turkey Trot but I haven’t spoken with him
yet!
Today, the after the Trot, I still feel terrific and I’m
perusing the Run Wild for a Child Run in San Francisco this Sunday, November 29th. My right calf is still a little sore but it’s
not an injury at the moment. The
discomfort goes away within a few steps of healthy walking and responds nicely
to massage. The feeling in that calf
will definitely keep me on tract to observe a proper, healthy running style and
keep me in the moment!
Thank you Sergio, Donna and Suzanne for your expertise and coaching! I look forward to more!
Cheers to Our Health!
Shawn
