In a recent NY Times article I read a quote that states, “Training a little bit beyond your capabilities is the only way to get better…”.

For now, I want to comment on that one statement. As an overarching theory, I agree, but what I don’t agree with is what the article and that statement implies. Most running coaches believe that more training is the only way to become a better runner. So what do they mean by better and what do they mean by training?

I’ll start with the question about training. When most people talk about training for running they are usually either talking about running more miles or doing some sort of strength training for their legs. So, when you “train a bit beyond your capabilities” it generally means you run farther or faster. I do agree that you need to train beyond your current capability to get better, but I think the focus should be on improving your running form and technique, not just running faster and farther. If you focus only on running faster and further, you are setting yourself up for injury.

If you focus on improving your running form, you are setting yourself up to run faster and/or longer distances with greater proficiency and efficiency.

This brings up the question of what it actually means to be “better.” In most cases I think most people define “better” as becoming faster, which is somewhat of a limited vision of improving your sport.

The ChiRunning approach takes on a much more holistic view. Getting better means running more efficiently so that you can run with less perceived effort no matter what speed or distance you run. It means working on your running technique so you can run injury-free and there’s no down side to your running. It means not working so hard that you have to recover after every run. It means finding long-lasting joy in your running so your relationship with it doesn’t fade with the years. And, it can mean, if you so desire, to use running as an internal practice to improve your mind and body as well as your spirit.

So, the next time you think of “training” to “get better” with your running take the time to include the whole picture or you could be missing out on something much more valuable than speed and distance.

If you have painful calves here are some things to watch for:

1. Check to see if you are holding any tension in your ankles when you run. Go to your nearest track (or beach if you live near one) and run in the sand (long jump pit). Look to see if your toes make a small dish as you run over the sand. If there’s a divot at the toe of your footprint, it means that you’re either still pushing off with your toes, or you’re holding tension in your ankles.  Run across the sand until you can leave absolutely clean, undisturbed footprints with both feet.You can see this exercise in the DVD.
2. Check to see if your stride is too long. If it is, it will make you use more of your calf muscles as your foot leaves the ground.
3. Check to see if your shoes are too stiff. They should be very flexible in the forefoot. If they’re not, it will cause you to engage your calf muscles needlessly.
4. Look at the bottoms of your shoes to see the wear patterns. If your shoes are worn at the toe, you’re pushing off. If they’re worn at the heal, you’re heel striking, which means that your stride is too long and that you’re reaching with your forward leg.
5. Have someone videotape you to see if you can spot any form discrepancies. Compare what you see to images on the ChiRunning DVD. A good camera shot of your running will reveal tons of great information.
6. Practice relaxing your calves at all times. Not just when you run, but whenever you’re walking around.

Cheers – Danny

Sprinting

ChiRunning can be adapted to sprinting very easily, but first you need to learn the technique at slower speeds and then integrate the focuses into your faster running over time. If you start learning the ChiRunning technique and begin to do too much speed before truly learning the technique you could end up with some sort of hybrid version of your old form and the ChiRunning form. It’s best to learn the ChiRunning technique on your base building runs to keep your learning pure. If you read the book and/or follow the instructional DVD to learn to run, you’ll notice that not much attention is put onto short distance speedwork. This is because sprinters make up such a small subgroup of runners, that there was little need for the information. The ChiRunning technique is geared toward long distance running. Because if this, you’ll have to do some adjustments for faster running that are not in the book. With sprinting, there is much more emphasis on use of the upper body (arm swing and lean) during running. Any time you are running faster than is normally required from most human beings, there is a need for more muscle usage, which is opposite to all you’ll read about in the book. But if you can learn to make your running highly efficient at all times, then when you need to run at sprinting speeds you’ll become a very efficient short distance runner…which equates to speed.

Sprinting, as with running hills, involves an increase in upper body work so that the legs don’t have to carry the total load of running at higher speeds. Your arms should be swinging forward…not to the rear as with the slower paces. Your hands should swing upwards as you lean forward. At sprinting speeds it is most important to be even more relaxed in order for your body to function as a total unit. I suggest also working on strengthening your core muscles, especially your abs. This will allow you to hold your upper body more forward as you take off. If you watch high level sprinters take off, they keep their heads down as long as possible in order to maintain their increased lean for a longer period. You should practice imagining your body as a balloon that is expanding in all directions as you take off…your legs are straightening to the rear as your arms are reaching forward. This creates a balance in your movement. Learn to drive with your pelvis, not your legs and you’ll be able to sustain a higher rate of speed for a longer period of time. This will engage your obliques and all of your core muscles to power the motion of your legs, instead of just using your quads to do the job.

Cheers - Danny