Well, as you can see by my trusty thermometer over there to the left, a lot has happened since my last post! My donations have nearly doubled, and I have y'all to thank! I so appreciate all the friends and family who are reaching out to help me reach my goal. I know you won't regret it.
An update on running: over the past months, I seem to have developed what we in the biz call "shin splints." This is painful. When I talked to JAM about it a while back, he said it probably had a lot to do with form, and I should really revisit the basics and think about my form while running. Honestly, I kind of brushed it off (no offense, buddy). But now, weeks later, I'm starting to think the guy who's run marathons and triathalons might be smarter than me...
Enter: ChiRunning.
Before you roll your eyes (heck, go ahead - I did), the cover of the book says "A revolutionary approach to effortless, injury-free running." Sounds pretty stinkin' awesome, right? Right. So, last week I went to my first Charleston Running Club meeting, where there was to be a panel of speakers discussing common injuries in running, their treatment, and most importantly, their prevention. The first speaker was Scott Smith, a Certified ChiRunning Instructor out of Mt. Pleasant's EcoFitness. I will spare you the details of his particular speech and point you to the website here instead, so you can read about on your own if you choose.
I bought the book on Tuesday and also signed up for an Intro to ChiRunning Workshop, taking place this Saturday from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Ideally, I would like to be finished with the book and have tested out what I've learned before going to the workshop - I believe it can be done. The basic principles involve re-thinking your running strategy, as well as teaching new ways to run pain-free. I know it sounds like a bunch of new-age mumbo jumbo, but it actually makes sense. Better posture (which we all need anyway!), leaning forward to let gravity pull you, focused breathing and "body sensing" - all core ideas that, when grouped together as one, affect how you run, and how running affects you.
I'm very excited to get started ChiRunning - I have been practicing my posture, my breathing and even my walking for the last 2 days in preparation. Stay tuned for updates after the weekend. The Nashville run is 7 weeks from Saturday!!
XOXO!
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I started running following the form used in ChiRunning last year. Before I struggled with knee pain when my mileage was higher. Since I have changed my foot strike, I haven't had any knee pain (knock on wood). ChiRunning is a great way to learn how to run with better form and also how you should relax your body while trying to still run fast.
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