Nose before toes - Chi Running
The first I heard of Chi Running was in a book that my brother Gary recommended for me called The Four Hour Body by Timothy Ferriss. Intrigued by the potential benefits of the technique, I began to practice chi walking and then progressed to running. It took a while to get the hang of the technique but now I actually find it so much easier than the way I used to run.
Children tend to practice chi running naturally, their upper bodies tip slightly forward as they amble about. But as we grow older, we seem to grow out of it. The key difference between chi and upright or normal running is that you lean with your body rather than stretching your leg out in front of you. The most important factors are posture and the way your foot hits the ground.
Running normally causes a ‘heel strike’ which is when the heel of the foot hits the ground first. This causes a repercussion which adversely affects the back, knee and hip joints. When chi running, the ball of the foot comes down first, giving better suspension and creating less impact.
After about 6 months of D.I.Y chi running, I signed up for a course taught by cross country running champion Catherina McKiernan. I’d definitely recommend Catherina’s workshops as she showed me how to adjust and perfect my method.
It was also after reading The Four Hour Body that I committed to restoring my feet in order for them to operate at their optimum for chi running. Barefoot runners have a natural spread to their gait and in between their toes and this is significantly compromised by the type of shoes we wear today. Tight fits, pointy toes and heels may be fashion-forward but they wreak havoc on our physical alignment.
My first step towards ultimately taking better steps was buying a pair of Vibram Five Finger running shoes. These glove-like trainers have an incredibly thin sole and are designed to replicate barefoot running. I wore them religiously around the house and in the car and they definitely helped to restore my feet and spread my toes, but to be honest, I found them just a tad too flat to comfortably run in.
The next pair that I tried were Inov8 F-lite 220 and these are what I wore for my first four marathons. For a minimalistic trainer, they offer a lot of protection and really worked to strengthen my feet, stretch my Achilles tendon and now I’m definitely on the right path.