Monday, May 17, 2010
Hitting the Trails
I wanted to ask if anyone else has tried Chi running on trails and if so, what they thought of the experience? I got out on some nice wide rolling trails through the woods this past week and I loved it. But I'm not sure how much of it was Chi running. I found that I had to use the metronome tempo as more of a general guide. It was very difficult with the rolling hills and all of the trail obstacles to stay on a steady beat. And I wondered whether there was a Chi running approach to getting over tree roots and rocks that are in the way without the leading leg having to jump forward over them? I got to practice my runnable and unrunnable hill techniques and was very impressed with how well they work. Although my boyfriend did look at me a little strangely on the steep uphill :) Overall, it was a very positive experience. My legs weren't fatigued while I was running and I didn't feel sore the next day. And it was definitely mentally engaging. I am looking forward to our group trail runs that we have scheduled so that I can get some feedback on my form.
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Trails are wonderful...I hope we can all get to a trail together soon...it's hugely exciting to see how effortless (or at least relaxed) trail running can be. What I've found is that once the legs get more relaxed there's more blood available for the brain, which means faster processing of information which will keep you safe. Cadence will change during a trail run, but it's the perfect opportunity to practice landing flat and peeling up: you'll likely feel the moments when the toes slide out from toe-off, and with softer terrain you might even be able to run in a lighter pair of shoes.
ReplyDeleteGeneral things: keep the form in the upper body; fall over obstacles; stay light by lifting through the crown of the head; start off with with a VERY short stride to get the feel of the form.
-Michael