Learning how to run with the chirunning technique is not easy. Although the chirunning book is well written, with many examples, any book can never replace practice. In my view it would be great if practice is guided in some way, perhaps by a peer who is already familiar with chirunning. Although I understand there are chirunning coaches, there are not any here nearby in north Buckinghamshire, so I will have to make do with the book!
In chapter 4 the book describes what are at first glance a bewildering set of steps that are intended to guide the runner towards the perfect chirunning technique:
- Keep your stride length short as you take off
- Keep your lower legs limp
- Pick your foot up over your opposite ankle, and don't push off with your toes
- Remember the wheel, pretend you are peddling a small cycle
- Lean from your ankles by tilting your column forward
- Let your feet hit at the bottom of your column
- etc etc
Pam is demonstrating the technique below:
Clearly, this is complex. I am reminded of when I learned how to drive and heard the instructor state: 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre'. When I first stepped in a car the guidance from the instructor was overwhelming, but after a few lessons, and now many years driving it's now second nature. Could it be that after years of practice the chirunning technique will also become second nature?
I believe that there may be some short cuts to mastering the chirunning technique, for example I have found through experience that by looking ahead while running and focusing on the horizon, the other 'chirunning techniques' follow in some way. Systems thinkers might refer to looking ahead and focussing on the horizon as a 'point of leverage'. After all if you are going to move a car you can get out and push it or you can touch the accelerator peddle! Could looking at the horizon be that accelerator peddle?
I usually put a note on music I have listened to when out running, so below is a link to a video of a band I watched last night in London, 'Shearwater': http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=mBLB-_b3_Jk
You can find further information on the chirunning book here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chirunning-Revolutionary-Approach-Effortless-Injury-Free/dp/1847392784/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333574092&sr=8-1
2 comments:
I have a "sweet tempo" when I'm chirunning, which I found by listening to music at all sorts of tempos. It's amazing how tiny differences in tempo can make a big difference, and if you're not paying attention you can slip out into the wrong cadence. Now I have a couple of songs that are the perfect tempo for me, I know them well enough to recall them perfectly, so I have a mental auto-cue for dialling myself back into the right cadence :) Mine is "Insane in the membrane"... what's yours?
Thanks for the feedback! That's a good suggestion. I do usually listen to music out on my runs, although as I am now ramping up my mileage to 20 miles I am sharing my space with cars and eschewing the ipod in case I end up on the front grill of a 4X4! When I listen to music, this would be one of my choices - papillon by 'The Editors'. Its a great video too of people running at full pace. Watching the video alone tires me out!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq4tyDRhU_4
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