Catherina Mc Kiernan's chi running- opinions?

buck65

Contacted Catherina online about this- seems a good option if you suffer from injuries and pains due to running.
She runs full day courses with a video session where your running style is analysed and worked on with nutrition , training tips covered as well.
Anyone with any experience ?

ultraman1

i did it early last year .found it very interesting and informative.worth going to ...

Peckham

I did it about a year ago. Was a very interesting course, and made me more aware of my running style. Wouldn't say it changed my running style entirely, nor did it contribute directly to improvements, but made me more conscious of remaining relaxed when running etc. Also it's fantastic to spend a day with her, hearing her stories and bouncing ideas off her.

Some discussion of it here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055338872

pgibbo

Peckham wrote: »

Some discussion of it here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055338872

Cannot recommend it highly enough. See my comments on the above thread. Well worth going along to. Enjoy it.

hot to trot

cOULDN'T RECOMMEND IT HIGHLY ENOUGH. FIRST TIME EVER I MANAGED TO NOT GET INJURED AND STAY RUNNING FOR 9 MONTHS. AM NOW WELL ON MY WAY TO A MARATHON WITH NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER.

cfitz

Do any of you know if Catherina McKiernan was using this Chi-Running technique herself when she was running her really fast marathons? Or is it something she took up at the end of her career?

Woddle

I have no links to back this up and I may be told I'm wrong but I thought I read somewhere that she only started it after her glory days had passed her by. Open to correction.

hunnymonster

woddle, I'm exactly the same. Remember hearing that, but not sure where. I think it may have been in her autobiography.

TFBubendorfer

cfitz wrote: »

Do any of you know if Catherina McKiernan was using this Chi-Running technique herself when she was running her really fast marathons? Or is it something she took up at the end of her career?

No she did not use that technique in her glory days. I once read an interview with her where she said she wished she had known about this when she was a serious runner. It would have cut out all those injuries she used to collect

another world

I know pretty much nothing about this technique but would it slow you down if you are looking for peak performance?

TheRoadRunner

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

No she did not use that technique in her glory days. I once read an interview with her where she said she wished she had known about this when she was a serious runner. It would have cut out all those injuries she used to collect

Yeah I read that myself. I wonder if she would have had the same success though ? Does anybody know any top modern athletes who use this technique ?

tommyboy2222

http://www.runireland.com/coaching/so-what-chirunning

I think she talks about discovering it when she was nearing the end of her career here.

A girl in work mentioned today that she went to some chi running sessions.

Where as before she would suffer a lot aches and pains after running she doesn't now.

Jnealon

I did the course last year and found it great. There were 10 in the group which meant no one was left out. I would recommend you read the Chi Rinning book before you do the course just to get a better understanding of it.
I may do the course again this year, just as a refresher

buck65

how much was the course?

hunnymonster

C McK did a course for a group here in work recently. It was one day and 14 people and €110 per person.I attended an introductory seminar by Danny Dreyer (the "Inventor" of chi running) in Florida last year. I'm sure it's more complex than this, but the impression I came away with is that chi running can be summarised by
1. run tall
2. engage your core
3. relax your arms, shoulders and legs

Racing Flat

TheRoadRunner wrote: »

Yeah I read that myself. I wonder if she would have had the same success though ? Does anybody know any top modern athletes who use this technique ?

The thing is, I bet if someone had said to her during her career 'if you take some time out to work on your running technique, you'll get less injuries and therefore will be able to train fully, missing less sessions and so perhaps run better times' - she'd probably have said - 'ya I'd love to but I've got to do 6 x 1mile today'...

It's just a case or running with optimal posture and alignment etc. so it makes sense. But gait tends to be familial - fellows will tend to stand and walk like their parents - so to change it could take a bit of time. If you did put the time in, you may well improve your running posture, but when you get tired, it may well disintegrate again, but still better than nothing. It would take a fair bit of dedication and committment to change your running posture, but probably manageable. Whether there would be any relationship between new posture and performance remains to be seen. Also, I'm not aware of any studies that have looked at the effect of Chi running on injury prevention...I'm sure it is good, but probably not as simple as it might seem to implement.

Jnealon

hunnymonster wrote: »

C McK did a course for a group here in work recently. It was one day and 14 people and €110 per person.I attended an introductory seminar by Danny Dreyer (the "Inventor" of chi running) in Florida last year. I'm sure it's more complex than this, but the impression I came away with is that chi running can be summarised by
1. run tall
2. engage your core
3. relax your arms, shoulders and legs

4. Lean forward like you have a bungee attached to your chest and it's pulling you along

Racing Flat

Jnealon wrote: »

4. Lean forward like you have a bungee attached to your chest and it's pulling you along

Read somewhere once (that old gem) that the Ethiopians tend to run with their elbows further back than us. This apparently has the effect of pushing the chest forward, supposedly shifting the centre of gravity forward. If the centre of gravity is more forward, this has supposedly the effect of making running on the flat almost like running downhill. Lots of supposeds and allegeds I know, but next time you're out try just holding your elbows about 2 inches further back than normal when running and see how it feels.

buck65

hunnymonster wrote: »

C McK did a course for a group here in work recently. It was one day and 14 people and €110 per person.I attended an introductory seminar by Danny Dreyer (the "Inventor" of chi running) in Florida last year. I'm sure it's more complex than this, but the impression I came away with is that chi running can be summarised by
1. run tall
2. engage your core
3. relax your arms, shoulders and legs

I'll just send you the money so

hot to trot

I also recommned the course as she is very "hands on" in that she is used to looking at people running and is quick to pick up on what you specifically are doing wrong or right. Its more the relaxed lean that is the key I feel. Get the posture right is one thing but actually being able to make the best of it once you are lined up is the essence of it.

Her advice that sticks out in my mind that I repeat over and over is
" YOU CAN'T STRAIN A RELAXED MUSCLE"