Recently, I finished the cult-classic Once a Runner by John L Parker, Jr. It’s the fictional account of a college athlete and his relentless quest to run the fastest mile humanly possible. The protagonist, Quenton Cassidy, regularly runs 150 miles per week and sacrifices nearly everything in order to improve his time just a fraction of a second.

During the course of the book, due to his obsession with running, he sacrifices:

• His girlfriend
• His schooling
• His social circle

By the end, he is basically a hermit living in a shack. All so he can train day-in and day-out.

To many, it probably seems extreme. But in a classic passage from the book, Quenton describes to his girlfriend why he runs so much:

It is simply that we can all be good boys and wear our letter sweaters around and get our little degrees and find some nice girl to settle, you know, down with…Or we can blaze! Become legends in our own time, strike fear in the heart of mediocre talent everywhere! We can scald dogs, put records out of reach! Make the stands gasp as we blow into an unearthly kick from three hundred yards out! We can become God’s own messengers delivering the dreaded scrolls! We can race black Satan himself till he wheezes fiery cinders down the back straightaway!

The book shines during passages like that when it describes the mind of the runner. Some of the other great segments are descriptions of what it feels like to race with everything you’ve got.

It’s obvious from reading the book that the author must have been a runner himself. In fact, he trained with world-class runners like Frank Shorter and was a 4:06 miler himself. Not only was he a tenacious runner, but he had to bring the same commitment to publishing his novel.

After he finished his book in 1978, no one wanted to publish it. He described his disappointment over the whole situation and how the would-be publishers didn’t understand what he was giving them:

I got the rejections, and I kind of went, ‘What’s wrong with these people? Don’t they understand that this is like sending a writer to the moon and having him come back and describe it?’ Parker said. "There aren’t many writers who get close to a 4-minute mile, or who got to be roommates with an Olympian, and who can tell other people what that’s like." Parker started his own publishing house and printed the book himself in 1978. He sold it by dropping off stacks at bookstores and running stores and asking only that they repay him for the books that sold. As recounted to the Sun, Parker slowly became aware that the book was developing a following. "You’d start hearing comments that let you know that it had become at least a cult thing, that there was this small, hard-core group that was really into it," Parker said. "People would tell me, ‘I’ve read this book 10 times,’ or, ‘I had this book years ago, but I lent it out and someone stole it.

I’m glad that he finally got it published because, while some of the plot development is slow, the running descriptions are unrivaled. And it helps us all to look at ourselves and ask how much we’re willing to commit in order to reach our goals.

One concept that is repeated over and over in the book is that there are no secrets to being a great runner. It’s all about the “Trial of Miles”. Those that are willing to put in the extensive miles every day without a break are the ones that become great runners. 

It really echoes the theme of this blog. It’s not what we do one day. It’s about trying to be better each day and making excellence a habit.

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit

–Aristotle

For many years, I’ve read and been taught that in order to be a better runner, you just need to run more miles. In other words, running is often considered a “training” sport and not a “technique” sport. As long as you can put the miles in, then you can finish the race.

But a new set of books is challenging the notion that technique is not involved in running. Both books focus on improving running form to make it more efficient and less impactful thereby increasing your speed and reducing injuries. It definitely makes sense to me, given that the best runners often have the best form. And form is so important to so many other sports, it seems that it must have some impact on running as well.

Let’s take a look at the two leading proponents of technique-based running: ChiRunning and The Pose Method.

ChiRunning

ChiRunning was created by Danny Dreyer, an American Ultramarathon runner and T’ai Chi practitioner. Here is the description of ChiRunning from his website:

ChiRunning combines the inner focus and flow of T’ai Chi with the power and energy of running to create a revolutionary running form and philosophy that takes the pounding, pain, and potential damage out of the sport of running. The ChiRunning program increases mental clarity and focus, enhances the joy of running, and turns running into a safe and effective lifelong program for health, fitness, and well-being.

This is a little too much marketing language for me, so let’s try to unwrap what ChiRunning is all about. After reading the ChiRunning Book, I’d summarize its key lessons into three parts:

1. Finding the “Chi” in ChiRunning
2. Learning the ChiRunning Technique
3. Applying the ChiRunning Exercises

The book starts by describing the advantages of ChiRunning and how to be “mindful” when running. This section often strikes runners as a little out there without a lot of practical benefit. It does work to set-up the rest of the book, but is probably a bit long and too focused on eastern mysticism for my taste.

The next section gets into the heart of the book. It begins to walk through the different aspects of the ChiRunning technique such as proper posture and “the lean”. I found this portion of the book to be excellent in providing the mental framework for what ChiRunning actually is. 

The final section outlines many exercises to help you perfect ChiRunning such as leaning against a wall to feel the proper lean. It also begins to give you techniques to focus on during your next run. These are all highly actionable and overall seem like ideas that would be worth trying for any interested runner.

Pose Method

The Pose Method is very similar to ChiRunning, but without the T’ai Chi influence and with more of a focus on key poses. Here is the description from their website:

The Pose Method is a system for teaching of human movement developed by a 2-time Olympic Coach Dr. Nicholas S. Romanov in 1977 in the former Soviet Union. The name of the method comes from the word "pose" or "body position".

If you analyze the movement of any body through time and space, you will clearly see that the body passes through an infinite number of positions. Most of the positions (or poses) are transitional movements and are the result, not the cause, of proper positioning.

The Pose running book follows a similar structure to the Chi Running book:

1. Intro and Benefits of Pose Running
2. Description of Pose Running Technique
3. Application of Pose Running Technique

The first section of the book describes the history of how Dr. Romanov arrived at the Pose method. It walks through the history of running along with his personal journal as a coach and scientist. It serves the same purpose as the other book, and is mainly used to give back story and describe benefits of the technique.

The second section gets into what pose running actually is by describing key poses, free falling and rapid strides (among other things). Each section is graphically illustrated to give a visual idea of what he’s describing.

The last section gives a large variety of exercises that help one to learn the Pose Method and to strengthen their muscles. Overall this book a has a more scientific feel and less eastern mysticism as compared to ChiRunning. Though ChiRunning might be better for beginners who just want the basics without a lot of scientific details.

Key Concepts

In many ways, Pose and Chi are very similar. Let’s take a quick look at the key concepts covered by both:

• The Lean: The lean is a fundamental concept in both methods. It is best illustrated by the graphic at the top. The idea is that you gently lean forward from the ankles (not from the waist) and allow gravity to propel you forward. This uses less effort, and turns running into falling forward and catching yourself.
• Straight Line: Both methods use a similar graphic to the one at the top of this post to ensure that a straight line can be drawn from the foot to the neck. Both have exercises to encourage your straight line posture.
• Relaxation: Both methods encourage relaxation when running and state that tensed muscles is often what leads to injuries. ChiRunning states that only your lower abs should be tight while the rest of your body should be loose. The Pose Method talks about how must runners pound the pavement too hard by not working with gravity. It encourages them to loosen up, and gently lift their legs rather than pushing off.
• Minimalist Shoes: Both methods argue that running shoes with thickly padded heals encourages poor running form such as heal striking. ChiRunning has a certified minimalist shoe that was created in conjunction with New Balance. The Pose Method goes even further and has a whole chapter on the benefits of running barefoot. The pose method is also recommended by many barefoot runners such as the famed Ken Bob.

In my opinion the differences are relatively minor with ChiRunning having more of a focus on mindful running and meditation while the Pose Method takes a more scientific approach. At this point, it’s too early for me to tell which is better. I’ve read both books, but have just started to put them into practice.

At the end of the day though, I’m for anything that can help me run faster and longer without injury. I will let you know if these books deliver on their promises…

Inspired by the research and story in the book Born To Run, I’ve decided to try out barefoot running. Or at least “nearly” barefoot running. There’s just something about the minimalism of it that appeals to me. No need for fancy shoes or gear – just man vs. nature.

I also think there’s a lot of truth to the idea that running shoes can often contribute to the problem that they try to solve by overcorrecting and reducing the feedback built into the foot. If nothing else, I’m glad to try something new and see if it works for me. If not, I can always go back to my running shoes.

As I began to look seriously into barefoot running, I learned a lot about minimalist shoes and even spent one week trying them out.

The (non) Shoes

It seems silly to be talking about shoes in regard to “barefoot” running as it would kind of defeat the purpose…right? But, as it turns out, one of the best ways to get into barefoot running is to ease into it.

If you are used to doing 12 mile long runs wearing traditional running shoes, you can’t just kick off your shoes and do your next one entirely barefoot. The experts say that it’s best to ease in with minimalist shoes (ie – less padding) before going cold turkey. The added benefit of minimalist shoes is that they offer a level of protection from the realities of sharp sticks and broken glass (the bane of barefoot runners everywhere). There are really two levels of minimalist shoes:

• LEVEL 1: Nike Free: The Nike Free shoes are the first level of minimalist shoes, they have less padding than a normal running shoe, and are a lot more flexible. Their flexibility helps them to mimic the natural motion of the foot. I have the 5.0 pictured below and they really do feel like a lot “less” shoe. As compared to the more serious barefoot shoes, they lack the tactile feedback of the vibram’s because your foot still doesn’t feel the ground. Overall though, I like them and would recommend them to someone who wants to dip their toes into the idea of barefoot running, but still keep the general look and feel of a traditional shoe.

• LEVEL 2: Vibram Five Fingers: The Vibram Five Fingers are the next (much more serious) level of minimalist shoes. These shoes bring you the closest to the real barefoot experience. They are for people who are much more serious about barefoot running and willing to put up with some ridicule as they will stand out. They shoes act a bit like a second skin because they mold to your feet and have a spot for each toe. They are difficult to get on, but once you’re wearing them they have a very natural feel. I’ll go out on a limb and say they’re the most comfortable shoes I have. My choice was the KSO model (pictured-below) which are so named because they “Keep Stuff Out” by covering your entire foot. In my opinion, the best aspect of these shoes is the tactile experience they bring to running. You can really feel your run as you go through wet grass or down a dirt trail.

My First Week

I ended up going with the Vibram’s for my first week of “barefoot running” because I felt that they gave the truest barefoot experience. Here’s what I learned from that week of barefoot running:

• It Uses Different Muscles: All of the barefoot running sites, recommended easing into it and for good reason. Running barefoot uses different muscles than running with heavily padded shoes. You feel it much more in your calves because they act as more a shock absorber. The good news is that this helps teach you not to heal strike and to use the proper running form. The bad news is that you’ll have to cut back on miles as your muscles build up and your form corrects.
• It Lets you Feel Your Run: As I alluded to earlier, the best part about the barefoot running experience is the ability to feel the ground beneath you. Normally on my runs with heavily padded shoes, I would listen to loud music and try to zone out, but on the barefoot runs I really enjoy running with no music and just feeling the ground below me. Trail runs are a totally different experience.
• It’s a Process: I’m a week into it, but I feel like there’s a lot more to learn. As I’ve started barefoot running, it’s really made me begin to focus on my form because it’s much more noticeable how your feet strike the ground. I’m beginning to investigate techniques like Chi Running and the Pose Method of running which both focus on improving posture and running form.

It definitely seems like I’m at the beginning of a long journey. I’ll let you know how it goes and how many barefoot miles I work up to. I’d also be interested to hear anyone else’s experiences as well. It this the solution to the many running injuries or just a fad brought on by a popular book?

Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, “I’ve never seen anyone run like that before.” It’s more then just a race, it’s a style.

–Steve Prefontaine

I just finished an exhilarating book entitled Born to Run. The author makes the extraordinary claim that running shoes are actually harming us, and we should all be running barefoot. And he actually convinced me.

The book tells the true story of an American who, due to a nagging running injuries, travels deep into Mexico to discover the secrets of a hidden tribe of super-runners called the Tarahumara. This tribe runs for hundreds of miles at a time without getting injured in nothing but sandals. So how is it that we, with all our modern technology, are always getting injured while running?

The book is part true-life adventure story, part anthropology, and part running biography. For those of you that have read the excellent Into Thin Air by Krakauer, it has the same gripping narrative style. As the story opens the author, Christopher McDougall, tracks  down Caballo Blanco a shadowy American who has relocated to Mexico and spends his days running through the desert hills with the Tarahumara.

Caballo Blanco introduces McDougall to the shy Tarahumara and the author begins to unravel their secrets. He arrives at the following “painful truths” of running.

Painful Truth #1: The Best Shoes And the Worst

Buying more expensive shoes will protect you from running injuries. Right? Wrong. McDougall reveals the following shocking statistic:

Runners wearing top-of-the-line trainers are 123 per cent more likely to get injured than runners in cheap ones. This was discovered as far back as 1989, according to a study led by Dr Bernard Marti, the leading preventative-medicine specialist at Switzerland’s University of Bern.

He goes on to describe how there are more running injuries now than there ever were. Back in the day, runners used cheap canvas shoes, and had many less injuries. In fact, injuries started to skyrocket when Nike introduced and promoted the first running shoes.

Some elite coaches have already figured this out and have begun rejecting the fancy shoes.

Stanford coach Vin Lananna had already spotted the same phenomenon.’I once ordered highend shoes for the team and within two weeks we had more plantar fasciitis and Achilles problems than I’d ever seen.

So I sent them back. Ever since then, I’ve always ordered low-end shoes. It’s not because I’m cheap. It’s because I’m in the business of making athletes run fast and stay healthy.’

So if that’s what works for the elites, why not for us? Don’t we need padded running shoes to protect our feet?

Painful Truth #2: Feet Like a Good Beating

The book goes on to describe how all of that extra padding has done nothing to protect our feet from the impact and instead often makes it worse by overcorrecting.

McDougall cites the following study:

Dr Steven Robbins and Dr Edward Waked of McGill University, Montreal, performed a series of lengthy tests on gymnasts. They found that the thicker the landing mat, the harder the gymnasts landed. Instinctively, the gymnasts were searching for stability. When they sensed a soft surface underfoot, they slapped down hard to ensure balance. Runners do the same thing. When you run in cushioned shoes, your feet are pushing through the soles in search of a hard, stable platform.

‘Currently available sports shoes are too soft and thick, and should be redesigned if they are to protect humans performing sports,’ the researchers concluded.

So if less padding is better, what about no padding?

Painful Truth #3: Human Beings are Designed to Run Without Shoes

Man has run for thousands of years with little or no shoes. In fact, many tribes today (including the Tarahumara) run hundreds of miles with only thin sandals. The human foot was made to run on its own:

Your foot’s centerpiece is the arch, the greatest weight-bearing design ever created. The beauty of any arch is the way it gets stronger under stress; the harder you push down, the tighter its parts mesh. Push up from underneath and you weaken the whole structure.

In other words, adding support under an arch actually weakens it. In the same way, adding undue support via thickly padded shoes weakens your feet. Nike actually admitted as much when they created their Nike Free line of shoes that had little padding and were created to “strengthen the foot muscles.”

As cited in the book:

When shoes are doing the work, tendons stiffen and muscles shrivel. Work them out and they’ll arc up. ‘I’ve worked with the best Kenyan runners,’ says Hartmann, ‘and they all have marvelous elasticity in their feet. That comes from never running in shoes until you’re 17.’

At this point, you may be convinced as I was that there is something to this barefoot running, but how in the world can we try it out with sharp rocks and broken glass all over our neighborhood sidewalk? Enter Vibram Five Fingers:

They may look a little strange, but they simulate barefoot running while still giving your foot the protection it needs to run in our modern world. They received the Time Best Invention of 2007 and are widely promoted by hardcore barefoot runners including the famed Barefoot Ted who’s worn them in ultramarathons.

Conclusion

Not only is a great read, but this book challenges everything we’ve been taught about running.

It ends with a magical race through the Copper Canyons of Mexico pitting the best of the Tarahumara against the best ultramarathon runners in the US. After you finish it, you’ll want to rip off your shoes and run for hours into the setting sun. Highly recommended!

The human foot is a work of art and a masterpiece of engineering.
—Leonardo Da Vinci

This weekend we celebrated the life of Patricia Jennings Hitchcock (Molly’s grandmother). She was unique in many ways, but one phrase that stands out is that she never grew old. Even at 89 years old, she was a bundle of energy and enthusiasm for all to behold. Her eyes would always twinkle at the mention of hiking the trails, chopping wood, or sharing a cup of tea with friends.

Even her memorial service was unique and indicative of her. First, she planned it all in detail before her death. How many people take the time plan their own memorial service down to the readings and participants? Second, there were over 200 people present which is a testament to her gift of deeply connecting with those around her. Finally, it took place in her beloved Donald Park that she contributed her farmland to, and helped to build day-in and day-out to the very end.

During much reflection, I’ve tried to determine what it is that made her special and forever young. There are five traits that stand out to me as quintessentially Pat:

• Seek Out Adventure: When she was in her twenties she road her motorcycle across the US. In mid-life, she traveled to remote areas of Nepal to chronicle the people that lived there. She visited New Zealand and at 87 she rode on horseback many miles around her farm. She was always ready for the next adventure and truly focused on experiences over stuff in her life.
• Find a Cause: The last quarter century of her life was devoted to building a park and restoring the natural prairie of Wisconsin. She coordinated volunteers every Tuesday and threw herself into park chores. I feel like this was one of the secrets to her long health. She had a reason to stay around to make sure that the natural beauty of her land was preserved.
• Grow from Tragedy: Two of her children died tragically and rather than being broken for the rest of her life, she grew from those experiences and become a more open, empathetic and caring person.
• Love People: Her hospitality was unparalleled. You knew that if you stopped by her farm, she *would* be glad to see you and have a cup of tea waiting. She loved people and had a gift of making everyone feel special.
• Never Stop Learning: She was a voracious reader her entire life and loved talking about the latest book she was reading. She was a continuous seeker of the truth in religious matters and all of life. At about age 80, she saw my college biology book and asked if she could borrow it to study

If we could only emulate some of these in our lives perhaps we can carry on a bit of her legacy and stay forever young ourselves. So long Granny Pat and Godspeed! Thanks for everything you taught us…

If you seek his memorial, look around you.

-Epitaph for Christopher Wren (architect of St Paul’s Cathedral)