Fitness Training Journal - Day 3

I'm not sure today's workout could really be considered exercise. I did get up early, and I went and met my sister at the pool. We were going to work on some Total Immersion (TI) swim drills for the first half hour, and then swim laps for the second half hour. We ended up working on swim drills the entire time, making questionable progress in the whole TI balancing act, and then calling it quits. Guess I need to study those balancing drills a little more before my next swim. If only the book were completely waterproof and I could just take it to the pool with me.

I was going to skip the planned run for today until I remembered the "fun walk/run" fundraising event my older sister, Holly, invited me to. She volunteered at the event, which was organized by her sons' school. So I headed out there with my twin sister, Denise, and her two youngest munchkins, and we did a very slow ChiJog, if there is such a thing, while she pushed the stroller and we both did our best to focus on form as we were weaving around all the walkers. About two miles into it we ran into Holly, standing on the corner, directing traffic, cheering people on, at which point our fun run turned into a fun sisterly chat. We talked to Holly for a while and then headed home. So I guess I got my rest day today after all. Total calories burned: approximately 25.

ChiRunning Journal, Days 1 and 2

Day 1 - Ran Monday morning with twin sister/training partner after returning from the ChiRunning workshop in San Francisco. Let's just say I was in the zone. The ChiRunning workshop was fun and inspiring, and now I am completely decided about becoming a ChiRunning coach. Sign me up! This is the way to go for triathletes, recreational runners, distance runners, trail runners, etc. When you get it just right (which I managed to do on and off during the workshop and during the Monday morning run) you feel like you are floating effortlessly over the ground, barely even skimming the surface. It feels wonderful! But then the one-minute timer goes off and I bring my attention back to the "form focuses" for this run: Align the legs and feet, create your column. My sister and I take turns calling out the focuses, interspersed with our positive affirmations. We call this our creation run. We are learning ChiRunning and creating our life all at the same time. I felt great during and after this run. Of course, it helped when we passed a couple of women who were running on the same path, and as we passed them again on our return one of them commented, "Wow, you guys are fast!" I can honestly say that nobody has ever said that to me since I was one of the "Flying Batchelors", a name given to my sister and I in 4th grade because we could run faster than all the boys in the class. I was probably naturally ChiRunning at that time, in my little miniature 4th grade body (and I was miniature), without even knowing it. (o:

Day 2 - Ran today during my lunch break. Ran alone. I wasn't in the zone. My hips felt tight and although I was trying to remember what I was taught at the workshop to help loosen them up, they kept getting tighter, until that left psoas muscle yelled at me to stop my run ten minutes earlier than I had planned. So I only ran for about 45ish minutes. What can I say--I love my body and I try to listen when it is yelling at me. So what did I learn from today's run: 1) I might need to take the day off tomorrow (from running at least--see you at the pool!). 2) I think I was stepping in front of my center of gravity a little bit, which forced my legs (esp. the psoas) to pull me forward rather than letting gravity do all the work. I will watch that carefully on the next run. 3) I need to let the buns jiggle!!! Danny Dreyer says we are all tight-a__es (I just can't use bad language, not even on a blog). Well, Danny is right about me. I hold those buns so tight while trying to engage my core and level my pelvis (one of the form focuses for today) that I get too stiff and it messes up my form. The consequence: no floating, tight hips, and feeling much heavier while running. This is a much more tiring way to run. Lesson for next time: let that booty shake!

If you are interested in ChiRunning, go check it out at www.chirunning.com. I'll be a certified instructor within the year and I would LOVE to be your ChiRunning coach at that time, but in the meantime go check out the website and read the book (about $10 on Amazon.com--best $10 you'll ever spend!).