CHIRUNNING

CLICK HERE FOR DANNY DREYERS BLOG ON CHIRUNNING

23 miles at record breaking speed

Blue skies greeted us today after the wintery storms of yesterday as Rob and me set off on a long run. After a short stretch on the road we made for the tough sandhills inc the infamous BIG DIPPER , we then went through the ainsdale and formby pinewoods before returning along the beach. Rob was setting a rapid pace and i was happy to follow in his shadow.
At 19 miles we hit the coast road and picked up the speed as we ran down the cycle track.the plan was to hold marathon pace back to southport. I pushed the pace up to 10mph for the 1st 1/2 mile then settled into 9.5-9.7 mph till the end. With 1/2 a mile to go Rob passed me and pulled away to finish very strongly ! taking into account all the soft sand and sand dunes our average speed of 8mph is quite impressive and the fastest i have ever run on this sort of course.
23.05 miles =2.53

TRAINING OVER LAST WEEK

Mon 17th
ran down over the sandhills,felt good running Chi,met up with the club and did 12 x short efforts, ran back with Tracey and Alex. max speed 13.6. 15.34 miles = 2.04
Tue 18th
Easy run over the sandhills with tess the dog, working on CHIRUNNING, one minute working on pulling my spine up tall, the next min working on leaning forward from the ankles, then thinking about lifting my heels off the floor and keeping all the muscles below the knee relaxed etc.
= 40 mins
Wed 19th
Steady off road run round parbold and Harrock hill, 4 main climbs, worked on the CHIRUNNING, felt much smoother, no pains in the calf muscles and the sciatic pains down my legs have almost gone.
running faster up and down the hills using DANNY DREYER'S methods, GREAT STUFF ! really starting to feel like a proper runner now! flowing along, almost like a Kenyan Distance runner != 1.32
Thur 20th
Easy run with Rob and Tracey =40 mins
Fri 21st
4 mile EASTER RACE, felt tired after only 2 hours in bed after working the night shift, very cold strong 30+ mph winds make conditions hard going, had hoped to run low 22 mins but had to settle for 23.04 and first vet 45.
Sat 22
RIVINGTON PIKE FELL RACE, decided to enjoy this race and set off at a steady pace, I slowly picked off runners in front of me and near the top of the 700ft climb i overtake team mate Brian Davey only to have him fly pass me on the very steep decent, I give it 100% FULL THROTTLE as i get on the road again for the last half mile, its great fun flying past runner after runner as i hit 15 mph before the finish. 700Ft of climbing, 2.95 miles = 23.17
Sun 23rd
Run with Tracey, this is her last very long run before THE LONDON MARATHON , i get her to run the first 15 miles at a easy steady pace then run at marathon pace for the last 5 miles, she seemed to cope very well with the session and averaged 7.48 pace for the last 5 miles. i think she should be able to run her first marathon in about 3.25 - 3.30 as long as every thing goes well on the day . = 2.56

RIVINGTON PIKE RACE

CLICK ON TO ENLARGE RESULTS SHEET
Total Time (h:m:s)	0:23:15	7:52 pace
Moving Time (h:m:s)	0:23:15	7:52 pace
Distance (mi )	2.95
Moving Speed (mph)	7.6 avg.	15.4 max.
Elevation Gain (ft)	+717 / -717
GPS Signal Quality	Excellent	MB Gravity Web Service
Similar Activities	My Digest TrailNetwork
Download	GPS Device
Export	GPX HST CRS

MY SECOND RACE IN 2 DAYS, I RAN THIS
FOR FUN!!!

SOUTHPORT EASTER 4 mile RESULTS

3K Fun Run, Women's 4 Miles, Mens 4 Miles.

STRONG, COLD GUSTING WINDS OF 30MPH + PUT AN END TO ANY HOPES OF A P.B. BUT THERE WAS A GOOD RACE BETWEEN MARK, GERRY AND ROB, ALL GETTING THE BETTER OF ME BY SECS AT THE END OF THIS VERY GRUELING RACE .
I DID MANAGE TO WIN MY AGE GROUP PRIZE, WHICH WAS BUT A SMALL CONCILIATION, ROLL ON SOME NICE WARM WEATHER PLEASE!

LADIES RACE
TRACEY RAN A FANTASTIC RACE TO FINISH 6TH
SO SHE SHOULD BE ON FOR A GOOD LONDON MARATHON IN A FEW WEEKS TIME.

PETER SNELL ON TRAINING FOR LIFE

Snell draws on past lessons in new life By John Mehaffey LONDON, March 5 (Reuters) - In one sense the journey taken by Peter Snell since the triple Olympic champion retired in 1965 is a reappraisal of his past from the perspective offered by time, maturity and distance. Now in his 70th year, the best middle-distance runner of his era and the man voted New Zealand's greatest athlete Through hard thought, wide reading and dogged trial and error, Lydiard concluded that marathon-type training schedules would transform middle-distance running. To widespread scepticism which lingers today, Lydiard determined that a weekly total of 100 miles (160 kms) was the ideal during the winter conditioning period. The week's work included a 22-mile Sunday run through the Waitakere mountains, only four miles short of a full marathon. The results spoke for themselves. Snell emerged from nowhere to win the 1960 Rome Olympic 800 metres title, broke the world mile, 1,500 and 800 metres records on grass tracks and at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics strode majestically to the 800-1,500 double. In Rome, Murray Halberg won the 5,000 within an hour of Snell's triumph and Barry Magee finished third in the marathon. The New Zealand trio were ranked first in the world at 800, 5,000 and 10,000 metres respectively in 1961. AUCKLAND SUBURB According to contemporary reports, Lydiard was beset by the world's media plus curious coaches in Rome asking what talent-spotting system was responsible for producing such results from a country of little more than three million people. They are just a group of runners from my Auckland suburb, Lydiard replied. "That's right," Snell confirmed in a telephone interview with Reuters. "I wasn't from his suburb in Auckland, I ended up being there. And I was attracted by the results he was getting." Snell said critics of Lydiard argued that moderate pace distance running would result in middle-distance runners losing their speed. "That apparently is the case but it's a short-term thing. You have to be patient and eventually you regain your speed after a relatively short period of sprint-type training," he said. "I believe Lydiard had it right scientifically and I could argue that with anyone. A relatively small country had quite outstanding success, not just a couple of people but a fairly large number of individuals. "It doesn't seem too much different from the success of the Kenyan runners does it? I like to think conditions in Kenya were what it was like in New Zealand 40 years ago. "You didn't have too many avenues for achievement. If you weren't a rugby player, you weren't much at all." LIFE CHANGE Snell was the outstanding individual in the Lydiard stable, a fine all-round sportsman whose powerful physique appeared ungainly early in a race but made him unstoppable when he accelerated. After retirement, Snell sought other challenges, opting at the age of 34 to change countries and become an academic. Today, his aim is to demonstrate personally that daily exercise can delay if not halt the ageing process and relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. "I'm passionate about that," he said. "That is what I am looking forward to showing that I can still be in good shape as I get older without going overboard on the exercise. "A lot of older people just don't understand what they can do to make things better. I am also motivated by my own sort of mortality. I want to be able to go through life being able to function at a reasonably high level of energy and be physically independent until I die. "I hope that helps demonstrate to other people when they look at me and say he's just lucky, he got the right sort of genes and that is why he can still be as active as he is at 70. "But I don't believe it's that at all. I believe it's all about lifestyle, and particularly exercise." (Editing by Clare Fallon) of the 20th century is a distinguished sports scientist based in Dallas. Part of his research has involved confirming a scientific basis for the revolutionary training methods devised half a century ago by the remarkable Auckland milkman and shoe manufacturer Arthur Lydiard.

ARTHUR LYDIARD

the story of arthur lydiard [click on page to enlarge]

RUNNING

Sun 16
Easy run with jon over the sandhill loop = 59.46
Sat 15
Run with Tracey over the sandhills, through the pinewoods and out to formby point and back. = 3.07
Fri 14th
AM, Easy run with tess the mad sheep dog, over the sandhills
= 40 mins
Thur 13th
Rob got us to work hard with 15 x 20secs sprints with 20 secs easy, we then had 2 mins rest before sprinting another 10 x 20secs with 20 secs easy, max speed 15.1 mph
= 44 mins
Wed 12th
steady run round parbold and ashurst inc 1800ft of climbing, 15 miles =1.54
Tue 11th
run with Niz over the sandhills easy 38 mins
Mon 10th
ran down over the sandhills to meet up with the club for Brians speed session
10x short hill, ran back home with tracey = 2.10

CHI - V - POSE RUNNING, WHICH IS BEST ?

CHI -V- POSE RUNNING

How is chi running different from the Pose Method advocated by Dr. Nicholas

Romanov? I practice the Pose Method and it sounds very similar to me. -- David Boyce, Evanston, Ill.

ChiRunning and Pose share the same focus of leaning to engage the pull of gravity for propulsion. That is about the only similarity I can see.

With the Pose Method, Dr. Romanov has runners land on their forefoot, while ChiRunning has runners land on their mid-foot. Landing on your forefoot requires your entire body to be momentarily supported by your calf, which, for long-distance runners, is more than that muscle was designed to do.

The Pose Method uses the leg more. With ChiRunning, we have the runners relax their lower legs as much as possible at all times in order to reduce work to the lower legs (which is one of the main areas where running injuries occur). We have runners lengthen their stride and increase their lean to run faster, versus picking up the speed of their stride. If your cadence picks up, as I think the Pose Method advises, it takes more leg muscle to turn your legs over faster. That's OK if you're a sprinter, and your race is over in 10 seconds. But ChiRunning teaches long-distance runners to rely more on your lean than your legs, and ultimately, it saves your legs.

THE LIZARDS THOUGHTS !

I tried pose running back in oct -nov , I tore a calf muscle at the end of a 10 mile race, I think because i was landing on my forefoot, which put too much stress on the calves ! I also started getting pains in my hip, which i think was because of the short very fast stride you have to use in pose running.

Brian told me about Chi running and lent me the book CHI RUNNING by Danny Dreyer, every thing he says seems to make sense and it seems to be a more natural way to run.i tried out the Chi running on my 23 mile run on saturday and i finished with a lot less aches and pains than normal ! Anyway am going to keep on working on the Chi running and I'll report back later on my progress.
sun 9th

morning
1 mile run with Niz

afternoon
easy run with Jon round the

sandhill loop = 1.01

23 miles with Rob

SAT 8TH
Ran down to robs house and we then set off over the sandhill,through the pinewoods up to formby point, Rob was flying along and despite the very strong head wind and soft sand we averaged 8mph.we then returned back along the beach before hitting the big sandhill on the final part of our journey.I left rob at his house and decided to add a few extra miles. i finished feeling quite good !
23.10 miles 7.7 av pace =2.58

FRI 7TH easy = 40mins
THUR 6TH Robs interval session 1/2 mile 2.45 ,
1mile 5.36 ,1/2 mile 2.40 , 1 mile 5.34 =50 mins
WED 5TH steady =1.36
TUE 4th easy =1.15
MON 3rd Brians speed session = 45 mins

RUNNING TO AVOID INJURY USING MARTIAL ARTS TECHNIQUES

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Your Health

Chi Runners Poised for Softer Landings

by Allison Aubrey

Listen Now [5 min 18 sec] add to playlist

Lori Cheung

The one-legged posture is the basis for chi running technique. The leg in the air should be relaxed from the knee down, with toe dropped.

Your Questions on Running

Arthritis, bunions, knee pain and shin splints; it's a pernicious group of injuries that frequently conspires to keep runners off the road.

Dr. Mark Cucuzzella and Danny Dreyer, founder of the ChiRunning method, answer your questions about how to make running work for you.

Read their responses.

Related NPR Stories

• Sep. 14, 2006
  Go the Distance with a Well-Fitted or High-Tech Shoe

Lori Cheung

Danny Dreyer demonstrates the alignment for his chi running technique: the back is straight, lower abdominals are slightly crunched, which helps keep the pelvis level, and the upper body is slightly forward. The idea is that every time your foot hits the ground, your shoulder, hip bones and ankle should be in a straight line. That way, your weight is supported by your frame, not your muscles.

Morning Edition, September 14, 2006 · Putting one foot in front of the other comes easily. But, with a new focus on technique, many runners are trying to fine-tune their form for softer landings.

Longtime runner and physician Mark Cucuzzella has focused on improving his technique to prevent injury. After he was diagnosed with arthritis in his toe joint, several specialists advised him to give up running. But Cucuzzella was determined not to quit.

"I had my feet repaired, and I had to try to learn more low-impact techniques so I didn't damage the joint more," Cucuzzella says.

Cucuzzella, who practices family medicine in Harpers Ferry, W.Va., began researching the technique of running. He read the medical literature as well as advice offered in popular running publications. He also began observing elite racers. He noted precise details of their body mechanics, such as exactly where and how their feet landed.

If you watch world-class runners, says Cucuzzella, "They're landing right under their center of body mass. They're lifting their legs, not pushing off."

Softening the Impact

As Cucuzzella played around with ways to emulate what he observed, he found a technique called "chi running," a form of running influenced by t'ai chi.

"T'ai chi is all about aligning your body and keeping it aligned for efficiency," says Danny Dreyer, who invented the technique and is the founder of the North Carolina-based company Chi Running. During daylong seminars, Dreyer teaches runners how to relax their bodies so they don't have to use as much muscle power.

"I'm basically showing runners how not to use their muscles," Dreyer says.

During a recent seminar in Bethesda, Md., Dreyer worked with about 60 middle-aged runners. He teaches them a one-legged posture stance, which is the foundation of his method and helps to align the body correctly. As the group slowly jogged, Dreyer tells them to focus on picking up one leg at a time.

"Every time your heel comes off the ground, your toe just drops," Dreyer shouts as the participants run around a track. He instructs them to dangle their lower legs and allow their shins, ankles and toes to relax.

Posture is Key

During the seminar, Dreyer tells runners that posture is key. He instructs runners to keep a straight upper body and a "crunch" going in their lower abdominal muscles. Contracting the abdominal muscles levels the pelvis, which helps build strong core muscles. It brings runners' focus to their center, says Dreyer. In chi running, as in t'ai chi, Dreyer says the "center" is where true power lies.

Cucuzzella says the method makes him feel lighter as he runs.

"I'm just lifting my legs," he says. "I've got nothing going on underneath my knees other than they're there to make me land."

Cucuzzella didn't master the technique overnight. He's been working with videos, books and instruction for a couple years.

He says his experience in the Boston Marathon last year assured him that the technique has helped him improve his form.

The race is all downhill, with some muscles doing overtime as brakes. For weeks after, he would be sore.

But last fall, using his new technique, Cucuzzella says the race seemed kinder to his body. The day after the race, it felt as if he'd just taken a weekend run.

"I've never experienced that before. I was like 'Wow, I don't hurt now,' " he says.

Cucuzzella is looking for evidence that there's something about the body mechanics of the chi running technique that he could teach his patients. He's working with researchers at George Washington University who hope to try to measure the impact forces and injury rates of runners who try the method.

Related NPR Stories

• July 27, 2006
  Now That's a Stretch! (And It Won't Hurt a Bit)
• March 20, 2006
  Ah, My Aching Back!
• Aug. 10, 2006

Radcliffe out of LONDON MARATHON

Radcliffe out of marathon

World record holder Paula Radcliffe will not be able to attempt to claim her fourth London Marathon title after sustaining a toe tendon injury.

Her withdrawal comes five months before she bids for the Olympic title in Beijing where she is aiming to atone for dropping out of the 2004 race.

She said: "In marathon training there are no short cuts and there is simply not enough time to be in shape."

Radcliffe: I will be fit

Paula Radcliffe is determined her toe tendon injury will not rule her out of the Beijing Olympics this year.

Radcliffe has had to pull out of next month's London Marathon after sustaining the problem at her training base in America, but she is confident of returning to full fitness.

The 34-year-old said: "Now I must concentrate on being as well prepared as possible for Beijing."

101 YEAR OLD MAN TO RUN LONDON MARATHON

CLICK HERE

COACH OF INDIA'S RECORD BREAKING MARATHON BOY IS CHARGED WITH TORTURE

SHOCKING NEWS; story sent in by Running JON

RESULTS IN FULL; TRIMPELL 20

TRIMPELL 20 full RESULTS CLICK HERE

Running can make you into a sex god :

Misty Harris , CanWest News Service

Published: Tuesday, August 2, 2005

People can not only run their way to a better sex life , but

also have sex to become a

better runner, according to a survey of studies on the issue by Runner's World magazine.

Male runners seem to have the sexual prowess of men two to five years younger, it found. Vigorous exercise, combined with lifestyle factors such as diet and not smoking, can improve a man's sexual status by up to 10 years.

"The science is very complex," says Dr. Ted Fenske, an Edmonton cardiologist who ran the Boston Marathon this year. "But running will improve vascular health and vascular health is necessary for a male to have proper sexual function."

mike Finch, editor of Runner's World's South African edition, says marathoners are "like sexual gods."

Countless university studies and field work all pointing to a similar -- albeit less bombastic -- conclusion. Because exercise increases feel-good hormones and helps improve overall physical function, experts contend that sex stands to be enhanced from regular running.

A 2003 study out of Harvard University found men over 50 who run at least three hours a week have a 30% lower risk of impotence than those who do little or no exercise.

"Runners are fitter, healthier and have a good self-image," says Mr. Finch. "That makes them more eager to have sex, makes them more desirable and gives them more endurance."

Dr. Fenske notes that C-reactive protein has recently been found to be related to cardiovascular disease; exercise is shown to reduce this type of protein.

He says aerobic exercise will also improve the function of the endothelium (vascular tissue lining), minimizing injuries to the blood vessels which are necessary to sexual health.

However, Dr. Fenske observes that running, not intercourse, is fundamentally what makes people run better.

"These ideas about having sex and then running your personal best are great," he says.

"But I don't think they're going to be the reality for people."

Dr. Fenske is referring to claims in Runner's World that women stand to gain an athletic advantage from snogging before jogging.

"What we discovered was that women do benefit from having sex the night before a race," says Mr. Finch, recalling the finding of Israeli physician Alexander Olshanietzky that "women compete better after orgasm."

Distance runner and three-time Olympian Lynn Jennings once remarked that "sex the night before solidifies my core feeling of happiness."

John Stanton, founder of Canada's Running Room chain, says this phenomenon is largely psychological. Just as running improves body image and thus self-confidence in the bedroom, having sex might energize a runner and enhance emotional fitness.

"When your sex life becomes healthier, your whole sense of well-being is better," he says.

"Likewise, our sexual performance can be an indication to how healthy we are."

But Mr. Stanton warns that one of the first things to suffer when an athlete over-exercises is libido.

"Runners can be a bit obsessive-compulsive," he says, laughing. "Too much of a good thing is not good."

© CanWest News Service 2005

exciting news; ARTHUR LYDIARD WEB SITE UPDATED

CLICK HERE

trimpell 20 results

I could hear the wind howling outside as i woke up at 7.30am and i thought it would make the race into an awesome challenge!
The out and back course is run along cycle tracks along the lune river between morecambe and lancaster.with todays wind we got blown along up to 12 miles with a dreaded return into a fierce block headwind.
On the start line was Tracey peters, Sam Howard, Mechelle Spencer,and Mike Walker, all running this race as training for THE LONDON MARATHON, there was also Rob Mcgrath and me using this race as a build up for the Blackpool marathon. ROB had missed 3 weeks training with a shin problem and sam was under orders from her coach to run at a steady training pace up to 15 miles before speeding up to her marathon pace for the final 5 miles
I got into a good group as we sped along with the help of the wind on our backs, I got an uneasy feeling that i was going too fast but on the other hand if i held back would i be able to make any time back into the head wind. I decided to hang in with the group hoping that they would give me shelter on the return leg. We hit 10 miles in 1.02 and then turned back round into the wind at twelve. my legs started to feel weak and heavy, I was worried, at 13 miles we went though in 1 hour 20 mins, a minutes later i got blown out of the back of the group and now had to face 6 1/2 miles into a very strong wind. I decided to break the remaining 6 miles down to one mile at a time taking my split times and trying to keep under 7 min miles, each mile got harder, slower and more painfully, HELL this felt more like a full marathon, the cold wind was sapping all my energy away ! it was a massive relief to see the finish line and I was surprised to break the tape in 2.05.08 16th and first vet 45. Rob did an impressive run to finish with 2.07.33 22nd on almost no training ! Mike walker went over the line with a big smile and still looking very fresh with 2.22.50
Tracey Peters longest race before had been the preston ten last november, so we all were highly impressed when she sprinted in with 2.26.18 in fact Tracey had been in front of MIke on the way out but had found the wind on the return very demanding. next in was Sam with 2.31.33 and then Mechelle.
I think most of us found the race incredibly tough, but i/m sure it will do us GOOD ! FULL RESULTS

ROBS HAVIN A LAUGH !

A visitor to a mental institution asked the director how he decided which patients should be kept in. The director said; "we fill up a bath, then offer the patient a teaspoon, teacup or a bucket & ask them to empty the bathtub," Oh i see a normal person would choose the bucket, because its the biggest," The director said "No, a normal person would pull the f**king plug out! Would you like a bed near the window."