ChiRunning

Rating:
Summary: a new paradigm
Review: Still sore from the Hood to Coast, I watched my ChiRunning video last night, skimmed the book, and decided to put the basics into action during my morning run. Wow! ChiRunning seems nothing less than a total paradigm shift - transforming running from a "lower body activity" to an "upper body sport." A couple of analogies, to make sense of it: a tennis serve doesn't get its pace from the arm muscles, nor does a swimmer's power come from the arms.

I switched back and forth on my run - between the old way, tensing my quads with each push off, and the new way, relaxing my legs, lifting my heels, trying to feel my core, and leaning. It is -such- a difference. For my first ChiRun, my time for five miles was on the slow end of normal, my HR was in the normal range, but the difference to my legs was off the charts. I can't say it too strongly: ChiRunning really is worth checking out. (Caveat: some of Danny's philosophies and ideas not directly related to the running mechanics ... I question. E.g. hot tubbing after a run, but not eating.)

Happy trails!

Rating:
Summary: Suspicious reviews from Stamford!
Review: The first two reviews from Stamford look suspicious since they use a lot of the same phrasing and enthusiasm.(ADDENDUM: Katherine Dreyer just deleted her review which was almost identical to "sallysallyso" after this review was posted!) Katherine Dreyer is Danny's wife, and she co-wrote the book. She and Sally... seem to be twins in the way that they write and because they are both from Stamford. Uncanny coincidence? Hmmmmmm... I imagine this happens in a lot of reviews, with friends and relatives pumping up the product.
The book was good and thoughtful with an emphasis on general body feeling and attitude toward movement and life. Some of the drills and "focuses" are very effective for running form. Some advice seems contradictory, like standing up straight to lift your leg using the psaos muscle and to emphasize your posture that way to lift your legs easier when running. Then he says not to lift your knees when running, lift your feet only. So, how does the psaos muscle help lift the feet, and you must lift your knees in order to let the leg swing forward.
Also, the title says "effortless running", but in the book he says it won't be effortless, but you will run with less effort. Is anything effortless except sleeping?
A little more physiology would be helpful, instead of phrases something like "the metabolic wastes will turn to cement in your legs". Cement? Is that what that is? Or saying that you can run "without using your muscles". Logic tells us otherwise, and you can see his muscles flexing in the photos.
Some photo comparisons and analysis of other runner's techniques and maybe a "flip book" running movie of a stick figure might be helpful.
The book has a peaceful flow and explanation for an ego-less approach toward exercise, and I really liked that.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!
Review: This book is the best book on the market that I have read. It is more than a book though as it takes you through a step by step process. It gives you the proper form and then gives you exercises that allow you to feel how your body should feel when you are running. A very, very, practical book! I have read other book on running and tried to incoporate the form into my running, but without success. With this book I have had very good success as well as gotten rid of my shin splints. The clincher in the book is the picture of the footprints left behind when you run properly which show no forward movement in them compared with regular running which shows a ton(see Tom Brown jr. books for info on reading tracks). I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in successfully learning how to run better and easier.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book!!
Review: This book is the best book on the market that I have read. It is more than a book though as it takes you through a step by step process. It gives you the proper form and then gives you exercises that allow you to feel how your body should feel when you are running. A very, very, practical book! I have read other book on running and tried to incoporate the form into my running, but without success. With this book I have had very good success as well as gotten rid of my shin splints. The clincher in the book is the picture of the footprints left behind when you run properly which show no forward movement in them compared with regular running which shows a ton(see Tom Brown jr. books for info on reading tracks). I love this book and highly recommend it to anyone interested in successfully learning how to run better and easier.

Rating:
Summary: A must read for runners of any level
Review: This is one of the most refreshing books of the subject of running I have ever read. I heard the author speak on CNN and was very intrigued by his technical and philosophical running advice. After reading the book, I tried incorporating many of the ideas into my running form. It really seemed to help lift me to a higher level of running right away. I really feel the difference in my stride and agility, as my running seems more fluid now and less mechanical. I would reccommend this book to any beginner, intermediate or advanced runner looking for a new approach to improving their running performance.