Friday, August 6, 2010

m,

I’m writing you a letter even though we’re totally hanging out on email right now. So after my glorious hip injury, a new book magically showed up on reserve for me at the library about ChiRunning? Which is supposed to be pronounced CheeRunning, but I can’t help pronouncing it like ChiTown. ChaiRunning Anyway. It’s one of those books you have to skim, because there’s a lot of chaff. Behold the awesome power of CheeRunning, blah blah blah… Yeah, I get it. I understand the alleged benefits. Just tell me how to do it, sucker! I should probably just read the Wiki entry and call it a day. But no, I’ve got to have the details. Which I then have to sort through, arrange in my mind and ultimately let go in order to accomplish said CheeRunning without falling flat on my face. Because, like, you’re supposed to tilt forward? And completely relax your leg muscles, including shins, hips, etc. All those things we normally injure. Power running is out. Harnessing the Chee is in.

Or something like that. I experimented a bit today on the treadmill and don’t know that I know what the hell I’m doing have the hang of it—def need to keep reading—but it did feel different. Like I *might* circumvent shinsplints, if anything. And that would be rad.

If you see running only as a sport, you’re limiting yourself to getting only the physical benefits. It’s like the difference between stretching and yoga…between sitting in a waiting room and sitting in meditation…between training your body to run faster or farther and practicing to run in a mindful and masterful way.

It’s raining. It’s pouring. K.Lo just complained to me about her old man snoring, at night, which I find completely hilarious. That’s why I sleep with a pillow over my head, little girl!

Tomorrow is my second and last workshop about helping out at Sunday preschool. This time I’m going to bring a sandwich. Maybe another round of CheeRunning after that and a blog post? I can’t decide which topic to work on though.

Also, I feel completely taken off guard by a bout of The Crazy. Is it time already? Could it be? I’m so annoyed. I loathe mankind. The end of ProRun made me cry. And I just want to order takeout for dinner. Not to mention the cloud of anxiety and anticipation over my head. But we’ll talk about that another day.

peace out -

pen

3 comments:

~sarah said...

Hmmmmm... I must look into this more as running also beginning to hurt me in ways I don't understand. It is totally rebelling against me! Let me know how it works out for you.

pen said...

There's a few videos on YouTube that might actually be more helpful than reading about it, although again - the instructor or inventor or whatever is a lot of bluster. I can't say I really understand it yet, but I guess it just takes practice? Relaxing those lower limbs. And I'm all about running just to run and clear my head rather than power run (and get injured). I do notice I hurt (not in a good way) after a run where I deliberately tried to pump my leg muscles more, thinking it would help my endurance somehow.

Andria said...

I didn't have a definite comment prepared; just clicked over to read the ones that had been posted, when my word verif: fatipti slaps me in the face and I just had to comment on it in light of the running discussion.