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Published: May 24, 2017, 5:55 a.m.

When ultramarathoner and running guru Danny Dreyer attended a tai chi class in 1999, a lightbulb went off.

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He believed the martial art\u2019s principles of alignment, relaxation, and balance might\xa0allow him to finally make the next leap in training, and he wasn\u2019t disappointed.

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After he began incorporating tai chi into his running, Danny not only witnessed dramatic improvements in his performance, but he also wasn\u2019t getting injured any more.

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In fact, he\u2019d finish a run feeling exactly the same as when he started.

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Wishing to share his discovery, Danny founded ChiRunning through which he\u2019s helped thousands of runners conquer injury and run more efficiently to reach new levels.

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A mindful and process driven exercise rather than simply a means to an end, ChiRunning is also known as \u201cmoving meditation\u201d, and it\u2019s helped both recreational and elite athletes reduce impact for improved health, better performance, and more enjoyable running.

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Listen in as Danny discusses the benefits of ChiRunning as well as how you can achieve the technique so many runners swear by today.

Here are some of the topics we\u2019ll discuss today:

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• A little about Danny and ChiRunning
• The ChiRunning technique
• Scientific evidence for the benefits of ChiRunning
• Danny\u2019s opinion on footwear
• How to accomplish the ChiRunning technique
• Body Sensing
• ChiRunning School
• Success stories and elite runners that use this technique

Questions Danny is asked:

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3:05 What is your background with ChiRunning?

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6:56 What are the principles of Tai Chi and how are they incorporated into biomechanics?

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12:01 What is the foot-strike with ChiRunning?

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13:44 What did the 2012 ChiRunning study at UNC - Chapel Hill involve?

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18:29 In this study, how did shoes affect ChiRunners?

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23:48 What is the ChiRunning technique?

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28:41 What about cadence and stride rate?

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29:35 How long does it take for a runner to learn this new motion?

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30:30 How does this help or help prevent injury?

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34:20 How would you advise runners adjust their form into ChiRunning?

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37:43 What is Body Sensing and what are the benefits?

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42:24 Is it more real-time analysis vs. post-activity analysis?

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43:19 How is Body Sensing taught?

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46:52 Do Runners need shoes for pronation / supination?

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48:27 Do you do online consultations?

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54:39 Listener question: Do people see significant improvements in their running times with ChiRunning?

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Quotes by Danny:

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\u201c[ChiRunning] is all about really having great posture (really working on your posture)....working from your core or from your center but relaxing everything outside that. It\u2019s really different than how most runners run.\u201d

\u201cI would come back from a run and not even feel like I had gone for a run, so I thought \u2018there\u2019s something to this.\u2019\u201d

\u201cTai Chi is based on how the body is designed, and how the human body is designed is all the big muscles and larger and stronger muscles are in the area of your core - or your \u201ccenter\u201d. Now in Tai Chi they call your center your \u201cdantien\u201d, and they call it your \u201cpower center\u201d. It\u2019s the place from which you move.\u201d

\u201cWhere do most of the running injuries happen?....From the knees on down\u2026.So what does that tell you? People are using all the teeny tiny, much smaller muscles to run with instead of all the big strong muscles in the middle.\u201d

\u201cThe running form is what\u2019s important - not the shoes.\u201d

\u201cAs your knees bend as you pass over your support stride, then it turns into a very circular stride like your feet are going around in a wheel motion - like you\u2019re pedaling a crankset to a bicycle.\u201d

\u201cIt\u2019s also about reducing your impact. So not only are you getting faster easier, but you\u2019re not creating any impact, which can wear out your muscles, joints, brake pads, things like that.\u201d

\u201cI love that phrase \u2018run yourself into the ground.\u2019 That\u2019s how a lot of people run: into the ground instead of across the ground.\u201d

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve come up with is 104 lessons - that\u2019s one lesson a week for two years. And I did a video of each lesson, and then I did an audio to take with you on the run so people can download the audio and I\u2019m talking in your ear while you\u2019re learning [ChiRunning].\u201d

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Take a Listen on Your Next Run\xa0

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Mentioned in this podcast:

ChiRunning

Study on ChiRunning\u2019s Benefits

ChiRunning Love Letters

ChiRunning School (two years\u2019 worth of video lessons to help you master ChiRunning)

Follow Danny on Twitter

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