I know, I know it was only a week and a bit, but the Pose Method and I are not a good fit. It is like trying to drive a square peg into a round hole and the deeper I dove into it, the more my body seemed to rebel against running that way.

So I am moving to old reliable, whenever it seems that I am really injured over the past 3-4 years, I have turned to Chi Running to help me get back to running again. The only difference is this time I am not simply adding Chi Running on to my running, but making it the primary focus of how I plan to run going forward versus the temporary idea that I would get feeling better and move back to the way I want to run, versus continuing to improve my practice of Chi Running.

Pose Method – No Go

The biggest reason I decided to stop attempting to follow the Pose Method was the more I attempted to follow the process to move to Pose Running, more and more niggles were cropping up and whatever is going on in my right buttocks (Periformis/Sciatica?) and upper thigh (hamstring) were getting worse, not better.

Not really the introduction or what I expected when I started the idea of moving to the Pose Method. I expected August to be a learning month and didn’t expect a lot of mileage or anything like that. However, when the discomfort I had in my right leg only kept increasing to the point where it was actually so painful that I did not really want to even run for a minute or two, there is really something wrong.

I like how the drills and sessions are laid out and how the Pose Method has a great structure to how you move from where you are to using it to your benefit. Unfortunately, for me and the way my mind and body work, it was not the correct approach to help solve the problems with my running form and get whatever is going on with my right leg back to runnable condition.

After Saturday morning’s experience, I decided that the Pose Method and I would go our separate ways. I actually figured that out on Thursday, but wanted to give it a couple of more days to see if there was any improvement. While there was some, there was not nearly enough for me to keep going or interested in continuing the Pose Method. Especially, since the more I did the warm-up activity to any degree of completion, the body complained in several new areas.

Which meant that I had to think about what direction to go next?

Chi Running

Doing what I always do really was/is not option – I am tired of the boom/bust cycle of run decent for two-six months then get injured.

The one method that I keep going back to is Chi Running and the one that I came very close to using versus the Pose Method to begin with. So I started re-reading my books wrapping my head around how to do the program correctly versus the Harold way of doing things (half-arsed).

Having started Chi Running multiple times over the years, I have a pretty good handle on the terminology, philosophy, expectations and even how to do some of the changes that are part of it. However, this time I didn’t want to simply throw in a couple of Chi Running focuses to my regular running. That just means that I eventually go back to regular running and Chi Running focuses/changes fade away to the background – yet again.

Sunday, was more getting out and experimenting with how the books (I have both Chi Running and Chi Marathon) explain how to begin the program. Using both of the books, only confused the hell out of me. So that night I sat down and re-read both books (well sections of them) and figured out that during my first week. I really need to focus on my posture work and do all of the body looseners – not just the ones that I usually do.

When I went out and ran on Sunday after doing a lot of posture work, some foam rolling, a 20 minute Qigong routine, watching three videos on the body looseners – all for a two-minute run. I really focused on my posture, leaning forward a little, a lighter midfoot landing and upping my cadence (I know a little ahead of the program) and finished feeling like I could have gone further. The right leg did not complain as much, it still was grumpy, but not pissed off. I didn’t want to push the issue.

Progress.

Looking back at Sunday, while it was a warm fuzzy mess and I attempted to do too much all at once, it did get reinforce for me that I usually do pretty well with the Chi Running method when I focus to actually do it and have used it to get over injuries that have cost me running weeks over the last 3-4 years.

I just have to remember to get back to the basics of Chi Running and not attempt to do everything all at once. Start with really focusing on my Posture and then in a week move to what comes next.

This morning was a little less haphazard with my workout, but I still have not gotten into a good routine, but that will come. I did work on straightening out my right foot and how it tends to want to be at an 45 degree angle by putting it against a cabinet and figuring out that in order to put it straighter that I have to loosen up the Posterior Tibialus (that I have torn/sprained/messed up so many times playing basketball when I was younger). I could really feel it stretching when I was in the proper position.

That will be a focus point over the next few months, because just sitting here writing, when I attempt to have my foot straight ahead, I cannot put my foot flush on the ground, unless I collapse my right knee inward to put my big toe down. Not good. This could be part of the reason for many of my issues with the outside of my right foot and why my right knee bothers when I get into double-digit miles.

So I did learn that this morning – a very good thing.

I worked again on my posture drills/work and didn’t have issues doing that as far as I could tell. Then I went over the body loosening drills in the book again. When I went out for my run I was feeling better than I have for a couple of weeks. I won’t say that it was a completely comfortable run, but I ran a full mile and didn’t feel as though the discomfort got over 3-4 which is pretty good considering where I was on Saturday.

I walked the mile back and then instead of doing the cool-down exercises in the book, I chose to do Running Yoga with Adrienne, which has some of the same things, but I won’t do them as aggressively following the video as I would doing them as separate exercises.

The rest of the afternoon was spent looking at different YouTube videos and working out a sort of routine

Future Plans

1. Do the Form Focus drills – use the cabinet to stretch the right foot into the correct forward facing and for the Posture drills use the following video:

2. After getting the posture stuff done work on the body loosening before going for the run.

Go for my run and work on posture during it as my focus this week. Looking at the book to ensure that I have my head and focuses in the correct place before heading out the door.

When finished do the Running Yoga video and after that foam roll/easy stretches and if I get really motivated some light upper body weights.

Yes, I do like a certain routine and I do believe that it helps me to keep focused on what I need to do.

Also, I am going to break down and get out the new shoes that have been in the closet since Father’s Day. I have found that when I move back to Chi Running that it seems to work best for me if I use new shoes that don’t have old wear patterns in them. I might be crazy, but it works for me.

So the New Balance Beacon v2 and Summit Unknowns will come out and play starting tomorrow. I have a feeling that the Summit Unknowns will get the majority of the work for down back, because it is rocky as all get out and the Beacons will be my primary tar shoes.

A long and winding road to say the least to get back on track. Hopefully, this time I last a bit longer with the Chi Running method than I have in the past. Especially, since I am not just adding it into my running, but actually making it my only option.