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RunCast 16 – My First UltraMarathon
The ultramarathon was 50K which works out to about 32 miles. It was all on trails and as a chirunner/trailrunner, I was in 7th heaven. I love running on dirt, rocks, leaves, pine needles…God’s surfaces.
It was very hilly and parts were technical so it is a difficult 32 miles. Much harder than a road marathon.
Watch the video to see how I did.
The race was very well organized and certainly the best food I’ve ever had at the rest stations. I highly recommend doing a race with this race company.
Enjoy the video. Its kind of long just like the run was. Pay attention to what Chuck Wilson, experienced ultramarathoner tells me in the middle of the race that enables me to finish the race strong.
Click here if you have a PC and are having the normal XP problems
Happy New Years
ps I fly off to warmer temperatures (Thailand) for a month Thursday. Take care Beach Runners. I’ll write something from the land of a thousand smiling faces.
ChiRunning Part II – Grounding your Feet
Sylt September 2006.
According to the Tai Chi Classics, “the root is in the feet; issued through the legs; controlled by the waist; and expressed through the fingers. From the feet through the legs to the waist forms one harmonious chi.”
This week I would like to talk about your feet. The feet are so important in ChiRunning. I cannot stress this enough. The reason why the feet are so important is because they are the only point of contact you have with the ground.
That’s it. Your hands don’t touch the ground. Your arms don’t touch the ground, just your feet. So in ways ChiRunning instruction must begin with a discussion of your feet.
1. New shoes
But any discussion about your feet I need to ask this question…
Have you bought some new running shoes yet?
Because if you haven’t you need to. As a general rule you should buy a new pair of running shoes with every season: winter, spring, summer, and fall. Which means about 4 times a year if you are running marathons. I know that can be expensive but let me tell you, the new cushion on a pair of new running shoes is essential for taking the impact of the rest of your body.
Steve and I are both big fans of RoadRunner Sports for buying shoes. They will analyze for foot strike and put you in the right shoe.
2. Foot Position
On page 65 of the ChiRunning book, Danny Dreyer demonstrates proper foot position.
Feet should be pointed forward. Even when standing. If your feet are pointed out when standing, lift up your whole leg and rotate it in in the hip socket to align it forward.
Danny himself said he battled years of knee pain because his feet turned out when he was running which over stresses the knee joint. He corrected with lots of focus on pointing his feet forward in running and everyday life.
Okay. So you’re standing with your feet pointed forward now? When you are running keep focused on making sure your feet are pointed forward. Take a quick peek every now and then. Even better is to ask a running partner to observe you especially from behind.
Run with Steve or I and we can give you tips for adjusting your feet forward when you are running. It can be tricky.
3. Loose Laces
Next thing to do is to loosen your shoe laces so that you can take your shoe on and off easily like a slipper. You must create SPACE in your shoes for your metatarsal bones to pancake out and take the impact of your foot landing thousands of times each run.
Wearing tight shoes is a major cause of foot, shin, and knee injuries in my opinion. Plus who wants to be all tight, constricted, and inflexible? Does not go along with the principles of Chi.
Loosen up those laces. Do it! I say this over and over again as a coach yet I see many runners just looking at me. My brother, amazing runner and athlete, claims years of lower leg issues just disappeared after running with loose floppy shoes.
4. Pancake Relaxed Feet
Next, relax your feet and feel them spread out in your shoes. This is the sensation you want when you are running. Relaxed. Feeling the ground, rocks, grass, dirt, sand, whatever you run on. It helps to make sure you walk around barefoot a little every day either in your house, park, or the beach to not only massage but give more sensation to your feet.
Make sure you are not gripping with your toes. Very typical for runners.
Now turn your attention to where you are balanced on your feet. Are you on your heels, toes, arch? Just observe it.
To begin make sure your weight is evenly distributed on your feet. Imagine the feet are being pancaked down on the ground allowing all your metatarsal bones to spread. If you are a beginning ChiRunner, I recommend that you focus on landing evenly on your foot every time it hits the ground.
5. Midfoot focus
As you master some of the basics of ChiRunning you can eventually turn your focus onto landing on the midfoot.
Now adjust so that you are on your mid-foot. That is the area right behind the ball of your foot. This is the center of your foot. Not your arch. A martial art teacher would direct you to the same focus.
Got all that? Feet pointed forward, loose shoes, relaxed pancake feet, or centered on your mid-foot?
Good, now stand there for a few minutes. Just feeling your feet.
Practice this as many times as you can today.
And then take that focus with you on your next run.
Until next time,
Gary
Learning ChiRunning Part I (Beginners Mind)
new shoots
After teaching over 300 people, in the past few months, the basics of ChiRunning, I’ve seen many succeed and many struggle to learn the technique. So you can benefit from these basic learning processes in mastering the technique.
1. Run with a Beginner’s mind. It will take time to learn ChiRunning. And you will need to practice. A lot. Not only when you’re running but when you’re not running also.
A guru was visited by a learned man who came to gain deeper insight into the mysteries of life.
The guru prepared tea. While serving the tea he began to explain, but the learned professor kept on interrupting with his own opinions. So the guru poured his visitors cup full then kept pouring.
The learned man watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself, “It is overfull. No more will go in.!”
“Like this cup,” the master said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you anything unless you first empty your cup?”
So what this means is listen to your teachers, watch other runners to see what they are doing well, and read the ChiRunning book cover to cover trying to learn what you can. To really learn a book, you must read it AT LEAST THREE TIMES. So have patience and start tonight with some simple body looseners before retiring.
And if you are an experienced runner or have taken ChiRunning instruction previously, then it is really important for you to have a beginners mind. The old axiom “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing” because a little knowledge does not mean mastery or understanding. By coming back to the very basics in this training cycle you will discover a deeper and deeper awareness of your body and how to use the techniques to improve your running.
2. Learn proper posture. Read Chapter Four of the ChiRunning Book by Danny Dreyer. This is probably the most important chapter as this chapter will teach you the technique and form of ChiRunning. It is very important that you do all the exercises as you read the book. I cannot stress this enough. To learn this technique you must feel the postures. You can do it. Just read and study the book 10 minutes a night and you will be through chapter four in one week.
3. Practice. Begin practicing the basic posture pages 63-70 numerous times during the day. You can even do a standing meditation by getting in the posture, setting your timer for 5-10 minutes and just relaxing in this posture by tuning into your breathing.
Practice your posture and tune into your breath during everything you do from now on. Working. Cleaning. Exercising. Watching TV. Just become aware of your posture. Is your spine straight or is it all crooked? Are you taking deep breaths or are you mindlessly breathing with shallow prana depleted breaths?
Because by becoming aware of your posture and breath you will be practicing one of the principles of ChiRunning and many spiritual traditions: FOCUSING YOUR MIND (MINDFULNESS) . Take awareness of how you use your body. Tune in rather than tune out of that wonderful miracle that all your ancestors and God blessed you with. No matter what state it is in. This is one of the primary benefits of your new yoga practice also. In yoga you turn your mind to your breath and Asana (posture). And we thus we learn how our bodies move, how we breath. And when we connect breath and posture we manifest the very basics of yoga practice: UNION.
So when our mind drifts away from your new found good posture just return back to it. Don’t be a victim of a drifting attention but rather gracefully and lovingly return it back to your focus over and over and over again.
4. Be compassionate. An essential part of beginner’s mind is being kind and loving to yourself.
“When we have no thought of achievement, no thought of self, we are true beginners. Then we can really learn something. The beginners mind is a mind of COMPASSION. When a mind is compassionate it is boundless.”
Shunryu Suzuki
Remember when you first learned to do anything? Driving a car. Riding a bike. Cooking a cake. It was fun because you had no idea what you were doing. You could concentrate on the task at hand. And if you screwed it up, it was okay because you were learning. So allow yourself to make mistakes in your running. Its okay. Remember you got into this for fun.
Run with joy,
Gary
Beginning Saturday, November 11, The Beach Runners Marathon and Half Marathon Training Program Kicks Off New Program
The Program:
Beginning Saturday, November 11, the Beach Runners marathon and half marathon training program will meet every Saturday for 18 week. The Beach Runners will be training for the Catalina Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon or any other Spring marathon or half marathon.
Included in the program:
*18-week professionally coached, featuring the proprietary Marayoga training program using the ChiRunning® techniques.
*1 hour group ChiRunning® lesson
*Weekly training articles
*The book “ChiRunning” by Danny Dreyer
*Beach Runners shirt
*Saturday group runs and some weeknight runs
*Special discounts
Cost: $150 for new Beach Runners and $130* for Alumni
*the book “ChiRunning” is not included
Beach Runner Testimonial
Hi Steve and Gary:
I just wanted to take a minute to to say thank you, not only for helping me to get through my first marathon but for making running something I truly enjoy. When I first began running with the group back in May I had only two goals in mind – I wanted to finish the marathon and I wanted to lose baby weight (from my pregnancy with my son who was born in February). I saw this program as solely a means to an end. But with each week I began to enjoy our runs more and more. As a mother of three kids under 5 with a full time job there was never a moment in my day when someone wasn’t asking for something from me. My running became time that was just for me. I looked forward to our long runs all week so I could have a chance to clear my head and meditate.
Finishing the marathon on Sunday was just the icing on the cake. The energy of the crowd and the support of the Beach Runners was amazing. I know that I could not have finished without them or the support of my amazing friends and family who kept popping up all over the course to cheer for me. After I crossed the finish line and my four year old told me that she was proud of me it brought tears to my eyes. I accomplished my goal but in the process I gained so much more than I thought I would. Thanks for everything.” Kate
The Details:
Who: The Beach Runners are a fun group of people, from the total beginner to the experienced marathoner, preparing for the Catalina, Los Angeles or any other Marathon and Half Marathon.
What: The Beach Runners Marathon Training Program is a safe, fun, professionally coached, 18-week Marathon and Half Marathon training program, specializing in working with first time marathoners and half marathoners, as well as experienced runners.
Where: The Beach Runners will meet every Saturday, starting November 2006, at Events Park next to the Queen Mary. The distance of each Saturday run will vary depending on the schedule.
When: 7:00 A.M. every Saturday starting November 11, 2006
I know Marayoga is a fantastic marathon training plan but don’t just take it from me, below is what Anthony had to say. Train Focused, Steve Mackel
“Steve:
I’m still a little in awe of Sunday’s marathon experience. Applying ChiRunning® techniques, staying focused and running with my fellow Beach Runners truly paid off! The last six miles were relatively easy.
The marathon was just the icing on the cake. Each week, I found myself looking forward to the Saturday morning runs and yoga sessions which were big stress relievers for me. Your positive attitude and inspirational talks are a testament to your abilities as a coach.
Thanks to you, Gary, the mentors and my fellow Beach Runners, I exceeded all of my first marathon expectations. Keep up the great work!!!
Best regards,”
Anthony Taketa
Gislene Goes From Non-Runner to Marathoner with the Help of the Beach Runners Marathon and Half Marthon Training Program in 17 Weeks
Steve,
Thank you, for your support to this journey! I’ve learn a lot about myself and I will carry this experience throughout my life!
The next morning:
My journey to the finish line started when I joined the Beach Runners group in June, three weeks after the rest of the group started training. My first Saturday, I met the group and our coach that were going to support me through the next 17 weeks ahead. My first question was to our coach, Steve was, “Is it too late to join the group? I have never run before in my life.” His reply, “It is never too late. Today we are running 1h10 minutes. After 35 minutes, turn around and come back. Just do what you can, and have fun!” I knew right there, that this was the right group for me.
The next 3 weeks were really hard and I almost gave up. I felt terrible pain in my knees, and after every long run, I spent an hour icing them and walking funny. When I told others about it, the reply was that maybe I had knee problems and should get a scan. So I gave my self a deadline. I would try for 3 more weeks and if they didn’t get better, I would have to give up.
The next week, I tried working all the techniques taught by our coach, including breathing, posture, and stepping. His technique is called “ChiRunning.” I added vitamins (Triplex) to my diet and a new pair of shoes, and something really amazing happened… I never had a knee pain again. Not even during the Marathon.
Today is my first day after the Marathon, and as I play back all the stages I went through to reach that finishing line, it gives me chills. Many fears and insecurities go through your mind throughout the program. But you learn to deal with every fear, and at the end of the day you learn to overcome them in your own time.
My actual running time to reach that finishing line was long. I was doing pretty well when I reached mile 20, but after that, I couldn’t run anymore. I was exhausted . I started to walk… slowly. Those last 6.2 miles took me 2h 23 minutes, but, I made it to the end. When I finally saw the end (7hours in the race), 99% of the runners had already completed the race. But, then I saw the Beach Runners group cheering for me, and I switched from walking to running with my last drop of energy until I reached the finish line.
I did it ! So can you!
Gislene
Erin Takes Life By The Horns as a Beach Runner
“I can’t tell you how much running has changed my life without boring you to death but it has helped me go from this.”
208 lbs.
168 lbs. and still losing lbs.
“Hmmm. Well I don’t know if I’d call this artistic, but I’ll share my story
anyway.
Not long before I became involved with Beach Runners I was in a pretty dark place. So dark in fact, that I literally woke up and went to sleep crying on a daily basis. One morning in late April after waking up to my own tears I simply decided that I had to do something to change my life for the better. I dragged my (rather large) behind to a Weight Watchers meeting and a couple of weeks later I joined the Beach Runners.
It sounds really cliche, but if “I” could bring myself to run and make lifestyle changes then anyone can. It’s all about believing in yourself and feeling that you are worthy of good health, physically and mentally. That’s it! :)”
-Erin
Steve takes 2nd Place in His AG at Mt Baldy.
Steve displays his silver medal in AG in the Ski Lodge after the Run To the Top of Mt Baldy
My only fear is that a run like yesterday’s run comes only once in a lifetime. Then deep inside I know that there will be others, just the bar is set so high now.
I talk about it all the time, the experience of being in the flow, letting go, becoming one with moment and I experienced it in a new way yesterday. My run was a meditation, which aligned my mind, body and spirit and the results were more than a new PR, a new found freedom. I have to thank Coach Ilg and Wholistic Fitness® for showing me the path to get here.
Run-To-The-Top of Mt Baldy is circled on my calendar every year as long as I live in Southern California. It is a test and a beautiful way to spend a Monday morning. This was an “A” race for me. I knew what it takes but I didn’t know if I was up to the test. I thought I may had over trained last week leading up to the race. How hard would I go? I went medium hard, saving something for the last mile. I kept everything in check. I was breathing easier than most of the other runners. I was relaxed and (in)joying my run. I was passing people and I was keeping it quick and lite.
The last section of this race is straight uphill and I have been passed every year so far. Once I hit that section I made a decision, go hard and don’t be passed. Most of it was too steep to run. I walked almost the entire last section yet no one passed me. I saw the finish banner and started running again. I crossed the line in 1:22:08. I also knew that a 1:22:08 was probably good enough for a podium spot in my Age Group (AG). I hung out and waited for my friends to make it up to the 10,000+ ft mark. They all finished strong. I wanted to be at the lodge for the awards, just in case. I grabbed a trash bag and started the 4-mile hike back to the lodge.
The results came in and I took 2nd in my AG and 17th overall. I also took 10 minutes off last year’s PR. I was hoping to beat it just a couple of minutes, not over a minute a mile. It is hard to describe my feelings yesterday. For the first time in a long time I really surprised myself. And, I owe this victory to the ChiRunning® method. Since becoming a certified ChiRunning® instructor I have PR’d in every race I have raced in. I have been on the podium twice this year and my body feels better than ever. ChiRunning® works. I beat much faster runners because they don’t know the ChiRunning® hill techniques. I ran with my metronome set at 89 BPM. I focused on my posture and efficiency, knowing that I needed a great first 4 miles and a great last mile. I was thankful every step of the way. I listened, visualized, sang, prayed and focused, I tripped three times on the way up but you don’t fall that far when the road is that steep. How about a ChiRunning® lesson now?
Thank all of you for wishing me well before this race. I carried those thoughts with me and they helped power me. I look forward to being back out on the road with you. See you soon and RACE FOCUSED. Steve Mackel
Beach Runners’ Doug, Mina, Gary, Anja and Dion celebrate on the summit (L-R)
Why I Run
Instead of music
this spring dusk
I folded in a
piece of paper
and a pilot pencil
in a running belt
Hoping for a
poem and a
sunset this dusk
Music had propelled
me through a
season of sunny
Calfornia winter trail runs
as I sliced through the
steep rocky hills of Palos Verdes
And in this moment between
day and night
this moment of the
change of days
I stood looking at my
iriver loaded with yoga jams
gospel
afro funk
nutrition podcasts
And desires for aural company
screamed to join me this dusk
To run with me
To see the hills I would see
The flowers
But to run with no music
To run with just
me
scared me
Who would I find on the run?
A hypocritical coach who should have
run yesterday, the day before, the days,
the months, before?
A beer belly that will not leave me?
A lonely young man on a lonely trail
yet again?
And I had to find just a little
courage just a little to
do something just a little
different a little more scary
a little more on edge into
the great unknowns of my life
leaving my trusted music
on the front seat of my old
red toyota truck
And I looked up to a Hill
covered in Mustard Yellows
and with the beep of a metronome
I headed towards it not knowing
the distance, the time, nothing
more than this dusk, this dusk
I would do something different
And I soon found company
the softness of my old running shoes
the light dribble of rain on my shoulders
the gliding of my arms
and my breath
And hills steep and overgrown
buses, and a sea of Mustard
And I reflected on my faith
in God and how I have
so MUCH deep faith but so
little faith in the little
things in my life, the
anxieties, the worries, the
bills, the little calls to make, the
cards I should send, the
people I would love if only I could do the
little things that mean so much for the
loved one ones in my life who are waiting
for all those little things in my heart that
would show that yes I care about all the
little things that mean so much to show the
care and consideration
And I arrived at that hilltop
surrounded by mustard
And saw no sunset
but breathed zazen
and chanted OM
and thanked GOD
with what little gratitude
I had for all the sumptuous
harvests of that winter
And pulled out this folded
piece of paper and the
pencil
And while I didn’t find myself
I found this poem
a pillbug
two snails
an almost full moon
and the reasons I run
RunCast7-LA Sutra Duathlon
You can visit his website at http://www.wholisticfitness.com/
If you are having problems watching this then I’d recommend
a) Download recent copy of quicktime player at www.apple.com
b) Or watch the video here at blip.tv
Namaste
Gary
BEACH RUNNERS KICK-OFF PARTY IS TUESDAY, MAY 16
We are having a Beach Runner Kick-off and Information Party on Tuesday, May 16, at Smooths in downtown Long Beach. Smooths is located at 141 Pine Ave. and the evening starts at 6 P.M. ending around 8 P.M. From 6 -6:30 P.M. will be a meet and greet followed by the informational meeting. Meet the coaching staff, register, learn about ChiRunning®, meet the other participants and have your questions answered. This year’s program will be limited to 400 participants and is sure to sell out. This 21-week training program gets first time marathoners to marathoning veterans prepared for their big race. For more info on this program click here. 
Beach Runners – the Nation’s Largest ChiRunning® Marathon and Half Marathon Training Program starts Saturday, May 20.
Founder – Coach Steve
Running Shoe Store of the Month – Jan/Feb 2017
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