Customer Reviews

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Ignore the one negative review. This book is a brilliant print presentation of Danny's methods which are revolutionary. He deserves the much wider following he will get with this (his CD is great too).
My story: I've been a runner for 45 years. I nearly gave up running at age 57. The pain in my knees and lower back made me seriously think of quitting. I literally saw an ad in the newspaper for Danny's class and took it as a last resort. He was at the time in his 50's and a nationally ranked ultramarathoner. I figured he ought to know something about efficient running.
I learned his initial techniques in two hours. It took about five or six runs to feel comfortable with the changes in my stride, but from the first day, there was no back pain and such minimal knee pain at the end that I couldn't believe it. I've taken his advanced techniques workshops too (all in the book). The "sidewise" stride up steep hills is another brilliant technique that literally makes running hills fun.
I went from struggling to run for 30 minutes at a time to 1.5 hour runs on steep hills without pain. I'm not a ranked runner. I run for fitness, for weight control, and for the sheer joy of it. I did finish third in my age group in a local race a year ago -- first medal I've ever won (I'm 62 now). But I got my running life back, and that's priceless. I plan to be running into my 80's now -- pain free!

And for what it's worth, I have a doctorate and I'm trained in physics. Danny's techniques are scientifically valid. There's a spiritual side to his methods too. If you don't think running has a spiritual side, I feel sorry for you, but don't ignore his methods just because of that.

Jerry L Fletcher

What an interesting running book! Buy this book if you:

-would like to be able to run well into your old age
-would like to improve your running form and have fewer injuries
-would like to have a more philosophical approach to your running
-would like to increase your overall health

Here's how the book roughly pans out:

-Chapter 1: compares power running to ChiRunning
-Chapter 2: goes into the 5 principles upon which TaiChi and ChiRunning are based
-Chapter 3: gets into the "inner" skills of ChiRunning

As you can see, the first 3 chapters lay out the philosopical foundation- that's so when you get to the specific techniques, they make sense.

Chaper 4: learn about the ChiRunning "focuses"- which are the specific physical and mental methods used to run more efficiently.

Chapters 5-9: covers program development, peak performance training and diet. Note: Chapter 7 also covers some info on common injuries such as muscle cramps, plantar fasciitis (also rec. The 5-Minute Plantar Fasciitis Solution for more info on this), heel cord problems.

Chapter 10: how to incorporate the ChiRunning principles into your everyday life

As you can tell, ChiRunning, with its mind-body approach, is far from your typical book on running- and shouldn't be missed by any serious runner. Happy trails.

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.

When I started training for marathons I was continually injured with tight hamstrings, calves, and hip flexor tightness. I discovered that I had poor running form and started researching running techniques. I heard on Sirius Radio "The Fitness Guru" show about this book. After ordering it and reading it, I can say that it has revitalized my running. My trips to the chiropractor are down to maintenance once per month, from weekly appointments. I am running better, stronger, and injury free and after all, isn't that what we are all trying to do. Great book!!

I have taken the author's ChiRunning workshop (which was outstanding), and this book details everything he talked about in the workshop, and a lot more on top of that -- plus, I have the book to refer to at my leisure.

The techniques for running the author describes are impeccable, because the physics behind them are impeccable. The discussions, diagrams, and photographs are detailed and specific. The metaphysics... they work for the author, and if they work for you, so much the better, but even if they don't, the material in the book will be directly applicable to any fitness runner, racer, triathlete, or sportsperson.

When I started doing ChiRunning I acheived *faster*, *easier* running, lower incidence of soreness and no incidence of injury, and feeling better during and after runs. I cannot expect more from a book on running, and have gotten *less*, from several books.

Questionable reviews:
All are from CT. Katherine Dreyer is the authors wife and co-author.The two reviews from Stamford are phrased very similarly. The other CT reviewer mentioned the DVD which was released the same day as the review was written, so he/she had to get it from the author, watch it and practice it all in the same day. This does not all seem very "chi" to me.
Good points:
Very pleasant writing style, no-ego, peaceful approach to running and life. Good tips and exercises for technique.
Points to improve:
Contradictory information. The title says "effortless... running", but then on page 55 he says, "It doesn't mean there's NO effort, just no unnecessary effort". On page 16 he emphasizes using the psoas muscles (front of hip at the waist) to left up the feet, which actually lift up the thigh, but then later says to not pick up your knees (psoas work), and pick up the feet ( hamstring work). How do you not pick up the knees when ruuning? It's necessary to swing the lower leg through to the front. He borrows Lydiard's "rope pulling you at the pelvis/sternum from a distance away" without giving Lydiard credit. Some physiology would help instead of saying that metabolic wastes will fill your legs with cement. Cement? Is that what that is? No mention of lactate threshold, anaerobic efforts, or shorter distance races are made.

I recently purchased the book "Chi-Running" while in Boston to run the marathon. What a difference it has made in my world! Following Boston, I completed the 8 mile run of a team event in our area called "Ski-to-Sea." There are 8 member teams consisting of skiing (cross country & downhill), running,canoeing, biking (road and mountain biking), and kayaking. The run portion is an 8 mile run from the base ski area near the top of Mt. Baker, in Washington state, to the Dept of Transportation center, near the bottom.
The entire 8 mile downhill course consists of a grade of about 3 - 5%. I was envisioning total quad damage, shin splints, and other aches and pains. Fortunately, the night before I ran, I skipped ahead in the book and read the section about techiques for running down hill. To make a long story short, I ran the 8 mile course in 56:07 (not bad for age 51)and have experienced little, if any, residual aches and pains. These techniques really work! Chi Running is a highly effective program for running (not to mention a nice philosophy of life and living!). Sincerely, Dr. Tim Wittman, School Psychologist, NCSP.

I started running to get in shape about six months ago. I have struggled with many reoccuring knee troubles, hip troubles, etc. After reading this book I immediately felt a difference in my knee pain on my first run. Just as an experiment I went back and forth from ChiRunning to my "normal" running style. I could immediately tell a difference in the joint pain and effort levels. Following my 3 mile run, I had virtually no joint pain or muscle tightness or soreness. I highly recommend this book. I is easy to read, with good exercises and examples that make it quite easy to understand.

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.

I had given up running years ago, because of the pounding, and pain to my joints that it had caused. After learning this method of running and taking the time to practice it, I can run again, but without the pain and impact! The book is easy to read, easy to understand, and has alot of great illustrations. Danny has shared alot of personal insite from his running and tai chi experiences. I highly recommend this book as a must for anyone who is serious about running, and especially for those who would like to run, but are afraid it's too hard, or who have given up running, and miss the benefits of it.