chi running

A strong mind is important to direct strong muscles, so says the power of Chi.
Dreyer adheres to the Pose Method’s idea that gravity propels. Certainly effective running is largely about technique smoothness and relaxation, but ultimately it is the muscles that create the movement.
However efficient your stride and however strong your concentration and will, every runner needs to develop the muscles with hard training and nurture these muscles with protein. A strong mind is important to direct strong muscles, but the mind cannot perform the movements.
Chi Running points out the basics of several major technique errors that plague most runners and offers the basics of improving biomechanics. It also focuses heavily on attitude and the spirituality of running, which may be useful and important to some runners. Positive thinking and relaxation are important components of efficient running.
Dreyer guesses that using his techniques a runner can probably run their normal pace at about thirty percent of the energy expenditure required using their current technique (though he has never tested this notion). Claiming a seventy percent improvement in running economy is ridiculous. No running technique will enable a runner to almost triple his speed without increasing energy expenditure.
Dreyer describes the use of the core muscles to generate propulsion, instead of the muscles of the hips and thighs. Strong core muscles are critical to any sports activity, but in running the hips and thighs must do most of the work to generate propulsion. He describes increasing hip rotation as a means of increasing stride length, but efficient runners do not demonstrate greater hip rotation, and this technique brings up injury concerns.
In summary, Chi Running provides valuable insight on keeping a strong, healthy attitude about running, and it provides some excellent insight into the most basic aspects of running biomechanics. For athletes interested in tuning in to the spiritual aspects of running, Chi Running is the way to go.