In praise of the mid-foot landing...

In the world of health and wellness, there's some great information out there that can increase quality of life and, therefore, enable us to go about our daily tasks and callings with increased energy and vigour. We recently discovered, for example, a fascinating way of understanding the nature of movement - through Chi Running and Chi Walking. This is a training program that focuses on walking and running more efficiently - and becoming less prone to injuries, a factor that can really impinge on the enjoyment and practice of self-propelled outdoor activities and sports as we transit our middle and older years. Trust me, I've had one repair job on a torn meniscus following an over-enthusiastic (careless?) run down a steep Canmore hill! Thanks to the good work of an awesome local orthopaedic doc, that injury is history now.

Danny and Katherine Dreyer, the developers of "ChiRunning" have written two books on the subject, one on running and the other on walking - choose whichever one appeals - they are really worth a read! The principles of Chi Running/Walking are borrowed from the ancient practice of T'ai Chi - and from my own lay perspective, the principles taught simply make a lot of sense!

Anyway, we were so intrigued that we sighed up for a Chi Running workshop in Seattle which turned out to be a great day. (Hey, the Pike Place Market really is a cool place to hang out!) Anyway, the workshop began with a focus on posture and learning how to allow the bones, ligaments, and tendons, which are inherently strong, to support our weight instead of the muscles - which are not always as reliable! In our age of computer related work and, therefore, often sedentary occupations, posture has become a bit of an issue. We all know that poor posture can lead to painful and unnecessary stress on joints. It can also limit movement - not much fun if you enjoy activities requiring movement! There were lots of tips, exercises and the workshop concluded with a group run where we attempted to put to practice what we had learned - not easy but worth sticking at!

One of the important lessons had to do with how our feet land - something to which I had never really given much thought. Most of us land on our heels and push off with our toes - just check normal shoe wear. We then wonder why we tire so soon or end up with sore muscles. After it was explained that landing our our heels is like "putting the brakes on" and pushing off with the toes (unless you're a sprinter) puts undue pressure on leg muscles, you really begin to understand why the "mid-foot" landing makes so much more sense. I did an experiment on a local beach and you can check out the results in the pics above. On the left, you can see heel landing and toe push off - clearly lots of energy going into digging up the sand. The pic on the right shows a mid-foot landing - pretty light on the feet, eh? That's why this way of running and walking promises better performance and fewer injuries. I rather like that idea!

Till the next time, from the beautiful Cowichan Valley, peace and balance.

First steps...

Been thinking about this for awhile - a personal blog that would permit occasional shared reflections from our Island home. When a good friend of mine got his blog operational, that was just the impetus I needed! I'd envisioned this first "oceanpax" entry, however, as something more akin to "tales from the kayak cockpit" but given the event of this past weekend - it's going to be more of a "terra-based" sharing! So, here it is, the first tentative step into the "blogosphere" - and a brief account of thousands more "steps" around Lake Cowichan!

We registered for the Great Lake Walk and Ultramarathon a month or so ago - just seemed time to do something that would challenge the mind and body. Hey, how tough could it be to walk 56 km? We've run for years and even ran a 42.2 km once - OK, so that was nine years ago and it didn't set any records! I digress. Picking up the race kits on the day before was certainly part of the "adventure" - smiling broadly, the volunteer assured us that the "waiver" sheets were simply to relieve the organizers of responsibility in the event of any possible incidents with "bears, cougars, or potholes"! Hmm - now this is sounding very cool!

At "zero dark hours" (0100), last Saturday morning, after a couple hours of "sleep" (OK, a couple of hours of tossing and turning), the alarm went off. Coffee was ready and lots of time for a leisurely breakfast of bagels and peanut butter (protein seemed like a good idea!) before heading out for the shuttle bus from Lake Cowichan to Youbou, the starting point of the event.

There was a palpable air of excitement as the crowd loosened, stretched, and waited for the traditional singing of "O Canada" and the 0500 start - then we were off! The first hour and a half required our Petzl headlamps and the 400+ pairs of feet raised considerable dust along the rough logging road. As daylight came, the field had spread out considerably. A total of 12 rest stops along the way were staffed by simply wonderful volunteers from various local businesses and community groups offering drinks, snacks (everything from cheese sandwiches to chocolate), and first aid, if necessary. They were all awesome! 10 hours and 31 minutes after the last notes of "O Canada" faded into the early morning darkness and the dust, Joan and I crossed the finish line - all in all, a pretty good time. No aches or pains to report but tomorrow is "the day after the day after" so we'll keep our fingers crossed!

It truly was a great event thanks to the all the dedicated organizers and volunteers in the yellow t-shirts. Equal to the sheer enjoyment and physical challenges of the event, however, was the warm welcome and enthusiastic cheers folks shared along the way with participants. It made us all go a little faster and took our minds off tiring feet and legs. The "spirit of community" is alive and well around Lake Cowichan, British Columbia. It's a good reminder to us all - enthusiasm is contagious. It empowers us, strengthens us, and enables us to reach higher than we might think possible. Enthusiasm makes a great gift - and it grows when you give it away!

Stay tuned, I feel a kayak reflection coming soon. Peace.