….and My Story Runs On….
I’m on cloud 9 right now! I can’t believe my time for the Sedona marathon. I’m not a bragger and this is a bit uncomfortable for me but feeling pretty proud of myself considering the difficulty of this course! Continue Reading →
….and My Story Runs On….
I never thought My Running Story would take me this route….remember, I said I would never do a half marathon and now I’m tackling my first 50Km on trail. Scared yet really excited at the same time. I decided to do this 50KM now because I already have marathon #4 on 1/19 (Pf Changs Rock and Roll) and marathon #5 on 2/1 (Sedona Marathon)…..seems like the right time to add a few more miles while I’m training for these….ironically now these marathons have become training runs for my 50KM.
This last weekend I did an 11 mile training run on the Sedona Marathon course (hills and elevation training) and then did the XTerra 20K race at White Tanks on Sunday (ChiRunning hills and trails training). The scenery was gorgeous on both (pics below).
Here are a few of my AHA moments:
Any advice or feedback to share based on your experience? Comment below and let me know…
Here are a few photos from the weekend along with my training plan 😉 (click on them to increase size)
White rows are plan, blue is my actual mileage and the green are miles on trails. Having to make some adjustments as I approach PF Changs marathon weekend.
Training run in Sedona…GORGEOUS views…and elevation and hills 😉
6 miles of grueling uphill…not sure if you can see the little people on the switchbacks…
At least when there is an uphill, there is a downhill too! (White Tanks XTerra 20K)
From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)
….and My Story Runs On….
I, Lisa Pozzoni, take you, THE TRAIL, to be my partner. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.
OK, so this might be a bit of an exaggeration but I had one of those weekends of “soul” growth (as I call it) and needed a few days to put my thoughts into words….it still amazes me that I hated running and swore I would never do a half marathon and now….I’m entering an entire new realm in the running world.
Due to my 50KM training plan, I ran a total of 28.5 miles in 2 days. Although I have AHA moments all the time, several things happened in these few days that created a shift in my soul that I just had to share with you.
1. I continue to discover how running, more specifically ChiRunning, is an art. Due to my practicing of this “art”, I have accomplished things I never thought possible. Learning is also an art. Sadly, I’ve met some people that think they know everything about a subject and are not open to other possibilities. Keep learning, keep practicing and be vulnerable. Which brings me to bullet point #2….
2. Be open to learning. On Sunday, I ran 18 miles with my friends in the morning for marathon/50KM training. That night I decided to go visit some friends who were part of the Across The Years race. Have you heard of this? I thought it was completely insane! You can sign up for 24 hours, 48, 72 or 6 days and complete a 1 mile course as many times as you can or want to in that time frame (you have tent or RV, can you can some and go as you please on the course. You can take breaks, hang out with friends, etc. Basically you against the clock.) After walking a few miles with my friends, watching an 80 year old and 8 year old completing as many miles as they could/wanted to to reach a personal goal, it all made sense to me. This type of footrace was completely foreign to me and even though I was so tired that evening after the 18 miles, I drove across town to see my friends and find out what this race was all about. So glad I made that choice because it just confirmed that everyone has their own Running Story and can write it anyway they choose. I thought these people were crazy until I literally walked a few miles in their shoes….and who knows? maybe My Running Story will take me to this race some day.
3. The teacher is also the student. I’ve always known this because I love to learn so I can be a better teacher. Because of this, My Running Story is taking a turn in 2014 and I’m ready to be a student. I love this feeling of being in new territory…of being the “baby” and eager to learn this new realm of trail running but more specifically ultra running. There is such a big world out there and no matter how much you know, always be open to learning from others and yourself.
What are your 2014 running goals? Are you embarking in any new territory next year?
From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)
….and My Story Runs On….
and the rest will follow.” Anyone remember that En Vogue song from 1992? This post has nothing to do with the song other than the fact that when I freed my mind about this race, everything really did just follow…. Continue Reading →
….and My Story Runs On….
I always make it a point to run when I’m in a different place. This was my 2nd trip to Lake Havasu (for Toastmaster duties) and I was REALLY looking forward to running along the Lake and channel. Continue Reading →
….and My Story Runs On….
Testimonials like these are the reason I LOVE MY JOB! This is exactly why I do what I do. I love to be able to share Running Stories from my ChiRunners. There is nothing more rewarding for me to know that I am helping people achieve goals they never thought possible! I received this email from “Doc” Gooding on 9/29/13:
“I have done two triathlons recently. Anthem (which was turned into a duathlon do to rain) and the Life Time Tri in Tempe…both sprint distance.
· Anthem tri I came in second in my age group (but there were only two of us) with a time of 1:27:50 (12.3 Mi bike 52 Min and 5K run in 35 min).
· Life Time Tri I came in first in my age group (there was one other guy who came in 30 min after me). My time was 1:45 (12.3 mi bike 44 min and 5K run 36 min).
My next triathlons are in October and December.
Also, I have lost 25 lbs and 4” in the waist!!! Trying to loss 20 more and 2” more in the waist.
My goal is to get on Triathlon Team USA next year in the 70-74 age group (when I age up) and compete in the World Amateur Championships…like I did in 1994.
I did have one observation on running…the other day I was running into a strong headwind. In the past I would have hated it because is slowed me down. But with Chi running I just leaned a little more forward into the wind and it felt like there was no wind. Was that just me thinking that or have you noticed that too?
Thanks again for all your help…I have been making progress running injury free.
Take Care.
“Doc” Gooding”
I remember he attended my workshop in January and has some postural issues that were effecting his running form. On 1/27/13 he sent me this email:
“Good class today…discovering all sorts of dysfunctional behaviors and getting more in touch with my body.”
One of the things I love about ChiRunning is that it’s a holistic process. You don’t just learn it once and are done…AHA moments happen all the time depending on your focus on that specific run.
Does it matter how many people were in his age group? HECK NO! No one else is out there doing it…I think it’s even more impressive that he’s doing this stuff at his age….and let’s face it, 68 isn’t old, right?! I want to be doing this stuff until I’m at least that age. My friends and I say, “Friends 4 Fitness 4 Life”. We imagine being out there in our 80’s still have a blast together!
Thanks “Doc” for sharing your experiences with me. Sooo happy and proud to see you reach your goals!
From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)
….and My Story Runs On….
Do you ever have one of those days (or runs) where it seems nothing goes right? I had one of those yesterday morning as I was teaching a ChiRunning workshop. As a matter of fact, one of the participants, sent me this email after class:
From My Running Story to Yours….
Have you ever had a bad run or bad day and handled it well? What did you do?
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)
….and My Story Runs On….
This past weekend, I received an email from someone interested in ChiRunning. I always ask people if they have any current injuries so I have an idea of how I can help them run without pain. I’ve been teaching for 3 years now and this is the first time someone responded to me with “nothing other than a broken heart.”
This got me thinking….when was the last time I had a broken heart? My last 10-year relationship ended 2 years ago and my heart was broken. Although I was running then, I started meditating as a way to heal. As I focused on this daily practice, I realized how much meditation was in sync with my ChiRunning practice. One of the many unique aspects of ChiRunning is the mind/body connection that you develop through your running practice. I believe both of these cured my broken heart.
What was my biggest learning lessons that I applied to life AND running as soon as I learned them?
Present moment awareness. What does this mean exactly? Don’t live in the past and don’t stress about the future (especially if you have no control over the situation). Once the past is over, there is nothing you can do to change it, so focus on detaching from the situation and letting go. This is the same for a run! If you have a “bad” run, just let it go and try to learn from the experience instead of stressing or beating yourself up about it. LET IT GO! We can rarely control our future so do the best you can but don’t stress about circumstances you can’t control. Next time you go on a run, try not having any expectations about that run and see what happens.
Being in the present moment can be so relaxing. So next time you go out on a run, focus on the present moment: scenery, your breathing, what your body is doing and leave your mind (ego) at home…no judgement, no beating yourself up….
I found this response from Deepak Chopra (my primary source of meditations) on why it’s important to live in the present:
“Being fully present in the moment is valuable, not because you will remember it as a significant event, but because the present is the only place where you really live life. If you are imagining your future, then you aren’t here now, living life, making choices. Your attention is in the future where no choices can be made. If you are afraid or angry, then you are in the past, remembering old hurts and injustices. But to heal the past you need to bring your attention to the present, otherwise you are just reinforcing the old pain. There is nothing special to do or acknowledge in order to be present. It a matter of simply Being.”
From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)
How have you cured a broken heart?
PS. Deepak and Oprah just started a free 21-Day meditation challenge that started yesterday. This was how I originally started meditating a few years ago…I love these!
….and My Story Runs On….
On Sunday 2/17, I completed my 2nd marathon using the ChiRunning techniques. I’m writing this 3 days after the event and I have little pain, if any at all! How could this be? After my 1st marathon last year, I was sore for at least 5 days and could barely walk for the first few days….I was sporting the “marathon waddle” if you know what I mean!
In my next few blog/vlog posts, I’ll be sharing some of my aha moments with you and how you can apply them to your running, walking or life!
AHA moment #1
Walking/Running Lesson:
My posture post race is just as important! This may make more sense if you’ve already learned the ChiRunning and ChiWalking Posture lesson. I teach my students how to use proper alignment to hold them up rather than having their muscles do the work. My quads were the most sore after Sunday but as I really focused on standing and ChiWalking with my proper posture, I didn’t feel my muscle soreness at all! Next time you are really sore from a workout, stand in bad posture and then stand in your ChiRunning posture and feel the difference! It “forced” me to focus on it a lot because I would be reminded any time I felt muscle soreness again!
Life Lesson:
Pay more attention to what your body is telling you. This is the start of present moment awareness. Listen to your body and respond accordingly. In ChiLiving we call it Body Sensing. It’s amazing what your body will teach you. You can be your own detective.
AHA moment #2
Walking/Running Lesson:
Conserving energy works and helped me tremendously with my recovery time! During my training and on the marathon, I focused on relaxing my body and conserving my energy as much as possible. Tension (physical and mental) is resistance and uses up unnecessary energy. ChiRunning teaches us how to go with the flow and relax the mind and body as much as possible.
Life Lesson:
Did you ever notice how much energy it takes out of you when you are stressed? On the other hand when you are relaxed, things always seem easier? For example, when driving I used to let other drivers get to me. I would get irritated and I could feel the extra stress. When I realized I had no control over them but I had control over me and my stress level, I chose to remove this tension and go with the flow. And my drives are much more enjoyable and relaxing. So next time you are feeling stressed, think about how you can eliminate it and then, just go with the flow.
From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)