Category Archives: Races

The Youngest ChiRunners I’ve ever met!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

Happy Runner Girls!

Happy Runner Girls!

Last weekend I had the amazing opportunity to assist Danny Dreyer, the creator of ChiRunning, at his workshop in Houston. As much as I want to rave about that experience, I need to talk about the fastest,  youngest and cutest endurance runners in the county:  Kaytlynn and Heather Welsch.

I was registering participants as they were arriving at the workshop and these 2 little girls appear before me with their Dad.  A guy behind them immediately said, “Oh, I know these girls, they are famous.”  I asked if they were twins and they said no.  But quickly told me that they shared the same birthday, just not the same year.  They immediately took their seats and I was amazed that a 11 and 13 year old could not only follow the material (some of the ChiRunning concepts are hard for adults to follow!), but you can tell they were totally into it.

At one point, Danny said: “let’s go outside and start practicing”.  I happened to be looking over at them and they had huge smiles on their faces, like someone just told them they would get free chocolate for the rest of their life.  It was OBVIOUS to me that these girls love to run.  Watching them run was an enlightening experience.  We always say that children have natural running form because they haven’t had the posture issues that we get as adults, and although they have a few things to work on from a ChiRunning technique perspective, they had a beautiful gait and form.  It was OBVIOUS again by the smiles on their faces that they were eager to learn but enjoyed running.  They were just gliding around the tennis court lapping the adults, happy as can be.

Of course, when I arrived home, I had to google their names to see what I could find on them.  And lo and behold, there is quite a bit of controversy around them.

These girls are amazing athletes.  They’ve both completed over 100 endurance races, mainly half- and full- marathon distance trail runs at an average pace of 6:23/mile!  Last year, Kaytlynn won the XTerra won the women’s field to become the youngest ever champion of an XTERRA trail half-marathon, placing 11th overall with a time of 1:39:31 (only 10 men were ahead of her!).

I do not have children, only nieces and a nephew so I was interested in reading the various controversial blog posts that were out there:

Of course the controversy is about their age and whether it’s appropriate they are racing this hard at their age. I also found this great video clip from Rock Center with Brian Williams: http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/07/16883813-too-fast-tween-sisters-log-miles-in-endurance-runs that I really enjoyed.

So what’s my opinion? Well, for starters, since they are clearly using the ChiRunning technique which promotes injury-free running, they are on the right path!

After watching the video and reading the blogs,  it seems to me that their parents are doing the right things for them and taking all the right precautions by getting them regular check ups with doctors.  I imagine that parents know their own children more than anyone.

Bottom line for me?

They love to run, they are enjoying it, they are using an injury-free technique and are supervised by their doctors….so who am I to judge them?  Run free and happy and I’m sure we’ll see these girls in the Olympics some day!  I’m just honored to have met them and be inspired by their passion for running.

What are your thoughts?

From My Running Story to Yours…. (if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

Testimonial from a 68 year old Triathlete

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….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!)

My 1st Trail Run in OH

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

One of my favorite things to do is explore new places.  And now that I’m a runner (still find it hard to call myself that but since I’m a running coach and I run, I guess I’m a runner!), I love to run in new places.

My boyfriend and I are in the middle of a two week road trip to OH.  As soon as I knew the dates, I looked up a race to do here right away.  I found the 10 mile Chippewa Creek Trail Challenge from the Dirty Trail Race Series. Since I love trail running and 10 miles is a good long distance run for me, I signed up….and so glad that I did!  It was the most beautiful run that I’ve done so far!

I’ll admit I was a bit nervous being in a new place but the gorgeous scenery calmed me down right away.  I stopped and took a few photos that you can see below.  It was just such a nice change from the AZ desert scenery.  I had my MP3 player just in case since I didn’t know anyone at this race to talk to (I mainly run with my friends and chatting helps the time go by).  The scenery was so pretty that I couldn’t even think of replacing the sound of my footsteps on the trail, the birds chirping and just the sounds of nature with music. It surprised me how many people were listening to music but then again, this was their “regular” scenery.

The other few things that cracked me up was the fact that it was 62 degrees when I started at 8am (I could actually sleep in!), I had my arm warmers on the entire time, and I had my sunglasses on my head ready to put them on (I can’t run in AZ without my sunglasses) and I never had to use them…..the trees in the forest covered most of the run.

I thought for sure that I would be last since there seemed to be some “competitive” people but I wasn’t…still not ashamed to post that I was 7 of 10 women in my age group, 50 of 58 women, and 120 of 134 runners.  I did average a 12:23 pace finishing at 2:03:49.  My “goal” was 2 hours so I’m happy with my results…although this race was so much more than just my results.

Besides the scenery and the results, this also happened to be my virtual Hangover Run for Will Run for Bling and Charity.  Love this idea!  You can see my bib below…more importantly my race entry fee is helping the Lupus Foundation of America.

Check out my 1:42 minute video clip 😉

My boyfriend captured this classic shot of me being silly 😉
part of the gorgeous scenery
such a beautiful trail!
couldn’t help but stop to capture a few photos
even some pretty flowers

So when is the last time you visited another town and ran a race?  or had a first time experience that you really enjoyed?

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)

No pain, no gain? OR Less pain, more gain!

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….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!)

Purposely run a race Garmin-free?

Posted on by by Lisa Pozzoni

….and My Story Runs On….

What? Purposely run a race Garmin-free?
In November 2012, I decided to do something CRAZY. I purposely chose to run the Women’s Half Marathon in Phoenix without my Garmin!  CRAZY, right?! Here’s why…

Well, for starters, this was my 3rd year running this race. Since it’s been the same course, last year I was dead set on having a PR (personal record). It was probably the worst race I ever ran. Did I achieve the PR? Yes, I did. As much as I am proud of that, it was a miserable race. All I kept doing the entire time during this race was check my GPS, making sure that I was staying ahead of my last PR. I hurried through water stations and mentally and physically pushed myself so hard that I did not enjoy the race at all. Plus, I was really sore a few days after, which told me I was not focusing on my ChiRunning form either.

It was a tough decision, which I did not make until the day before the 2012 race, but I decided to leave my Garmin at home this year. IT WAS ONE OF MY BEST RACES EVER! And, I had another PR!

As I had a chance to reflect on my race, here is what I have learned:

• Being in the present moment, as opposed to worrying about the final outcome, is a wonderful place to be. I have learned this through ChiRunning but also with my daily meditation practice (not only has meditation improved my life, but also my ChiRunning). It’s really true when they say; “it’s about the journey, not the destination.” I focused on my form continuously and enjoyed every single moment. I thanked the volunteers, police officers, and spectators. I took in the beautiful weather and scenery that we have here in Arizona.

• Relaxation truly is the key. Since I was so relaxed mentally, this translated into physical relaxation. I stayed relaxed the entire time, even up the hills towards the end of the course. I stayed focused on my form and continually focused on my breathing to stay relaxed. I was shocked when I wasn’t sore one bit the next day!

• It’s not always about the numbers. When you are measuring something, it means you are going to do better or worse. What happens if we don’t improve? We tend to beat ourselves up which is not a good place to be. And what about those things that aren’t measurable? Like the beautiful scenery or those moments when you get to run with a friend you haven’t seen in awhile?
My bottom line:

Sure it’s great to push yourself to reach new goals in your running practice, but please don’t forget the reason why you run. One of the elements I love most about ChiRunning is having constant “AHA” moments. Not only “AHA” moments that affect your run, but more importantly that can be translated into your everyday life.

So try it one day:  let go of tracking your miles, your pace, or distance on your next run.

Purposely run a race Garmin-free?

From My Running Story to Yours….
(if you feel inspired to share your comments, do so below…I want to hear your story too!)