Imagine if we all lived our lives this way.
As you know, for the last five months or so I’ve been training to complete the Half Marathon at the Baltimore Running Festival on Oct. 19.
I chose the word “complete” on purpose because I quickly learned that my body was not going to be ready to “run” exactly.
At least I’m not sure whether what I do when I move my feet across pavement and trails for 11+ miles on a long run day is walking or running or some new creation I made up.
Or maybe I’m doing a decent job of ChiRunning — a method I’ve been learning that is an application of Tai Chi principles to running.
Regardless. I’m very slow.
I registered myself and Dave for the half-marathon because of clear intuitive instructions from my inner Wise Woman who told me I could do it, and that I wanted to do it. But at the time I didn’t think to check to see if it was “walker friendly” — as in, you can take up to 5 hours to finish.
It is.
Thankfully.
Last week, it took me 3.5 hours to complete just over 11 miles, so I need the spacious time limit.
There’s so much I’ve gained from this journey with my body/mind/soul that it’s hard to choose what to share with you.
I’ve been creating a book in my mind on some of my runs. The subtitle is: A Different Kind of Running Memoir.
Most running memoirs (which I have loved for years - especially the ones written by women) pretty much end with a big race.
I have a hunch that the race I’m participating in on Oct. 19 is a beginning. I might never run another one. I might never run longer or faster.
But I will continue on this journey of doing life in new ways in partnership with the physical body that allows me to do life at all.
For today, I want to share a little about ChiRunning and how it’s become an empowering, embodied prayer/practice that has ripples far beyond my improved VO2 max and aerobic capacity(much like Qoya Inspired Movement has been for me as well.)
Three key aspects of ChiRunning are:
Alignment – Begin by getting into alignment.
Lean forward – Lead with your Chi (your life force) instead of using sheer muscle power.
Relax – Let your muscles relax and come along for the ride.
I kid you not. In ChiRunning we are taught to relax our legs, feet and hips WHILE RUNNING. It’s wild. And it’s the only reason I’m not still taking ice baths like I did when I first started training and wrote you about the ice bath I took back in June.
When I go out to ChiRun for several hours on a Saturday morning, I am gifting myself the experience of moving toward a big, almost unreachable goal—step by step. I start by getting into alignment - shoulders over hips, over ankles. Weight balanced over my feet. Solid, grounded, and supported. And I keep re-aligning over and over again.
When I get out of bed and head outside, I gift myself the chance to practice getting unstuck and moving forward, not through sheer force, but by leaning in to follow that mysterious Life Force that is both bigger than me and also in me and uniquely me (you may call it God/dess, or the Universe, or your Inner Mentor, or Aliveness, or Creativity, but if you’re still reading you probably know what I mean).
And then comes the trickiest part. RELAXING.
Imagine if we all lived our lives this way. Aligned. Led by Life. Relaxed.
What might we do to change our prison systems and the way police are trained?
What energy might fearful, stressed out, spiritual white women release in support of the safety, respect and vitality of Black and Brown women, boys, men, and gender non-binary folks - and in support of their own thriving?
How might we enjoy and care for all of Nature?
These are some of the longings of my heart. What are the longings of yours?
I’d love to hear about them, so I can hold them with you and take them with me to my 13.1 mile prayer/race on Oct. 19.
Here’s to thriving and equity, vitality and dignity for all beings,
Deb
Running with our eldest on a recent visit to SoCal. He told me I inspired him to train for the L.A. Marathon in March!