cover image Chi Marathon: The Breakthrough Natural Running Program for a Pain-Free Half-Marathon and Marathon

Chi Marathon: The Breakthrough Natural Running Program for a Pain-Free Half-Marathon and Marathon

Danny Dreyer and Katherine Dreyer. Touchstone, $15.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-1-4516-1795-5

After their bestselling ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running, the husband-and-wife Dreyers explain how to adopt a whole-body approach (based on the principles of T'ai Chi) to distance running. Even though the number of participants in marathons and half-marathons is increasing each year, statistics show the injury rate among marathoners can reach a staggering 90%, indicating many are engaged in improper and unsafe training. The Dreyers encourage readers to focus on ease and efficiency of movement as primary training goals, while discrediting the commonly held notion that marathons are all about endurance. The authors quickly differentiate "pain-free running" from "productive discomfort," and lay out a detailed, seven-phase self-paced training plan that includes visioning and planning, technique, conditioning, event mastery, and rest and renewal. By adhering to "Form Focuses" (defined as "job descriptions%E2%80%A6for individual body parts"), Chi runners will improve posture, pelvic rotation, and stride en route to more productive, pain-free running. Though peppered with "Instructor Stories" that read like advertisements for the ChiRunning DVDs and workshops, the Dreyers' running guide will doubtless be of great value to veteran runners and newcomers alike, as well as those who are simply looking for ways to improve their health. (Mar.)