ChiRunning, The Tanden, Carlos Castaneda and Star Wars

Running...a pursuit whose motivation is physical...can it be more like a spiritual experience?

First of all ChiRunning...what is it?
ChiRunning is a method of running developed by Danny Dreyer based on the principles of Tai Chi, to harness the invisible energy called Chi, and to use body lean to use gravity for forward motion, with the feet not grasping at the ground and “toeing off” but simply lifting off the ground as you move along.

It is a whole philosophy of motion which I have been trying to practice in my running (with varying degrees of success) since 2011 to recover from and prevent running injuries of which I had been plagued: a case of Runner Heal Thyself!

Using an invisible energy may seem darn screwy yet the Martial Artists highlight how much the body can achieve in the application of the Mind through certain spiritual practices, breaking concrete with their foreheads for example or the Shaolin Monks of China, or for that matter the intense Mind over Matter practiced by Buddhist Monks from Tibet to Japan. We might think of the Jedi knights of Star Wars. although science fiction, fall into this sort of thing - the metaphor is still relevant. The mind controlling the physical.

ChiRunning thus involved centering our minds and using this Universal Energy for our own needs, which might be running 10k, a half marathon even a full marathon. But as Dreyer points out in his book "ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Approach to Effortless, Injury-Free Running" most runners and most training methods involve Power Running – a muscle building “no pain no gain” attitude,  – the opposite of the ChiRunning “go with the flow” attitude which explains, Dreyer says, why 15.6 million runners injure themselves every year in the USA. With ChiRunning Dreyer can "run 50 miles without it being a big deal or harmful to the body".

What has Carlos Castaneda got to do with ChiRunning? 
Well nothing actually, or at least not directly. Although if you believe what McDougall says in Born to Run, that the Shaman mentor of Castaneda was a Tarahumara then there may be a link. Juan Matus the Brujo and teacher of Castaneda makes long treks across the Sonora desert and often remarks that Castaneda is fat slow and stupid like a bull, with a roll of fat across the neck...perhaps there was some ultra running involved...

Castaneda brings to us the same concepts that George Lucas would later use as the basis of the Jedi religion in Star Wars. In fact Castaneda stresses, among other things the importance of Personal Power an energy which dictates how a man lives and dies. He makes it clear that Native American Shamans collect this Personal Power (like The Force in Star Wars) and to effect change by the power of intent and to be "perennially fluid" so as to be able - at a moments notice - to seize a quanta of energy that he called a "cubic centimeter of chance"

Chi, Ki Etc
Such a discussion of power and universal energy reminds me very much of the Japanese energy of Reiki.
Reiki is a Japanese folk tradition for self development but purporting to be  a healing therapy. It’s seriousness as a healing therapy is belied by its transmission, through day courses, and in its contemporary application – often as an adjunct to beauty therapies or within health spas. In it is original scheme it is something like an adjunct to the martial arts and a process of self-change and self-healing.

Like the martial arts one of the important things about Reiki is using the Tanden, a point just below the navel from which energy builds and is projected. In Tai Chi, and in ChiRunning it is called the Dan Tien and Castaneda also speaks of it in terms of energy from the abdomen.

According to Castaneda;

 “the [Native American] seer sees that every man is in touch with everything else, not through his hands, but through a bunch of long fibers that shoot out in all directions from the center of his abdomen.”

In fact I recollect reading that in one of the Castaneda books, a shaman called Genaro uses the threads of energy from his Tanden to scale a perilous ravine and jump to a ledge...real Star Wars stuff...

Back to running...

Can we apply this shamans/ Tai Chi / Reiki philosophy to running?
According to Dreyer Yes We Can! And if barefoot running has taught me one thing it is the power of fluidity. The moment that the spine becomes engaged in the running, and releases the energy like a coiled snake, this Chi energy, this invisible energy, is released.

A fluidity of thought as well as muscles, the ability to relax and go with the flow.

My training in Reiki has caused me to review my ideas of energy and intention, and whilst I do not agree with the contemporary presentation of Reiki the use of the Tanden is really fundamental and applicable to many things...much like the Shaman Warriors of Castaneda’s books, being "perennially fluid", and this also seems to link in with the concept of using Tai Chi principles in ChiRunning.

It is certainly something to aspire to...not for competition or even beating a personal best, but for a greater potentiality. As Castaneda once wrote:

“All the faculties, possibilities, and accomplishments of shamanism, from the simplest to the most astounding, are in the human body itself.”

Review of Skora Form (Updated 2018)

RATING: Excellent

First Impressions of the Skora Form

Minimalist shoes in a minimalist box

The sleek box revealed an equally sleek running shoe made of ultra supple goat leather with a flexible sole with a canted edge and a heel with a round profile. The offset laces give a quirky look and there is a velcro adjuster at the back of the heel to tighten things up. There is a optional shoe insole and these shoes are branded as being sock optional. Many Skora runners will wear without socks which makes sense as these shoes are a zero drop minimalist running shoe replicating barefoot running.

Rounded "golf ball" heel

The toe box was not as wide as I thought it would be and the shoes look a lot narrower than expected. My foot is a 45 which is usually an 11 in UK sizing, however in Skora sizing this equates to a 10.5 (UK). I took the risk and ordered the 10.5 (11.5 in US sizing) as I had read online that one should go a half size smaller.

The Fit of Skora Form

The fit for my feet is perfect although I would have liked to see how wider the 11 (46) would have been in comparison. In length the 10.5 are perfect, and I usually wear an 11 (12 US). Sizing a shoe is never an exact science as the size of shoes differs slightly between manufacturers, and one should really try on a a half size each way I think if you are unsure. However Skora are practically impossible to find in the UK which is a shame because these leather shoes are awesome quality.

The soles are the exact width of my feet (I have very wide feet) and the goat leather is super supple so will allow give in the right places. They are snug like a glove with a little looseness in the suppleness of the leather which means I could wear socks if needed, say, in the depths of snowy winter.

Skora: Form and Function

I have been running in Vibram Five Fingers (KSO and Bikila) for almost a year now so I was interested to see how running with thicker soles would improve my running, in particular because my trail run involves some rough track ways made of angular rocks and bits of concrete (hardcore for building roads I suspect) which has in the past left bruises on the soles of my feet. The main question is: will the Skora be an improvement on the Vibram Five Fingers?

I took my normal 10k+ route which takes in pavement, rocky track, gravel path, soft loamy forest track, mud, grass, jumping over ditches, logs, brambles...

First of all I felt the shoes gave me an increased pace and a natural foot fall. I found my gait was a little more heavy and the soles made a louder noise on the pavement than the Vibram Five Fingers. However I noticed that my running style automatically followed the "ChiRunning" principles (which I happen to follow somewhat religiously). I noticed that the canted edges allow for natural foot roll or pronation throughout the forefoot strike lateral to medial, just as if I was running in Five Fingers. The Skora Form did feel initially a little clumpy compared to the Vibram Five Fingers of course but in conventional standards they are sleek, low (13mm soles) and minimalist with minimal cushioning.

After less than a mile I was already used to the Skora. I found the soles to be flexible and yet protective. The loss of "ground feel" did not cause me any great worries as you can still feel stones through the soles - there is just more protection. I was happy to be able to run more confidently across rocky ground and jumping over logs and ditches. They held up very well through slippery clay mud, although in the really slippery deep mud I was all over the place, but in moderate mud they were good.

I wore these without socks (having read people online doing this - bad mistake!) and I soon had three hot spots, my little toe on my right foot, and a small localised hot spot under the arch on both feet. By the time I had got home my feet were sore and I was ready for a rest. I think that perhaps wearing thin socks may have been a good idea, but you know what it is like with new shoes, you get a blister, then you get a callous and then it doesn't get sore ever again.

On the whole I returned home from my muddy run, filthy but happy with the shoes.

Conclusion 
It is not often that a shoe arrives which is both innovative and functional. I mean, those pesky Puma Mobium were based on the foot of a cat and that makes no sense at all, since the animal with the closest foot shape to man is a bear. And when I think of all the thick wedged trainers I have had in the past, the Nike, Brooks, Oasics etc...well it makes me cringe...the "barefoot" concept without a doubt liberated my running. However even the Vibram Five Fingers lose some of the functionality in their styling, the toe pockets increase the surface area of wear and tear and are not strictly speaking required - a design luxury and not "economic" in any sense of the word. So how did the Skora fare?

SKORA UPDATE: Socks or no socks...insoles or no insoles...

I have now spent a good 9 months running with the Skora Form and experimenting with the different options. I found that no socks / no insole caused blisters as did socks and insole. There is a bit of stitching along the edge near to the little toe, it feels like a little knot of stitching but it causes a bad blister on my little toe. (Now the shoes are worn in I find I still get a sore little toe when I wear socks and use the insoles.) The solution I found was to remove the insoles, this lowered the foot by a couple of millimeters and altered the contact point around this area of stitching. Making the small alteration has worked very well for me. (I later took my Swiss Army Knife to the interior of the shoe and cut out the stitching which was causing the hot spot - solution!)

Now I have clocked up hundreds of miles on these shoes I can say that the soles have worn very well. Interestingly "barefoot" shoes show wear at different  parts of the sole than, say, a regular running trainer, or even a walking shoe. So I can see from the wear of the soles that I am running "barefoot" style, on the toes etc. The only minor criticism, aside from the knot of sticthing near the little toe, is the design of how the heel cup joins the leather; already the rubber heel cup has started to part company with the leather, perhaps due to how I take my shoes off  - by treading on the back of the heel with the other foot. Having said that the loss of glue here has not meant that the sole is coming off rather it is more of a cosmetic thing which could be fixed with a little Evostick. However it is a minor quibble. It is very hard to find anything wrong with these shoes.

As the trails get muddier I find the Skora Form doing really quite well through the mud. Not so much in traction, I still slip around as the soles don't have the deep grooves that trail shoes have, however I found that the soles seem to float through the mud and the mud doesn't stick. My Vibram Bikila were problematic because they seemed to sink, fill up with water, and accumulate mud in between the toes. The Skora are like Teflon - nothing really sticks!

Skora Form made excellent all rounders for travelling

In conclusion: for me Skora are best with socks and no insoles with  the option of tightening the heel strap...but you should experiment to find what works best for you! These are highly recommended all-rounders, good for road and trail...I even took them on holiday to wear casually (as well as to run in), and they proved to be a versatile and comfortable shoe.

REVIEW 2018

I have owned the Skora for almost three years now, so how have they fared?

Design: Excellent: 

Quality: Excellent 

Fit for the purpose I bought them (barefoot running): Excellent 

Resilience: Excellent (soles quite worn but I still run in them!)

Do I still wear them Yes! (Excellent).

Overall Rating: Excellent. The only modification was to cut out the knot of stitching that gives me a blister on my little toe.

They are getting very worn now but I will definitely buy another pair when these finally give up the ghost. They have lasted almost three years so far, and I am an average  low mileage runner, but even so, what great value for money they represent.

Barefoot U turn: Is Barefoot Running Practical?

With regular trail runs throughout the summer all set at a distance of 10km (aiming for quality over quantity), a change in diet including reduction in alcohol to practically nil, and use of Dunn's River as a recovery drink I am finding that I am experiencing an explosion in fitness. Although some weeks I only manage one run of 10k (last two weeks) on a good week I do 30k. I am getting to the point of looking at a half marathon distance however I am finding myself questioning the barefoot running concept, least of all because I trod on a sharp stone the other day which bruised my foot and I had to limp home...

Here are my thoughts...
I think being almost middle aged and having no need for competition puts one in a delightful situation of being able to do something for the sheer pleasure of it. It wasn't so easy when I was young and the insidious Ego was ever present; the days when if I saw other runners I would puff out my chest (and hold my breath so they couldn't hear my laboured breathing) and run really fast only to stop when I got around the corner and no one could see me. Or be overly conscious of what I looked like. Or how fast I did or how many miles I averaged.

Having said that I think the Ego has crept into my running in my self-identification as a barefoot runner. Suddenly the average man is a little less average, with people remarking that it is "hardcore" and people doing double takes in the street. I suspect many average runners are attracted to the concept for the same reason. I can't run well but I can focus on a minority trend and do that fairly well and call myself Barefoot Adamski. Sort of . You get the point. The Ego has crept back into running. I mean I even have the epithet "barefoot runner" on my twitter page. It sounds cool....but....now I feel a bit ridiculous. I will have to change it...Why feel the need to identify as one thing or another? But I suppose that's human nature.

However barefoot running, or should I say in my case "barefoot" running in VFF has been a useful tool for posture re-education and muscle strengthening. I have quite a pronounced leg length deformity, my left leg is about an inch shorter, and barefoot running seems to (on the whole) compensate for this. As part of a "training" program VFF has been invaluable to me.

However barefoot running has one or two (or three) very limiting factors.

1) true barefoot running is really limited to smooth trails or paths or sand beaches. However most of my trail runs involve gravel tracks and or paths with sharp stones. I wanted to go totally barefoot but I cannot see how this could be practical. I don't want to end up with a cut foot 3 miles from home, or tread in dog's excrement. The urban environment may have other risks such as broken glass. Hence I cannot take off my Vibram Five Fingers, I need shoes...and regardless of the shape, VFF's are shoes.

2) Speed (lack of). Barefoot is really quite slow and it seems that a lot of the muscles are concentrated on keeping the foot fall light and this seems to sacrifice speed. Not a major issue but for (trail) running having to keep at a slow pace kind of limits the progress of ones quest for improved fitness.

3) In trail running I have to walk through ditches and other obstacles for fear of twisting my ankle or breaking something...

Now...lets talk Paleo... the whole barefoot thing is meant to be like the cave man thing right? I have to say running in the VFF has unleashed my inner animal or connected me to the sensation of a prehistoric past. When I run through the pine forests I imagine my ancestors running with flint spears after some fleeing prey. However...in cold climates prehistoric man would have had some covering to his feet.

I recollect the occasion when I first run barefoot. I was on the estate of the anthropologist Bernard Grant Campbell (author of the paleoanthropological textbook Humankind Emerging) , when I kicked off my shoes and ran around a paddock. It was a revelation. However I think that we must give our prehistoric man / woman some credit. I think (for example) if we could bring Mr and Mrs Prehistoric in  a time machine and present them with my trail run they would fashion some leather shoes. He or she wouldn't risk injury. You have to live to run another day.

So it brings me back to the concept of barefoot running, and the inherent design fault in the Vibram Five Fingers, and (after much internet research) have ordered my first pair of Skora running shoes. I feel a slight traitor to the cause, however I think that a prehistoric man would have made a "minimalist" shoe for running, he wouldn't have fashioned toe pockets as per the VFF. It is an uneconomic design with no benefit other that the style and I suspect aesthetic considerations were not high on a prehistoric man or woman's considerations when they fashioned their moccasins. So I now patiently await my Skora shoes...A review will follow in due course.