In Chi Running you align your posture and lean forward to move your whole body weight in front of where your ankles contact the ground. If the muscles in your lower legs are completely relaxed so there is no tension in the ankles, you will fall forward. You use the momentum resulting from your forward fall to pull you forward so you don’t have to use the muscles in your legs and feet to push you forward.
The Unicycle Drill described here is a very simple exercise designed to teach you what it feels like when you have properly setup the forward fall and are moving under its momentum rather than using the muscles in your legs and feet to push you forward. This is first practiced as a walking drill. However, at the end of this document is a description on how you can use this during your runs.
Introduction to Drill
When an unicyclist wants to move forward he doesn’t start by first pedaling the wheel, instead he leans forward slightly and begins a forward fall. Then he starts pedaling the wheel slightly behind his center of gravity to keep up with his forward fall. The wheel is not what’s moving him forward, it’s the momentum of his forward fall. He is just pedaling the wheel behind him to keep up so he doesn’t fall on his face. If he did
not lean forward to move but instead began by first pedaling the wheel, he would have fallen on his back.
The same principles are used in Chi Running. When you want to move forward you don’t start by moving your feet, instead you lean your entire aligned posture forward slightly from your ankles with limp lower legs and begin a forward fall. As you begin to move forward you start picking up your feet behind your center of gravity to keep up with your forward fall. If performed correctly your feet are not moving you forward; it’s the momentum of your forward fall that is moving you forward. You’re just moving your feet to keep up with the rest of your body so you don’t fall on your face. In fact while you are in the forward fall you feel like you cannot stop moving your feet! The feeling that you cannot stop moving your feet is what you use to determine if you have properly setup the forward fall and are using its momentum rather than using the muscles in your legs and feet to move forward.
Execution of Drill
There are three elements required to create the forward fall: (1) aligned posture; (2) lean; and (3) completely relaxed lower legs so there is no tension in the ankles. If you miss any one of the three elements then you cannot create the forward fall. The steps of the drill below are executed to demonstrate the importance of performing all three elements.
When instructed to align your posture in this drill, simply push up the sky with the crown of your head (to lengthen your spine and straighten your neck) and use your lower abdominal muscles to pull your belly button in towards your spine (to level your pelvis).
When instructed to lean your posture forward in this drill, put a finger on your lower abdominal muscles to better sense the location of your center and move it forward just slightly in front of your ankles so that your whole body weight is in front of your ankles. Leaning forward by focusing on moving your center in front of your ankles prevents you from bending at the hips when leaning, one of the most common mistakes made by beginner Chi Runners. Engaging your lower abdominals by pulling your belly button into your spine prevents you from bending at the waist when leaning forward.
Step 1 – Walking with aligned posture, relaxed lower legs but no lean
In this first part of the drill align your posture, do not lean, relax all the muscles in your lower legs and start walking forward with a very short stride length. Keep your mental focus into your lower legs and feet. After about 20 steps or so, try to stop moving your feet to stop your forward movement. You should be able to easily stop. Since you are not leaning forward, you are not properly falling forward and your feet are still responsible for your forward movement.
Step 2 – Walking with aligned posture, lean and tensed lower legs
In this next part of the drill align your posture, purposely add tension in the muscles in your lower legs so they are not relaxed. Lean your posture forward slightly and start walking forward with a very short stride length. Keep your mental focus into your lower legs and feet. After about 20 steps or so, try to stop moving your feet to stop your forward movement. You should be able to easily stop. Since you have tension in the lower legs you are not properly falling forward and your feet are still responsible for your forward movement.
Step 3 – Walking with aligned posture, lean and relaxed lower legs
In this last part of the drill align your posture, purposely add tension in the muscles in your lower legs so they are not relaxed. Lean your posture forward slightly and start walking forward with a very short stride length. Keep your mental focus into your lower legs and feet. After about 20 steps or so, completely release the tension in your lower legs. At this point, if done right, you will feel a sudden change in the feeling in your legs as you are now moving under the momentum of the forward fall. After another 20 steps or so keep your same angle of lean and try to stop moving your feet. You shouldn’t be able to if you are doing everything right because your legs and feet are not controlling your forward movement and they need to keep up with your forward fall or else you will fall on your face.
If this is not working properly for you at first, (1) ensure you are really releasing all tension in the lower legs and feet, (2) your posture is aligned; and (3) you don’t subconsciously decrease your angle of lean to come back upright when you try to stop your feet. You could even have a friend walk beside you with one hand on your shoulder to keep you from subconsciously decreasing your angle of lean.
Unicycle Drill while Running
If you want to use this during your runs, then while running with aligned posture, lean and relaxed lower legs, simply try to stop moving your feet. If you can, you are doing something wrong and you should check that your posture is truly aligned, your center is ion front of your ankles, and that you have completely relaxed lower legs and ankles.
If you can’t stop moving your feet then you know you are in the forward fall and using its momentum. Once you can get to this point your whole thinking should change. You should now realize that your feet are not required to move you forward and can now try to let go of any remaining tension in their legs and feet since its wasted energy.
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