ChiRunning with Running Flows

I took the Chi Running Basics workshop in the Presido a couple of year ago, and did a refresher run along the Marina last year. I just started running for the first time in my life 3 years ago at age 58, and knew I didn’t want to end up one of those injured runners. This weekend at age 61, I did a 15K run at a pace of 11’20″, and didn’t feel the least bit sore afterwards. I know it has everything to do with knowing Chi Running!

I took the Chi Running Basics workshop this past weekend. I have been running for over four years now. I mostly run half marathons and feel pretty good most of the time. After switching Nike Free running shoes, I have had less injuries.
I decided to try Chi Running to further reduce IT band issues I sometimes have. It is a packed four hour class, but I felt a picked up a lot techniques that I quickly applied to my running today. I feel the techniques are easy to learn and Sally has you practice them repeatedly during the class and giving you instant feedback. I tried reading the book years ago, but it was too hard to figure out if I was doing the technique right. I am so glad to have taken the class.
Sally has a warm and energetic personality. One can tell she loves teaching the class and helping people achieve their best. I plan on signing up for her other workshops. I look forward to improving my running even more!

Well, can’t say I’ve dealt with running coaches much — coaches yes, but not for running — I’d just go out and run. And I guess that’s the problem. I’ve had chronic back & hip problems & a doctor told me about Chi running so I got the book and started to learn the program. Then I got a herniated disk and a really bad case of sciatica as well (not from running — wasn’t running much when it happened). So now that I’m getting back into exercise I thought it would be a good idea to have someone look at my «interpretation» of what I learned in the book so I didn’t go back to bad habits.
Sally is terrific. Our class was runners of all abilities, and the pace accommodated everyone. Everyone is at ground zero, no one has to run a long distance, and everyone leaves feeling really aware and grounded in the Chi ideology and form. Don’t worry — the ideology is very acceptable — no Kool-​aid to drink.
Pacing is good, lots of time to practice, and the video taping at the end is super helpful. Sally sends you the video with notes on form (and if seeing the post injury self on video won’t inspire me to keep running — don’t know what will).
She also provides lots of options for post workshop follow-​up — more classes, one-​on-​one training, etc, which you definitely would want to do if you want to stick with Chi running. It’s not that hard, and it’s even better if you dig into the finer points for things like hills, breathing, etc.
If all you do is the intro class and then look at YouTube and other resources you can be a Chi runner, and I think it’s worth it if it allows running as a lifelong activity.
Beware — you will then become obsessed with watching other runners and how «normal» form is so stressful on the body — no worries, gives you something to think about on a long run. ;-)
Highly recommended for new runners and re-​entry runners as well as the seasoned runner.

I really enjoy running, but I don’t think my shins like it very much.
I took Sally’s Basic ChiRunning class with the hopes that it wasn’t just a gimmick and actually provided me with solid tools that I could use to continue running and eventually run for longer distances without pain.
During the exercises in the course, when I was doing things properly, I could feel a difference. My feet were lighter and my movements more efficient. ChiRunning is definitely not a gimmick, it’s worth the time and effort to learn.
Sally is a great instructor, she explained & demonstrated the techniques very well. She breaks the entire running process down into exercises and then has us put it all together and run while she pinpoints areas that we need to focus on.
I will tell you though, at least for me, ChiRunning isn’t something you’re going to pickup and do perfectly right away. Like most things worth doing, it takes practice. The basic group lesson was a great place to start, Sally provided quality feedback that I’m going to use to improve my running style.

Sally is terrific! From the moment of scheduling all the way through the end of the workshop she has been great at communicating, addressing all questions and concerns, and making the ChiRunning technique very clear. I am a Physical Therapist so I’m a huge proponent of injury prevention being applied to sports and ChiRunning is exactly that. I took the workshop because I actually hate running so I figured maybe if I learned a way to run so that it wasn’t painful, I wouldn’t hate it so much and after the workshop, I got just that. I’ll eventually take the level 2 workshop for hills but for now will be enjoying my ChiRunning on flatter grounds until I’m ready to advance. I felt so much lighter running with the technique that Sally taught and I would recommend her to just about anyone.

I’ve been running on an off for more than 35 years. The «off» times were mainly due to injury, which led to a vicious cycle of weight gain, more injuries, more off time, etc. Having just gotten back into running again, I soon got injured (again). My sports chiropractor recommended Chi Running as a way to reduce injuries. I was a bit skeptical at first but took the plunge and took the ChiRunning basic class with Sally at Running Flows in July.
The class consisted of demonstrations of various each of several techniques (including posture, cadence, stride length, etc.) followed by practicing each technique with instant personal feedback. Sally immediately detected flaws in my technique, provided quick feedback, etc. At the end of the class, she video’d each person individually, and then sent the videos along with analysis after the class. The class size was small (10 – 12 people) providing enough individual attention.
Overall, I learned a lot of techniques which seemed a bit foreign at first, but as I have tried to put these techniques in practice, I can feel that I am running with less impact and less energy output … hopefully this will lead to running greater distances faster, and reduced injuries.

Sally was excellent! The class was very easy to follow and she is a great teacher! I suffer from lower back pain and my physical therapist recommended I try Chi Running. I will certainly be using the techniques I have learnt from Sally as I practice for my first half marathon. Thanks, Sally!

Having a goal to run the SF marathon in 2014, I wanted to improve my running technique so I could run longer and more efficiently. As I ramped up the miles, headaches would beset me. My husband signed us both up for Sally’s Chi Running workshop, after he read the book ChiRunning. The workshop was about 4 hours long and very detailed.
Sally covered posture, how to land properly to prevent injury and more during the class. Thankfully, after 4 hours I got the hang of it! I would recommend Sally as she gave each and everyone of us feedback on how we were doing each step of the way. If you want to change the way you run and stop getting injuries, give Sally’s workshop a shot!

I just started running 5K in Oct. 2012 after a group of friends talked me into it, then I signed up for my first HM in Feb. 2013. I had my knee snapped during the last 2 miles and was in pain afterwards. After this, I heard about chi running so I got tips from my friend and searched youtube video about chi running. I practiced it during my training because I had another HM in 2 months ½ (May 2013). What a difference it made!!! Not only I came into 2hr31 (45 min. faster) and the best thing was that I did not feel any pain during or after the half marathon.
I just signed up with Sally Mitchell to do the chi running last weekend on July 14^th. She went through your normal running, gave explanation about your postures, the meaning of chi, and chi running is about energy, posture, downward gravity efficiency, core strength, cadence, and the movement of legs and arms. (This is the opposite of most standard running since we normally run with our knees and legs in front of our body!). She then let us run in a group, then run individually. She videotaped us to follow up with a tip and critique for improvements. I would give Running Flows (or Sally) a five stars for taking the time to go through the details and then the analysis. However, if time permits I would like Sally to go through some warm up tips before running!
Thanks Sally for coming out here in the Bay Area to teach us about chi running!

I took Sally’s 4 hr intro class on Saturday and am already putting the info to good use. Though I was already a mid foot striker, she was able to give me very useful pointers on other aspects of my form (lean, ankle position, posture, arm swing) that was helpful. I could feel the difference on my track workout this morning.
Thanks Sally!

I took the Chi running workshop with Sally yesterday. I’ve been running since the 1^st grade (40 years!). I’ve run a marathon and many ½ marathons. The last couple of years I’ve been battling injuries. I’ve had to drop out of races and have been inconsistent with running. I really want to get back into a running routine. Running is a part of me and I miss it.
The workshop was great. The way Sally took us through it step by step is really helpful and made it easy to comprehend. I plan to take the hills running workshop. Living on Nob Hill they’re unavoidable. I could feel a difference right away and plan to practice until it becomes second nature.
Thanks Sally for making the workshop fun and informative.

Awesome workshop! Sally really breaks it down and gives specific steps and exercises to get the technique and improve overall posture and movement. 5 stars.
Full story:
In 2008 I read Marathon Man and What I Think About When I Think About Running and got super hyped to start running myself. I figured my lungs would tell me when I ran too far – that was usually the issue back in the days. I figured if I start with 10 min and add an extra few minutes per day, that would be fine. Well, exactly six days later, it wasn’t my lungs but my knee. As I neared home it felt a little slow and sore. I put some ice on it and didn’t worry about it. The next day, I couldn’t bend it. It took six months to be able to walk normal! Since then, even after switching to minimalist footwear and working on a more natural step, any type of run has given me fear and pain.
I figured, I can just give up running and move on though, but the place I study MMA requires running as part of the conditioning portion of its tests. Upon hearing my concerns, one of the guys at the center mentioned the Pose method and I read up on it and tried using the pointers during the short runs in conditioning. I really needed a coach though to give specific feedback. I just learn better that way, at least when trying something new. Just as I was doing my research on this, a LivingSocial deal came up with Sally’s workshop. I wasn’t too sure about Chi Running but since Tim Ferriss mentioned to check it out, I signed up.
The workshop came just in time to start training for my next exam (~5 months away) and during the workshop, my knees felt as good as they do when I’m dancing. The biggest revelation for me was the correction on my pelvis. Sally’s quick observation explained issues in my back, upper back, and hips. This insight alone was worth the entire workshop. Sally gave specific exercises to help properly align it and even when it was closer to correct than before, it made a ton of difference in the way I moved and felt.
The workshop took place in the Presidio, a beautiful location. Just make sure to wear sunblock and/​or a hat! Really. Sally breaks it down into several sections, first giving an overview then having everyone practice and giving individual feedback. She had us do a run before the workshop to see what she needed to focus on. I may be missing some, but in general it was posture, form, lean, hips, cadence. Something like that. When we had enough steps to try runs, we did it in small groups and each gets feedback again. In the end she made a recording of us running and sent back an analysis over email. Super professional and helpful. Can’t give a higher recommendation.

Wow, what a great experience! Having just completed the 4 hour extensive Level 1 workshop yesterday, I can’t wait for the next Level 2 workshop! Sally was very pleasant and easy to understand. She has a very comfortable approach to ChiRunning with excellent, concise tips and exercises for technique. I could immediately tell there was a difference in my running. I really felt a difference in my stride and agility. My running seems more fluid now and less mechanical. I would highly recommend Sally’s workshop to any beginner, intermediate or advanced runner looking for a new approach to improving their running. Thank you Sally and ChiRunning for giving me a new lease on my running.

Highest recommendation for this stellar running coach! I’ve completed Levels 1 and 2 with Sally and commend her expertise, teaching method, encouraging spirit and analytic feedback. Chi Running is a gold standard for anyone wanting to begin, or return to outdoor exercise in a safe, pain-​free and MINDFUL manner. Thank you, Sally!

Sally is an athlete and an intellect who is managing to bring both skills together in her running classes.
Her love for Chi Running is infectious and her knowledge and manner on coaching the subject is easy going but intense.
As someone who has had to drop out of multiple events due to injury I am confident that the Chi Running technique is the way to reach a finish line.