An oriental approach to running that could be just my cup of chi

ChiRunning is the brainchild of American ultra-marathon runner Danny Dryer, but the technique has now made it across to this country and according to Bridget Barr, one of only a handful of qualified instructors in the UK, it can help even the most reluctant runner to improve.

All of which is good news. Every so often I get a burst of enthusiasm, enter a 10k and start training. It's never a particularly rigorous programme and good intentions often fall by the wayside in the face of dark nights, the slightest drizzle and back to back episodes of Come Dine With Me.

When the training is going well the smug feeling of satisfaction is hard to beat, but every time I've crossed a finishing line and picked up the souvenir T-shirt I immediately go into retirement. Until the next time.

"You look at some people when they run and you do wonder why they put themselves through it," says Bridget, who worked as a psychiatric nurse before setting up Revolutionary Running with her colleague Sarah Tomlinson.

"I think there's a misnomer that if something hurts you must be doing yourself some good. It's simply not true. When something is such hard work, there's a danger of it becoming demoralising."

While a member of a running club in Ilkley, Bridget insists she has never been a particularly competitive runner and turned to ChiRunning after her training was repeatedly interrupted by injury.

"I would have a good month and then be out for a few weeks with a thigh strain," she says. "I love running, I love being out on my own, but I was just finding myself in a vicious circle of injury."

Put simply the technique uses elements of Thai Chi to improve everything from posture, lean, arm swing and cadence and while it's not something that can be picked up in a few minutes, with a bit of practice Bridget, who starts by videoing each new client, insists the results are pretty impressive.

It turns out that my posture is not bad – although when she plays back the footage I also seem to be moving barely quicker than a snail's pace and I apparently have a tendency to lean back rather than slightly forward and my feet aren't quite doing what they should.

Thankfully this is an American technique, so there's no character assassination or boot camp training exercises. Instead it's about observing, encouraging and a little gentle advice.

The trick is to make sure your body is in alignment, with your chin slightly down and pelvis slightly up. Then you need to push off with your toes, land on the mid part of the foot, not the heel, while keeping the knees down. You also need to keep a steady cadence – somewhere between 85 and 90 strides per minute with each leg. Bridget says a metronome helps, but it can feel like the running version of rubbing your tummy while patting your head.

For a few seconds my legs are moving beautifully, but the arms are a law unto themselves and while my chin is down, it's less to do with having mastered ChiRunning and more to do with a realisation that a childhood lack of co-ordination has returned with a vengeance.

"Don't beat yourself up," says Bridget, reminding me most people starting off enrol on a half or full-day workshop rather than half an hour in a windswept park.

"Pulling everything together is difficult and we advise people when they go out to concentrate on just, say, their arm swing and the next time move onto their legs or their pace.

"A lot of the techniques, particular making sure you're posture is right, can be practised even when you're not running. Once people begin to feel what it's like to be standing correctly and lifting their ankles the right way it does eventually become second nature.

"I've been doing it a few years now and I wouldn't describe my own technique as 100 per cent perfect. However, since I started the one thing I would say is that I have been injury free and I have never enjoyed my running more."

It's a week since my session with Bridget. I've been out running twice, albeit under the cover of darkness to reduce the chance of being spotted practicing, but the trainers haven't yet gone back in the cupboard which is something of a result in itself.

For more information about ChiRunning workshops visit www. revolutionaryrunning.co.uk or call 01943 468853.