Danny Dreyer & Katherine Dreyer
As a student of T'ai Chi, Danny Dreyer believed that the fundamental principles of the practice could be applied to running in a way that would make the sport easier and less likely to cause injury. Once the idea was seeded, Dreyer worked to perfect the technique, dubbed it ChiRunning, and soon began teaching his unique approach to others. As his classes began to gain notoriety, his wife Katherine Dreyer, who is given coauthor credit for the book but only appears to have served in an editorial capacity, encouraged Dreyer to publish his running methodology, and in 2004 "ChiRunning" debuted to critical acclaim.
While it seems the majority of people have only the highest praises to speak of "ChiRunning," it really isn't all that it's cracked up to be. Dreyer's nonchalant delivery, offbeat references, and just plain wrong information make it tough to put a lot of faith in the book. Some of Dreyer's misconceptions are excusable since they have been perpetuated for so long, like when he says that pronation should be eliminated, but at other points the information he provides is nearly laughable. It's hard to take Dreyer seriously as he instructs runners to put emphasis into the backswing of their arm movement or when he preaches the merits of running up hills sideways.
"ChiRunning" does, however, offer a few pieces of sound advice in its pages, but they are beat to such redundancy that it's hard to find much reason to choose this book over other resources. If you're looking to decrease your risk of injury by making improvements to your form, a little bit of research will provide you with all of the same points Dreyer repeats throughout his book: relax your limbs, lean from your ankles, shorten your stride, and increase your cadence.
Aside from the above advice on improving form, "ChiRunning" concludes with sections on designing training schedules, optimizing race potential, and incorporating a healthier diet, but just like the form tips, this information is readily available online as well. Ignoring the inaccuracies and fallacies sprinkled throughout, "ChiRunning" is merely a rehashing of easily accessible knowledge dressed up with a little bit of Eastern philosophy for the sole purpose of selling more books.
Even with all of its flaws and the fact that it offers little to the advancement of fitness literature, "ChiRunning" could be considered passable if it weren't for the testimonies and self-praise incorporated into nearly every chapter. Because of this, the book ends up being more of an advertisement for Dreyer's program and brand than a reference manual for bettering your running. It seems that Dreyer has made a superficial attempt to cash in on a niche market, and this has led to a work that ultimately falls far short of being a true success.
"ChiRunning" does, however, offer a few pieces of sound advice in its pages, but they are beat to such redundancy that it's hard to find much reason to choose this book over other resources. If you're looking to decrease your risk of injury by making improvements to your form, a little bit of research will provide you with all of the same points Dreyer repeats throughout his book: relax your limbs, lean from your ankles, shorten your stride, and increase your cadence.
Aside from the above advice on improving form, "ChiRunning" concludes with sections on designing training schedules, optimizing race potential, and incorporating a healthier diet, but just like the form tips, this information is readily available online as well. Ignoring the inaccuracies and fallacies sprinkled throughout, "ChiRunning" is merely a rehashing of easily accessible knowledge dressed up with a little bit of Eastern philosophy for the sole purpose of selling more books.
Even with all of its flaws and the fact that it offers little to the advancement of fitness literature, "ChiRunning" could be considered passable if it weren't for the testimonies and self-praise incorporated into nearly every chapter. Because of this, the book ends up being more of an advertisement for Dreyer's program and brand than a reference manual for bettering your running. It seems that Dreyer has made a superficial attempt to cash in on a niche market, and this has led to a work that ultimately falls far short of being a true success.
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