Most runners will get to a point on a run where they begin to doubt their body's ability to continue and this self-doubt begins to eat at their ability to dig a little deeper to overcome this primal feeling. How we respond to this feeling could make the difference between quitting a planned long slow distance run, and completing a race that you trained hard for, instead of throwing in the towel.

If you’re a Chi Runner you would use Y'Chi (pronounced "e" chee) to help keep your mind focused and not let those doubts enter your mind. In Chinese, the "Y" means your intent and "Chi" is your energy. So how would you apply this to your running program?

You would find something about 30 - 40 meters ahead of you and focus at eye level on the item, allowing it to pull you forward. Focusing on the item using your eyes, keeping your shoulders forward, and a make-believe “mind's eye” in the middle of your forehead. You are allowing the energy from your target to move you. When you lock on to a target, do not blink but just focus on it without taking your eyes off of the target. This is not to be confused with a “I'll just run to that tree” mentality. Imagine that your car is hooked up to a tow truck (your focus) and it is drawing you towards the truck. When you arrive at the target, pick another target. Targets do not have to be stationary, i.e. they can be other runners ahead of you.

Some of the added benefits when using Y'Chi is it will help keep your posture aligned and since you’re not slumping, you will have better lung volume available to help feed those tired muscles. It also helps keep your shoulders pointed forward, quieting your upper body movement and thus conserving energy.

There are some runners who use Y 'Chi over the whole race, and subsequently, they could not believe how quickly the race ended as well as having greatly improved times without any seemingly increase in effort. Next time you’re out for a challenging run, try turning on your Y'Chi and see what it does for you.