The Balanced Runner

Marla's favorite thing she's learned from me:

"When I received your email about the free challenge, I decided to give it a try. It didn’t take long to realize—it was exactly what I needed.

"What really struck me was the emphasis on letting your hips move. I’ve had off-and-on hip issues for years, and I remembered an article I read a while back. It suggested imagining your hips as a bucket of water, with the goal of not letting any spill while running.

"My interpretation at the time was to keep my hips completely still. Now I realize that may have contributed to my discomfort. Your approach helped me rethink that—and it’s already making a difference.

"My running form used to feel so restricted, but now I feel free—and I’m moving faster than ever!"

–Marla

I had a great time talking with the Runegades! They started with the hardest question of all, but after that it got easier. 🤣

What’s a Balanced Runner? 👇 Episode 34: Jae Gruenke, founder of The Balanced Runner, becomes a RUNEGADE Jae Gruenke, is a running technique expert, Feldenkrais practitioner, and founder of The Balanced Runner. Since 2003 she’s helped runners and triathletes from beginner to Olympian become pain-free, efficient, and fast. Her elite clients have included Olympian distance runners Jen Rhines and Sonia Samuels, Olympic medalist and Ironman winner Lisa Norden, multi-record-setting ultramarathoner William Sichel, and Susan Marshall, winner of the 2022 Self-Transcendence 3100 (the world’s longest race).  In this conversation, Jae discusses the intricacies of running form, the importance of body awareness, and how self-image affects performance. She emphasizes the need for runners to explore their movement patterns and understand their bodies better to improve their running efficiency. Jae’s (6) keys to being a Balanced Runner: - Forward lean from the ankles - Movement of the core - core action, rotation - Foot strike can vary, but supple leg - Mid-stance alignment - Arm swing (bring your hands to your heart) - Leaning with your face (kiss your grandma) YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts #podcast #run #runner #running #motivation #runningform #fitness @the_balanced_runner

"I've just reached the end of the course. It's taken me 15 weeks to get there due to all kinds of non-running related issues, but even with that slow completion, it has had an amazing effect. Joining the course is definitely the best decision I have ever made for my running. It's like magic.

"I can only speak from my own experience, but at some point in the course, out of nowhere, my running just improved without my conscious mind even really knowing how." -Ray P.

The magic is 20% off with special bonuses! Link in bio.

Running smoothly, Abdi Nageeye beat Evans Chebet to win the 2024 NYC Marathon. Here’s the unusual thing about his form, why he’s so smooth and fast, and what you can learn from him. (video link in the comments)

I'm betting you could use some stress relief.

Even if running is your main way of dealing with stress, it might not be enough or you might even risk injury if you run in a stressed-out state.

Try this unusual technique I call Heart of the Palm. Once you learn it, you can do it anywhere and feel completely different in about 5 minutes.

Link to the audio track is in the comments below.

Deep Relaxation Audio Lesson (free download!) - The Balanced Runner™ One of the most common things runners tell me is that running is their form of stress relief. That’s great, but it can become problematic when you’re injured and can’t run, or when you don’t have time, or sometimes even when running isn’t quite enough. Stress can also overwhelm your runnin...

Ruth Chepngetich changed her movement in specific ways to set a new world record in the Chicago Marathon yesterday. By analyzing slow motion video and comparing her form to slow motion footage from her last two marathons, we can see how she did it. (link is in the comments below)

Chepngetich World Record Slow Motion Running Form Analysis Ruth Chepngetich changed her movement in specific ways to set a new world record in the 2024 Chicago Marathon. By analyzing slow motion video and comparing C...

Did you see the “tell” in Kotut’s form in the last few km of the Berlin Marathon that showed he wouldn’t win? It’s in my analysis of the top 4 elite men–Mengesha, Kotut, Alew, and Kiprop–using slow motion video from 39k plus broadcast footage.

Berlin Marathon 2024 Elite Men Video Analysis Over the final kilometers of the 2024 Berlin Marathon, a sign appeared in Cybrian Kotut’s running form that showed he would not beat Milkesa Mengesha to the ...

I'm thrilled to be a presenter in the FGNA 2024 Conference Series! Join me on Friday 9/6, 9-1pm Pacific, for a transformative experience, tailored for all levels.

Use code 'Sense24' to save on registration (registration link is in comments below).

See you there!