Master the Art of Running: Raising Your Performance with the Alexander Technique

by Malcolm Balk, Andrew Shields

Running is both a popular competitive sport and a highly effective form of exercise—a simple, inexpensive way to achieve a wide range of cardiovascular, muscular, and emotional benefits. Now, by combining running with the healthful body-awareness principles of the Alexander Technique, runners can improve their competitive performance while multiplying the health benefits of the sport and virtually eliminating its hazards. The proven methods of the Alexander Technique encourage good body use and greater awareness of the way the body functions and moves. Applied to running, the Technique teaches how to release tension and run without risk of injury. With special exercises for the head, eyes, torso, and legs, this unique approach radically improves results, both in training and competition.

Genres: Fiction

160 pages, Paperback

First published March 28, 2006

Reviews

[Aaron · Rating 2 out of 5]

The parts motivated by the Alexander Technique are pretty good, especially the emphasis on keeping the neck relaxed. I hear advice about keeping the shoulders relaxed a lot, but those two areas work together. Where this book really falters is when it advances the hot nonsense of Pose technique. Pose, for those unfamiliar, is a school of running created by some dude from Russia and brought to America because too many Eastern Europeans are really good at physics, and when they are instructed to run on a flat surface by "using gravity rather than muscles to go forward" they scrunch up their faces at how a downward force vector magically becomes a horizontal one.

Thankfully, many Americans don't know physics, and apparently never suffered childhood disappointments at the limitations of slinkies and skateboards, and think this is a good idea. The inclusion of Pose was particularly disappointing because Alexander Technique, from what I understand, is about not overthinking things and letting the body do what it naturally wants to do, which would complement a Steve Magness/Tom Tellez understanding of biomechanics.

[Michel B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good use of humour and sprinkled with interesting anecdotes - both personal and from the world of professional athletes - make this an easy read. Yet, it's an instructional book so there are many techniques one learns about, to help run better - ahem, should I say to help master running well. The book is so easy to read that I've got to go back over a few chapters to review and practice some of the information.

Since I'm rather new to running, I can't really comment from experience, other than to say that the techniques they suggest seem good/correct. Time and practice will tell how handy/useful and easy they are for me (to apply).

[Leena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to run three miles a day, until repeated injuries took me out in my teens. I was never super competitive or talented. I just liked it, but obviously had no idea what I was doing. Life went on and I adjusted to other sports, but always missed running.

Enter the Alexander Technique, in my 40s. It's been completely life changing for me. If I start gushing now, we'll never get to the end of this review. But my point is, I started this book with about two years of Alexander practice under me.

If you are reading this book and are not familiar with the Alexander Technique, I think it's a good primer and gives many examples. But it's no substitute for an actual Alexander coach. Alexander can both get results very quickly and never be mastered, so I feel its best to have a person to lead you through that journey.

But this book makes me feel like I can run again! I was so happy to find a running-specific Alexander book out there (let me know if someone makes one for rowing). I haven't tried running again yet, but plan to in the spring (this review was written in October in the Northern US - snow is coming soon dammit). But I also want to give myself plenty of time to relearn the proper movements. The drills were what I found most helpful and I've incorporated them into my daily Alexander practice. I also loved all the photos because they illustrated great form. And the testimonials were very inspiring and explanatory.

[Hv2go · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uitstekend boek. Het behandeld de 'Alexander Techniek' en wat dat kan betekenen voor je hardlopen. Goede tips en uitleg over lichaamshouding en hoe 'goed met je lichaam omgaan' gezondheid meebrengt en kwaliteit van leven verbetert.
Alexander Techniek is een aanrader voor een ieder. Wordt veel gebruikt door dansers, muzikanten en sporters. Er zijn conservatoria die standaard een Alexander Techniek leraar hebben.
Minpuntje van het boek ??
Helaas is het zo dat je niet zelf de 'Alexander Techniek' aan kunt leren. Het is verstandig om lessen te nemen bij een leraar. Het is zelfs de moeite waard om dit eenmalig te doen, om eens kennis te maken met deze techniek en wat het met je lichaam doet (er wordt niks gekraakt of iets dergelijks).
Toch de moeite waard dit boek, omdat het je bewust maakt dat je soms vreemde onnodige dingen met je lichaam doet, die helemaal niet nodig zijn en je ook in de weg zitten zonder dat je dit in eerste instantie bewust van bent. Kom je het tegen? LEZEN.

[Beth Nugent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just what I needed to get my running mojo back. Loved the layout, the advice, the illustrations, the drills, the experiments and the science to back it up.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A loan from my Alexander Technique teacher. Some interesting thoughts in there and some practical things for me to try

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book focuses on running using the Alexander Technique which involves relaxing muscles that are not in use and preventing energy leaks through poor posture. While it predates the barefoot craze it comes to the same advice, forefoot landing - light and quick. The advice is easy to understand and put into practice from "We run like we sit" and how to improve posture to photos of elite athletes and a rundown of their strengths and weaknesses. Caroline Kluft and Ed Moses are particularly stunning examples in the photos. As an aside, I saw Bill Rodgers running in the woods one day and his legs seem to go in circles, like a mixer, and all over the place!

I think I will give 5 stars now. The words "amazing" in the star category often dissuade me from 5 stars, was it amazing? Well maybe not AMAZING but could it have done the job any better? No, so 5 it is.

[Kyla Squires · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty clear directions on developing and maintaining good running form. A couple good drills, and tests to determine some of your tendancies. The list of dos and don'ts at the end seem very useful. I think this has already improved my ease of running, but I'll wait till I've spent a little more time implementing the techniques in this book before I give it a rating.

UPDATE: I forgot to come back and rate this. I am giving it a high rating because indeed, I have found the techniques in this book to be very helpful.

[JDK1962 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually 3.5 stars...for what it has, it probably could have been shorter. But it definitely has some very useful coaching on running form, and made me interested in checking out Alexander Technique, Pose Method, and Chi Running.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had some valuable ideas, but the idea of basing your entire training program around them seems a little silly to me. Read it, take it with a grain of salt, adapt it as you see fit - or not at all.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful. Especially for those of us who are inexplicably running a half marathon in five weeks even though we've only run twice in the past 6 months.

[Danny T · Rating 3 out of 5]

You should read this if you are new to running - there is a lot of stuff goign on in your mind as you run. This book helps you master the mind part of the sport...