We run four or five times a week, three to four miles each time.

We loosely describe it as a run, to an observer we probably look like a distressed locomotive in need of a coal fix . The pace is slow, the route varies from track to trail to pavement. There is much schvitzing.

But the specter of a running-related injury is always hovering. Sound familiar?

Then we heard about Chi Running (www.chirunning.com). Less stress on the knees, less risk of the all-painful charley horse. So we listened.

Holmdel’s David Stretanski, (www.echifitness.com) Chi runner and teacher, demonstrated the technique with Suzanne Wilcox of Boonton. Watch the video to get a sense of it.

Basically, you lean forward and relax. Then there’s special breathing, pelvis positioning, floppy lower legs, straight feet. When everything lines up correctly, you head off for your run, looser and happier.

Chi runners say the relaxed posture helps them go faster, farther, and prevents injuries by keeping stress off the knees and hips. The same techniques are used for Chi walking.

The drawback to being less aerobic and more mental? We suppose you don’t burn as many calories. But how great not to be panting like a dog when you float past that pack of high school kids?

So fire off an e-mail to David Stretanski ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and find your correct zenter of gravity… before age and your knees catch up with you.

.