Run Gently Instructor Gwen Andersen

At 27 I had pretty bad knee pain. At 29 I began running on a
consistent basis. In my early 30s running allowed me to handle
the stress of working full time and getting an MBA full time. I
wanted to make sure I could derive those benefits for the rest of
my life, but I was concerned about my knees. At age 34 I was
diagnosed with chondromalacia and saw x-rays of the wearing
away of the cartilage in my knees. Now I knew what had been
causing my knee pain for so long and I was really worried
about having to stop running at some point.

Then I heard about ChiRunning, developed by Danny Dreyer. I
read the book. I watched the DVD. Then I took a class to make
sure I was doing it right. I was delighted. The following summer
I volunteered for the MCRRC's Smarter Runner program. Even
though it was held in the heat and humidity of summer in
Maryland I discovered I love coaching. I also loved sharing the
ChiRunning method and I decided to become a certified
instructor.

Many things still hurt my knees, but running is not one of them.
I want you to be able to run for the rest of your life too.

- Gwen Andersen