My name is Julia Chi…
I have been running all of my life – it feels I was born to run.
In the running step I experienced freedom and my true expression.
I came to see that I needed to ‘get out of the way of myself’ and let my energy flow through the running step; allow it to express itself in the dance and the motion of running.
I have lived from a belief that all that is required is that I know myself, and that I am true to myself, and seek to become the master of my body and my mind… That from this place I allow my true nature to shine and reflect in my creative endeavours and within my relationships.
An ongoing journey…!
I knew from when I was young that all I needed to do was to ‘run free’. To let the running take me where it wanted to. To stay in the step. To be in the moment and so to experience running as a meditation on the move.
I ran for England and GB for some years. My first international was in 1979, a three mile cross country race; and I continued to run at international level until 1993. Two of my best results were first place in the Dublin City Marathon in 1985 and 7th place woman, 3rd British woman in the 1986 London Marathon in a time of 2.36.31, which gained me selection for the Commonwealth Games.
ByJulia Chi
Today I have been wandering around London heralding my approach with tinkly jewels on my feet.. They arrived in the post from a fan ? And there is no record of who sent them… However I do know that they are either from Jay or Fi, because they have both told me that they have…
ByJulia Chi
And now Anadi and I are at Gatwick…I am in Costa writing, and Anadi is in a meeting… It feels a bit like time travel… The journey from Devon to here took only four hours… We left at 6am, in the rain – and the journey went in a flash… The feel and energy of…
ByJulia Chi
Today Jane and I had a very happy day, mainly spent in the laundrette… We had started the day again on a very wild and windy Woolacombe beach, and come gratefully home to the delicious Score Valley House Hotel breakfast, where we had a lot of fun showing Paul and Donna – our hosts –…
ByJulia Chi
Supporting Josie in her quest to ‘not do an Ironman’ is proving to be a very serious endurance experience for Jane and I… So far we have completed day two of our ‘cream tea eating challenge’, and we have returned home proud of the achievement, if not a little exhausted from the effort…! Yesterday we…
ByJulia Chi
Anadi and I arrived here in Ilfracombe on Monday evening, we were met by our host who wasn’t wearing shoes! ‘Barefoot’ I exclaimed as if I were greeting one of my tribe… ‘I’m always getting told off for it’ he laughed… ‘No no…’ I continued; ‘I’m a barefooter too…’ I didn’t realise until that moment…
ByJulia Chi
The sun is shiny golden bright today, gusty windy cloud scudding bright… We are in Lyme Regis and I have just enjoyed a very blowy walk along the seafront to the end of the Cobb… I stood on the end which was characteristically windy… And looked over to golden cap where as little girls Rosy…
ByJulia Chi
After nearly three miles of running along the beautiful sandy sea weedy ‘middle beach’ of Studland Bay, I reached the end and saw a line of traffic queuing to the edge of the water; a tall man who had run past me as I was running along the beach, was waiting there too with a…
ByJulia Chi
As I sit here writing I can hear rain, persistent and heavy… All I’ve heard is rain since we arrived in England last Wednesday… But it lends itself to a green lush land, and is an enjoyable and different experience for us – as well as for my feet.. Although Anadi has laughingly asked me…
ByJulia Chi
We woke to a grey blowy day and I stepped out into a land of green grey; Dorset stone rising around me; grey slippy pavement beneath my bare feet… Feeling the energy of the earth beneath my soles, I ran down the road to the beach. The squawking seagulls circled around the empty space, sweeping…
ByJulia Chi
Anadi and I ran together for a last run on our endless beach… The playa with a timeless feel to it, so easy to cover the miles… Today we spotted six other barefoot runners, brown bodies, brown feet blending with the landscape; and as we ran we watched the beach get busier, the surfers starting…
ByJulia Chi
On Monday night I went to sleep on the west coast of Spain, Tuesday bedtime came in Malaga, last night I went to sleep on the ninth floor of the Premier Inn at Gatwick airport and tonight I am lying on a lovely big bed in a lodge in Swanage… Four nights in four different…
ByJulia Chi
I ran and ran and ran on the endless beach, padding along in my bare feet… Anadi by my side for nine miles; it was easy to run along and keep running, each step the sandy same… Another ‘longest ever’ run for me barefoot – just over thirteen miles… It is becoming easier and easier…
