Today was my CR7 after C25K and I decided to try Jeffing from now on. Someone guided me to the Facebook group Girls That Jeff and it is very interesting. I know a lot of Jeffers do 30:30 (30 sec run - 30 sec walk), but that seems so short run periods for me. So I am going to experiment with several different ratios, which will also change depending on whether I run during the week or in the weekend. And today I started with 5 mins runs with 30 secs walks for 30 mins (actually 32:30 mins in total).
Previous time my Garmin had been swallowed by a black hole OR he was drunk, but the distance was wrong as well as the map. Anyhow, today he locked onto a satelite very fast (good boy) and he behaved very well the whole run. Everything was good again.
So 5:30:30. I think I have run a bit faster than I did previously, because the run did not feel easy as it normally does in the weekend (plus my average pace was faster even with the walking breaks). It felt a bit as a challenge, not being easy peasy. But then again I was not really exhausted after my run either, so the Jeffing walking breaks do help? As I ran a bit faster, I sometimes felt myself getting a little bit out of breath. But the walking breaks solved that.
There is still so much to learn! Going to try different ratios of Jeffing and write down the results to find thé ratio that fits me best. A journey begins...
Hi ! I also had a go at what I'm going to call 'proper Jeffing' today for the first time. Previously I've been Jeffing on longer runs, but like you, doing longer runs to the walk break. For me it's been 1km run :60 seconds walk, though not always consistently. Today I tried 60:30:30 (sixty second running, 30 walking for 30 minutes), having learnt how to download it as a workout to my watch (thanks Nowster !) - and I felt I was running faster and harder during the running bits, but no personal bests ! didn't intend 'sprinting' those 60 seconds, it just kind of happened. I did feel quite puffed each time I stopped for a walk break - though having said that I think I'm less tired at the end of it than I would have been if I'd run the whole way - which seems to be the same as you.I have to admit I added an extra run on top of that (not jeffing), bringing it in to 10k in 1hour 15mins - about 40 seconds slower than a previous personal best. So it was approx. 4km Jeffing + 6km running looking at my stats, it seems I was indeed going quite a bit faster than my usual average on those 60 second sections. I'm not sure if I could have kept it up to 10km at that pace. Will think about my technique next time !
I think Jeffing is an exploration, you have to find out what ratio is best for you. Also depending on the distance you are going to run. I am keeping a notebook now, noting down the day, distance, duration, ratio and how it felt. It will probably take a while, but I am planning to find out what suits me best ☺
Fascinating to see the experiences. I’m essentially jeffing - using my breathing as the guide to my intervals (maintaining comfortable and relaxed nasal breathing). Since starting this as a focused training plan (as opposed to trying it out here and there), I’ve noticed:
*My pace is barely any different to my running partner (who is solely running).
*Over runs typically c. 5k, my overall pace started out about 30 seconds per km slower than my usual, but very rapidly (over 2-3 weeks) it has returned to be about the same.
*The post-run niggle in the hip faded away.
*I finish runs with more energy remaining. (Partner does not.)
*I moved from initially ‘pushing’ the nasal to my limit to instead really listening to my body, transitioning from run to walk sooner and keeping the breath ‘lighter’, which has meant many more intervals, but also much faster recovery on the walking stretch (sometimes just for a few seconds). I also feel that this shift has already helped fitness-wise. Counterintuitively, it seems that less really is more.
My main aim was/is to rebuild my running foundation with relaxed nasal breathing and I imagined myself as temporarily ‘stepping back’ (from pace and distance). What’s transpiring, it seems, is that my body is better adapting to improved pace and distance. In other words, the jeffing isn’t step back so much as a stepping forward. Still monitoring this, and still very early days, but I’m surprised how positive it has proved to be.
I must try this nasal breathing ! Yes - it's interesting to follow these different journeys that we are all on - thanks for sharing and keep doing so !
I'm happy to read your overal fitness improved and has not lowered with the Jeffing. That is something I am a bit afraid of. Just going to keep exoerimenting with it ☺
Because jeffing is, essentially, the start of c25k, I think we mistakenly imagine that improvement’ means leaving it behind (as though it were only for total newbies, which we conflate with being ‘less fit’). I think that progress of the run length on c25k works (did for me), but that it’s an error to conclude that jeffing per se is somehow ‘less’. A bit of me wonders if it’s not just the jeffing recovery phase that is important but also that there’s a fitness gain in the repeated rising/lowering of heart rate.
Oh thank you for articulating this. I'm guilty of considering a Jeffing run as "less" because of the walk breaks ("cheating'). I will try to think of ways to change that mindset.
If you have a Garmin, you can input it as a workout on the Connect app and send it to your watch. There you enter the running option, go to settings and choose the workout.
But me myself, I tried it once and my watch went bonkers (gps problems). Might be coincidence, but I don't risk it anymore. I have always my phone with me for music, so I just enter it in Runkeeper and let Runkeeper warn me with each interval.
Hey ! i went to 'Garmin connect' online (normally i use the app - i think it's possible to do within the app aswell), went to 'training' and 'workouts' and 'created new workout' and you can set up the intervals you want and how many repeats. Then somehow you sync it to your watch - and now where i found it in my watch - by starting a 'run', while it's waiting for GPS you can choose a workout (press on the you can somehow choose a workout. I didn't realise i had lots of pre-programmed workouts in there i never knew about !! I've been following a Garmin training plan, though, and i don't think i can programme within a programme, so to speak. so I'm going to have to work out another way of having the interval reminders while i am on a 'training' run'. Hope that makes sense ! for me it was a bit of trial and error.
I have a garmin vivoactive 3. You can set alerts that I think are independent of workouts/training plans etc (not positive since I’m still new with the garmin). From your watch (not the app or the PC) press the button that says you’re going to start a run, select “Run”, then down at the bottom select “Settings” then select “Alerts” then select “Add New” then select “Run/Walk” and from there you can set how many minutes/seconds for the Run portion and the Walk portion. I have set mine up but haven’t run with it so I’m not sure if it’s active all the time or not. Because some runs I won’t want to have these alerts active so I’m not exactly sure if I have to remove it then set it up again or what. Have to figure that out, but at least I know how to set it!
Edited to add: it might be possible to do this on the app, I just haven’t found it yet. Also the “Alerts” this way keep going until you stop the run, whereas the Workout method means you have to determine how long you want the run to be beforehand and set the number of repeats accordingly.
Thanks for this! I was playing around as you all suggested and I think I’ve got it. Will have to test it out in the next couple of days.
Another (somewhat related) question: how do you measure your actual run time and actual run distance? Said another way: how can I eliminate all the walk breaks from my overall time and distance totals? It feels like I’m cheating when I count in my walk breaks. Thanks for your guidance!
I am on a Facebook group with only women who do Jeffing. I once posted that I unconsciously run faster to make up for the walking parts. That some part of my brain still considers it as cheating. Oh my... I got serious words against me. I KNOW it is not cheating, I meant that my brain still thinks you have to run and therefore forced my body to go faster in the run parts to make up for the walking. So a warning, if you ever talk to / meet a Jeffer, NEVER ever say you think walking is cheating 😉
Haha - I've heard about that group and requested to join it. I don't do much Facebook so I have to login to see if I was accepted. Noted about the (shhhh!) "cheating"
I’ve tried 60:30, 2.5m:30s, 5m:30s and 1k:30s. I found the shorter run periods were too distracting with my Garmin vibrating all the time, since I also listen to podcasts when I run. I also seem to have a harder time during the runs because of the anticipation of a walk break coming up when I do shorter run intervals. Probably I’m going too fast on the runs.I’ve pretty much settled on 1km run, 30 second walk because I’ve got my Garmin set up to vibrate with each km anyway so I don’t need to use another set of workout alerts for the jeffing and it’s long enough where I’m not constantly thinking about when the next time I can walk is.
Overall, every time I’ve done it regardless of what time intervals I’ve used I’ve found myself less tired, more able to keep going a longer distance, less fatigued the rest of the day and less achy the next day (I’m 56 and have a tendency towards aching joints). And my pace seems to be about the same or better than my continuous running pace, when I do the 5m and the 1k run intervals.
I’m going to go back and try the shorter intervals again. I went over to the Facebook group and started reading there and it seems like the shorter intervals are definitely very useful...I need to give them more of a chance!
Thanks for sharing. This is really interesting .I have just started on a new Garmin plan but not sure that it's going to work for me.I will give it another week and if it doesn't I may give this Jeffing a go.
I'm finding 1km then a walk until I feel really settled down to start running again (usually 30 seconds to 1 minute) is working out well for me and I will probably stick to that as I increase distances
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I've been following a Garmin training plan, though, and i don't think i can programme within a programme, so to speak. so I'm going to have to work out another way of having the interval reminders while i am on a 'training' run'. Hope that makes sense ! for me it was a bit of trial and error.
My friend Jeffing & 6 month anniversary
