A revelation today! Thanks Bazza!

[Ullyrunner]

I have been struggling with my running for the past month.

My blood pressure medication that I have used for a number of years and was happy with, has disappeared off the shelves. The new meds prescribed by the doc have definitely affected my running form. My legs have been feeling heavy, I've got hotter than ever and I have simply run out of breath after about 15 mins and needed to take a walking break before continuing for another 10 mins or so.

Now, I have never been fast, averaging about 41 mins to do my 5k. Although I have improved gradually on my speed and broken 40 mins a couple of times, I have not been extending my distance at all.

This has not worried me as I am still at the stage of being amazed that I can do this having only come to running in my sixtieth year! However, it has been very demoralising having to take walking breaks recently, knowing that I am quite capable of running for 30 mins non stop. It makes me feel something of a failure and I have not been enjoying my runs of late.

Enter Bazza on this forum!

Bazza has been posting the virtues of the run/walk method (which, after all, is where we all started with Laura). I have also read a few things about it as a distance training tool in Runners World so I decided to give it a go this morning.

I chose a 4/2 pattern and had a lovely run. My breathing was much better, I got less hot and felt I still had something in reserve at the end of my 45 mins. What was great was that because the walks are programmed in, I shrugged off that sense of failure. I was conscious of having run further than normal but was delighted that my runkeeper stats told me that I had covered 5.8k.

And what's even better is that my time over the 5k distance was down to 38 mins 07 seconds! How amazing is that!!

So, my thanks to Bazza. This may not appeal to you young gazelles out there, but for a oldie like me, it feels like something of a breakthrough and I think I shall start to be able to work on increasing my distance.

Happy bunny today

[no-excuse Graduate]

That's amazing Ullyrunner and very interesting. I tried this on one of my runs the other day and ended up equalling a previous PB, and like you felt so much more comfortable. It may not appeal to everyone but if it works and you are happy then that's all that matters isn't it. Hope you carry on enjoying yourself now, you are doing great. x

[Hidden]

It's always worth doing what works for you. enjoy your new-found running methods. Best wishes.

[Hidden]

I too am 60 and am now experimenting with walk breaks after reading some articles about Jeff Galloway's method. I find it does not really affect my speed much. It enabled me to run/walk a distance of 5 miles last Thursday. On Friday, I did not feel any twinges at all. If I try to run non-stop, I am always very stiff and achy the next day.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I have only just discovered this posting -- very happy to see that some are enjoying their "run/walks"

I am currently training for a 14 Klm race and will be doing it run/walk 2/1.5 ratio. I also modify that a bit by reducing the run part of the ratio when going up hills - and running all the way down all downhill slopes. I have got out to 11.3 klms so far and still have just over a month to do a 14 klm run/walk.

Meanwhile I am running non-stop 5Ks -- mostly with a view to getting fitter so that they are "easier" - not necessarily fitter. After August, I am thinking that I will do a 10K training programme - at this time, the thought of running non-stop for an hour or more is very daunting.