Jeff Galloway

[Rockette]

Can anyone tell me what they think to his run walk approach . The reason I'm asking is I completed 6k a couple of days ago , I would like to eventually get to 10 injury free . For a coupe of days my legs have felt it , I'm no spring chicken (56) & could do with losing about half a stone , & was wondering if this would be a good way . Thing is , if I stopped to walk , I don't know if I'd get back going again because I used to prefer it when the walk intervals stopped in c25k & found it hard getting back in the run . Thanks for any info .

[AncientMum Graduate]

I'd be really interested too Rockette. I've heard good things about it but I hated w6 of c25k with the return to intervals, I just preferred nonstop running. I suspect there's no way I'll get to 10k without 'a plan' but don't know which one.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to AncientMum]

The first week of the B210K plan has us running 4x10 minute intervals with a minute walk in between. This means that the plan has us running for 40 minutes. Personally I think that these walk breaks are more psychological than a real physical "rest" -- but I also think that psychological "upping the ante" is part of the buildup to finally running non-stop for an hour. If I were now to run slowly enough, I believe that I could run for 60 minutes already -- in fact I have already done just that without really realizing what I was doing (that is run the final week)

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I think it is something that you just have to try it and see how you personally feel about it. I decided to sign up for a 14K "race" when I was only in about week 3 or 4 of C25K . At that time there was no way I could even dream about running non-stop for 14K - and even now that is still the case - so I decided to run as per the first few weeks of the programme ie run/walk. I have slowly trained out to 11.3 K and on Monday I will do 12Ks . There is no doubt that I will be able to do it -- because it all comes down to pace. A slow enough pace and you can run, run/walk or walk much further than that.

I also am involved with Parkrun - so I am trying to keep my non-stop running "alive" and during the week, I now run non-stop 5Ks and also long runs of run/walks. After my 14 k race, I probably will attempt to run 10Ks non-stop by doing the B210K programme. I am feeling at the moment that perhaps non-stop running and run/walk don't mix together well and perhaps one needs to do either one or the other.

I don't have problems "stopping and starting" when run/walking -- but I do feel that once I am used to running non-stop, introduction of run/walk seems to interfere psychologically with my ability to "keep going" when running non-stop. However , it all depends on what I want to do in the future -- I kind of don't enjoy running non-stop for a long time -- whereas I can imagine run/walking for long distances. I somehow need to keep my 5K non-stop running ability alive -- while also doing perhaps much longer distances somehow.

[grannyjudes Graduate]

Rockette this is exactly whats bothering me, I was going to attempt it this am but couldnt bring myself to as Id cry if I couldnt get going again, and if your no pring chicken then I am a scrawny ole bird at 67 ! We can do this girlie, one way or another

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

I have been happily using run walk for weeks now. I had a change of blood pressure tablet which seemed to leave me breathless after about 15 minutes. So to help my body adjust I switched to run walk for a period and discovered that I love it! I can average one kilometre in just under 8 minutes and have extended my longest run up to 8k and feel confident that I will achieve 10k in time.

I use a pattern of running for four minutes and brisk walking for two and find that I enjoy my runs without feeling too wiped out. No hip problems either which have been my nemesis. I have been able to control my breathing much better too, actually being able to breathe in through my nose for most of the run!

The possible downside - which doesn't concern me personally in the slightest - is that I have no desire to return to non stop running and would probably now struggle with that. But I am doing this running lark for pleasure and fitness and have found that this method delivers that in buckets!

Give it a try - you might find you like it

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

Sounds good!!!! -- you seem to have found your "sweet spot". One thing I would say is to "monitor" your walk breaks - 2 minutes is quite a long time to recover from 4 minutes running and you could possibly get away with 1.5 minutes. No big deal either way really - it would just mean that you cover the ground a little bit faster , but Galloway's method is really not about pace but getting you to cover long distances at ease and without injury. Most of his writings are really more about long distances like Half marathons and Marathons -- but 14ks is to me at the moment a "Marathon"!!!

I just have this dilemma of combining longer distance running (probably run/walk) with 5K running. One "problem" is that my running shoes ( Nike Free 5.0's ) are not the greatest for walking in as they don't have much in the way of heel padding ( being minimalist type shoes) -- I have now bought a more padded pair of "running" shoes which I find are much better for the walking segments and keep the Nikes for non-stop running.

[misswobble Graduate]

I just walk when I need to rockette, wait til my breathing calms down and then set off again.

[Ullyrunner Graduate in reply to misswobble]

I just used to get so disappointed when I had to stop because I was out of puff. Doing run walk to a fixed interval removed that feeling of let down as its all part of the plan. The mental challenge of this running is just as significant as the physical one isn't it!

[turnturtle Graduate]

Since I poached my son's personal trainer I have been on a run/walk/run schedule and my 5K time has got much faster! I think the theory is that a minute's rapid walking break allows your muscles and blood sugar to recover and stops the lactic acid build. You are thus able to maintain a much faster pace during the run stretches than you would if you were running non-stop for 30 or 40 minutes. It's surprised me how fast I can walk (or maybe it's the fact that my run is so slow). Whatever, the end result is that my average speed has gone up a lot using this method. At present I am running for 5 minutes and walking for one. Geoff Galloway's book gives you different ratios depending on what you are training for. Lots of marathon runners have found their overall time became faster when they started doing run/walk/run with the correct intervals. I'm a convert anyway!

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Which book do you have? He has so many , but I think they are mostly all along the same vein.

[turnturtle Graduate]

I have the one called 'The Run-Walk-Run Method' but to be honest I found it hard going. It's very repetitive and the essential material seems to be padded out for the sake of creating a saleable book size package.The Jeff Galloway brand has become a huge commercial thing which puts me off a bit. Also the calculations he uses are not very user friendly. However, with the help of Matt's PT I have cherry-picked it and it works for me!

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Yes -- I have that one too . Agree with what you say -- I have read a few of his books from the Library and they all say much the same thing with a lot of repetition.

[Nellyharte Graduate]

Like other people I did not like week 6 when we returned to walk intervals as I found my muscles had trouble getting going again as they thought they were finished running! I also have a feeling when doing parkruns that if I walk I am cheating? Anyone else feel like that. I might just look into Mr Galloway a bit more and see if there is a programme which will help me cover more distance which is my aim at the moment.

[achydunlin]

I tend to walk/run - especially when running outside as I run around my village and often see people/dogwalkers etc who stop and talk to me (everyone knows everybody else!) but I also find it keeps me going for longer distances. I tend to run 10 minutes, walk a minute, run 15, walk a minute etc. If I'm running on a treadmill at a steady (but slower pace) I run much longer for some reason. I don't see it as cheating or as failing - I'm out there running and if my ankle (I have a weak right ankle) begins to throb I don't see any sense in pushing it. I think the main thing is that you're out running. I've friends who are marathon runners with very decent times who follow the Galloway method.