Chilly run/walking… sub-zero; thermals appreciated!!

[Tikiczocky]

My first freezing outing...blimey, that was cold, but it was beautiful out there!!

I got the clothing balance right..yay… (wore a thermal layer for a change...Lidl merino wool hiking tights & top – can recommend) and the run/walking meant I didn't overheat as much as I have in the past (plus, I'm probably getting a little fitter and more even with my pace).

So, I've done my 3rd proper run/walk - kept the same ratio as last my two runs (2.30:1…one of the 11 minute magic mile ratios), but reduced my interval times to 2 min’s run:48 sec’s walk; I'd felt that 1 minute was too long for recovery and 2 min’s 30 was just a bit too long for some sections of my run, so adjusted the workout. I compared today's outing to the last run-all-the-way run I did just after graduating and pre-injury couch (a few weeks ago) and my pace is roughly the same, but I'm nowhere near as pooped and my leggies don't hurt!!

I love this Galloway way...25 minutes/3.4k and I'm all smiley (& I can still manage the stairs) - I feel I'm being gentle with my old-ish body, helping it to grow stronger in the process, and, because I don't wobble-run with exhaustion now, I feel less like I'm going to end up back on the injury couch, but can still complete the distance/time goals I have. I also find that I don't have to give myself a talking to so much (you know the ones - what am I doing out here, this is so tiring, I can't go on...), so this suits me great just now!

I felt properly committed to this getting out to run three times a week thing, today, because I got out in the cold; back in the August c25k early days, I thought that would be a real challenge, but I couldn’t stop myself! I feel very lucky that I can squeeze a wee run in during the working day... to all you runners who have to endure the cold temps in the dark, and the cold day and night new to c25krs, I'd like to say, well bloomin' done!!

[Hidden]

another good ralk Tiki I am not out till tomorrow after work , 1st time with my spanking new running tights , it has to be in the dark haha

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Great stuff...funny this running malarky finds you spending on the weirdest things!

Read about you DNF...I wish I'd listened to my head at times - I may not have ended up with an injury. You will beat your beast of a hill...you can do it! If I get something like that ahead, I turn downhill for a short breather before taking another short stab at it...and repeat or run the other way!

Good luck with your next run...enjoy it!

[Hidden in reply to Tikiczocky]

Thanks Tiki I will do it another day and another time .

I love running now but still lots to learn and enjoy looking forward to tomorrow's

[Hidden]

Yea! Well done, and so glad it was beautiful! It's one of the real pleasures of running outdoors when we have beautiful surroundings to run in, isn't it

[Pigivi]

I would love to check the Galloway thing, do you think it may help with steep hills and increasing speed? At the moment when I "bang" into the hill face I walk- slowly... (it is only 500 mt long but even walking it is hard!) any tips? my usual route of 4 km usually takes me 35 minutes

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Pigivi]

Hia Pigivi. I don't know if it would help with your beast of a hill - mine are tiddlers by comparison!!

I've only been doing this galloway method for a week or so, so just a novice (and just a recent c25k graduate too).

I'm doing the run/walk way to try to avoid further injury (they say it's supposed to help). My regular woodland route has some ups and downs, some gradual and some steeper - I take the interval as it comes, but sneak in a run down if it falls on a walk, sometimes! I am run/walking this route in the same time (or slightly faster) as when I was running all the way round - only now I have some energy to spare & I don't care so much about beating the hills.

I've found that my walk interval isn't long enough to get me all the way up one of the hills without some running, so I will start the run steadily as the run interval starts. If it was a long, steep up hill, I would take bites at it, and run/walk the whole thing at a comfortable pace - maybe zigzagging across the hill to even out the effort...making sure not to push too hard (I've done the running all the way before - when I was running all the way - and just went beyond what was comfortable and adding to injury in the process.

I'm just enjoying it...and, sometimes, I allow my competitive streak to take over and compete with myself (like today)! I pay the price in achey legs!

Have a look here -

jeffgalloway.com/training/r...

I base my intervals on the 11 minute mile, magic mile calculation (although I haven't done a magic mile..just took my best pace to date).

Happy running.

[Pigivi in reply to Tikiczocky]

Thanks Tiki, I will try it too, it sounds good - and the fact that you can actually do the same distance faster with run/walk is really interesting . I am a snail by nature

[Peter_B Graduate]

How does the run/walk thing work? I'm guessing you've not gone "backwards", as in gone back to a steady jog for a bit and then walking for a bit etc.

Is it that now you're running (as hard/fast as possible) instead of jogging and then walking to recover before repeating X amount of times?

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Peter_B]

Hia Peter. In short - no, I'm not runing like a nutter then gasping over my recovery walk...I run at a steady pace for that timed interval, then walk at a steady pace for my walking part. I notice that I don't 'drag & wobble' like I did when running 30 minutes and can give each running interval my full attention..have the energy to move for that brief time, rather than holding back, trying to save something for later!

I'm not sure how come it works out that the overall pace is roughly the same as if I ran all the way (in my case as I'm a fairly recent graduate)...in fact, I went on a 4.5k road route that I last ran-all-the-way three weeks ago. My run/walk time today was 22 seconds faster than my previous..not much, but proves that there's no real difference. My legs hate road running, so I found it quite tough, but I wanted to test the Galloway method and compare (coz, whilst I've read that it's overall faster and less likely to result in injury, I just had to compare to belive)! I usually run on trails to save my poor legs!!

My legs ache now, but I'm not struggling to climb the stairs...which is what my running all the way led to! along with a ten day break from running to recover. When I returned, I'd researched this method & thought I'd give it a go as it's said to reduce risk of injury...I've also managed my first 5k in the last week, run/walking it in 37 min's ..that's on a par with my pre-injury running pace.

here's some info. jeffgalloway.com/training/r... - worth a look

I watched some videos too...it was ten long days on the injury couch!!