Galloway run/walk training plans & info.

[Tikiczocky]

I've been dabbling with this Jeff Galloway run/walk method for just over a week - I like what I've found so far, but there is so much more to it to keep me engaged and make improvements in my condition, pace and distance, when the time comes (recent graduate, so just starting on my own adventure)....I will be dabbling more and muchly...

Anyway, I know some on here are interested, so I thought I'd share a few things I've found -

there's the Jeff Galloway website for a starter... jeffgalloway.com

there are also apps (I haven't found my way to them yet...not sure if they are available for android, still digging around)

Runkeeper has some online training plans that look really useful for making progress with structure and keeping it interesting, working towards 5k, sub-30 5k, half and full marathons - runkeeper.com/fitness-class... ...some of the distance days might prove tricky with the wandering runkeeper app, so might work better if you have a gps watch to set the intervals or by measuring the distance between lampposts, if you have them - my local trees are random!

I googled youtube videos too...found some useful..(not all jeff Galloway ones, some by others too)

There are a few Galloway run/walk method Facebook groups to join -

WRC Galloway Run Walk Run Method (WRC is Women's Running Club...don't know if there's a men's...nt sure how much it matters?!)

and

Galloway Method UK group.

Some folk have something called a GymBoss device to help with timings/prompts and I think there's a Jeff Galloway device too (you'll read about them on the Facebook group pages).

Jeff has also published some books....

Blimey, I am straying from my work again...bloomin' running...

Have a good day all

Toni

[misswobble Graduate]

Oh work! It does put such a crimp on one's day I find!

Baz likes the Jeff Galloway stuff. It's helped many thousands of runners and still does. I don't see how you can fail with it. The walks give you the time to gather your puff. I know that's an over-simplification. Apologies!

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Work...crimp...absolutely...boo!

[Slookie Graduate]

Thanks Toni, will investigate the links. Had a vague, unstructured go and my time for 5.5k with lots of very short walks was (just very slightly) better than usual which was a huge surprise - it felt so much slower because of the walking. I will find a run:walk ratio to stick to and make a better comparison cos this run/walk was really too random to compare properly. It certainly feels very luxurious to be able to walk instead of pushing through. Not sure if I can convince myself it isn't a cop-out yet but hope I can because it was just lovely

I wonder, though, if we will get the benefit of that mindset which drives us on regardless of the discomfort. On the other hand I was once told by a continental (not running) trainer that working hard is a British disease: we think things aren't worth doing unless we have to really struggle. His view was just to take the easiest possible route to get the same result without the pain.

Right. Youtube ...

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Slookie]

I agree...we are all quite crazy!

I've already managed to convinve myself that it's not a copout...maybe that's me copping-out?! Really, though, I've enjoyed the last few experimental runs so much more than the run-through weeks of c25k...feel like I'm still making progress.... with more of a smile, much less of a grimace!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I am giving it a go because my heart rate is going a bit high when I try and run solidly. The reason being me and my physio and doc belive it's because I used to have an overactive thyroid with a raised pulse for quite a few years and my brain is not good at prolonged cardio but it really seems to be responding to the 2:1 method. I set it up on my garmin and off I go. Since starting this week I have done two runs and. Manged 6.66km first run and then did 5km yesterday. I knocked 5 min of my previous 5km time but more importantly my recovery time was so much better and my joints feel better for it.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

I am slowly developing a running "philosophy" whereby I will run non-stop for distances up to 5K and run/walk for distances over that. I will even do run/walk sometimes for easy runs under 5K sometimes - depending on how I am feeling. It is now entering our summer - and I think it is going to be HOT this year so I envisage doing quite a bit of run/walk over the next several months.

[AndyD Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Really interesting this... what were your running/walking minutes Realfoodie??

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to AndyD]

Ok I don't often talk about times unless I am asked as I am a slow runner. My run time for 5km is 46 min but I am exhausted for the rest of the day and shattered the next day. The new way my time was 41 min and I went for a 5km walk today.

[AndyD Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Sorry, I didn't mean to pry... I meant the number of minutes running and minutes walking on your 2:1 method

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to AndyD]

Hehyou didn't pry at all, as I always say I'm slow but steady. I did a 2 min run 1 min walk.

[AndyD Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Thanks Think I will give that 2:1 a go tomorrow and try and chip away at my outside 5k.

[Slookie Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

5 whole minutes knocked off! In awe. [insert smiley thing bowing here]. Definitely inspired to try it tomorrow.

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

That's fab..5 min's off and more comfotable! Well done I haven't tried 2:1 yet...I'm due a short, gentle run...have been trying too hard (experimenting to vigorously) as I wanted to see if I could make progress after injury. Time to enjoy now, so 2:1 on the trail for Saturday

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I am still experimenting -- with Run/walk, non-stop running and running by heart rate monitor - and a combination of all of those. My "experimenting" basically reflects my nature - but it also (and more importantly) keeps my interest going. For example , before I went on holidays , I did a number of easy runs of around 5K using my HRM - I ran until my HR got to 130 and then walked until it dropped back to 120. Looking at my Runkeeper stats for these runs , this worked out to running for around 1 minute and walking for one minute. I felt as though I could go on doing this for many klms - and in fact I already had by running a 14K race at 2/1 ratio. But 2 days ago, I did a 4K non-stop run and kept my HR below 130 ( although it did creep up to 130 by the end of the run and without walking, I could not bring it down -- this run was physically "painful" to me and I was glad when it was over -- but my pace was almost a minute per K slower than the 1/1 run/walk runs. It was much hotter yesterday - so perhaps that forced my HR up and hence I ran more slowly at 130 than what I did 3 weeks ago??

Yesterday , I created a spreadsheet file - where I can enter into it my walking pace, running pace , ratio and distance and it calculates a time for that distance from those variables - you can find it here users.tpg.com.au/wardb1//Ru... It is interesting to see how the final result varies with each variable.

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Thanks for sharing Bazza...I'm a fairly newbie and love this enthusiasm & experimenting.

Can see how this would be even more benficial in the summer...I'm in the Scottish Highlands - it was warmish yesterday (about 8 degrees) and I was overheating from my efforts (trying too hard)!!

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Tikiczocky]

Overheated in 8C?? It was 28C for my run this morning I am currently running around 1 minute per K slower than normal

[Tikiczocky Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

...I should say beginning to overheat..it was muggy and I had the wrong leggings on (thick...the leggings, not me!). I struggle to get my temp right anyway..either too warm or too cold (mostly too cold, then warm up very fast with activity. I'd find 28 very difficult to cope with...was around 20 when I started this in the summer - I do a great shade of lobster pink!!

[Pigivi]

I downloaded a very simple basic interval timer -free - it's for iOS , but there may be an android version - it runs in the background on Ipod so I can still use podcasts or listen to music.

I tried yesterday the run/walk (2.5/1) for the first time - went on for 52 minutes, pace was slower but I have a stiffish back ... too much wood splitting I'm afraid! What I loved about it is that generally it takes me 10 minutes to get into a comfortable pace, while yesterday it felt good from the start - and it was un uphill start too!

[Pigivi]

here's the link to the free no frill timer for iOS, : itunes.apple.com/us/app/sim...