run walk run

[marc_read]

I realise that interval training is part of c25k and having completed that I have been running all the time during my runs. However recently I have started going back to a walk run format and am finding that my times are coming down. I have also been reading stuff on the Jeff Galloway website. The run walk run system seems to be more motivating to me as i find that when trying to run all the time i gradually grind to a halt even at points running at a slower pace than i would have done walking. I wondered if anybody has continued with interval training after graduation and what your experiences are?

[Noaky12 Graduate]

Yes. I've been doing run walk for about 3 weeks now & have been seeing some real improvements.

I'm still messing about with what intervals suit me best. At the moment I'm on 3mins run 1 min walk. I always try to run the last half km no matter what the interval should be but thats just a personal thing. Lol.

Good luck with. Sounds like it's going to suit you too ☺

[marc_read Graduate in reply to Noaky12]

thanks good to know.. i actually like the sound of running the last 1/2 k means you finish positively and strongly which to me is part of interval training.

[runswithdogs Graduate]

My pbs all have walking intervals, though not usually intended. I think they're a great idea, and I plan on using them when upping my distances again as I suspect I'll be less prone to injury.

[marc_read Graduate in reply to runswithdogs]

sounds a good plan to me thank you

[AndyD Graduate]

The 10k PB that I got yesterday involved a fair few walk breaks. Whilst I may have been able to run non-stop I really think the walk breaks speeded up my running sections. I can't say I set any particular run/walk schedule yesterday, but in my next long run tomorrow I think I will try to stick to a Run 1Km, Walk 1Min schedule.

[marc_read Graduate in reply to AndyD]

thanks

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Thanks for that, means as I try to progress and increase distances, feel I am still a runner and able to have a recovery walk! 😀

[AncientMum Graduate]

Bazza is the king of Run/Walk. Try checking out some of his posts on the subject.

[turnturtle Graduate]

I have gone back to Run/walk whilst training for `a 10K. I find I'm able to keep up a solid pace if I take a 45 second break every 5 minutes , but if I keep going remorselessly, inevitably the last 3K are very slow. So the average pace is definitely better for me with run/walk. I;m not very scientific about it. All the calculations involved in the Galloway method make my brain shut down

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Have a read of this PDF facebook.com/download/15922...

Galloway himself is this year recommending shorter walk breaks ( and hence shorter and more frequent running periods. His argument for this is in the PDF.

For me, I have previously suspected/noted that run/walk does seem to be a little incompatible with non-stop running - hence using it when training for a longer run does seem to weaken my ability to run parkrun non-stop. To combat this, I am running 4 days per week - 3 are Galloway style and the other is parkrun. I am deliberately concentrating on doing the parkrun at a fair non-stop pace - and will come back to concentrating on the 5K distance after i have completed my HM at the end of October. In the meantime on the 3 Galloway training days, I am indeed finding 30 second walk breaks to be of benefit in my long slow run - and for the race itself, they will allow me to lower my running periods to maybe 2-3 minutes only for ratios of 4/1 or 6/1 . I am currently running 7Ks on the shorter Galloway days at race pace of 7:30 per KLm using only 2/1 - so I may be able to achieve a higher race pace than that on the day using a larger ratio. I still have plenty of time left for "experimentation" to see what suits ME best!!

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Sorry Bazza -the link doesn't work for me. I'll try and find the article through google.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to turnturtle]

Here is the content of that Facebook link:

The 30-second Walk Break

Jeff Galloway’s Run/Walk/Run method was revolutionary for three reasons:

1 – Run/Walk/Runners felt better throughout the long run.

2 – Run/Walk/Runners recovered faster and got injured less often.

3 – Run/Walk/Runners went faster with the breaks than without.

Since his introduction of walk breaks in 1974, Jeff he has received feedback from

hundreds of thousands of runners, allowing him to fine tune Run/Walk/Run to

keep people feeling better, staying healthy, and running faster.

The greatest benefit of the walk break comes in the first 30 sec.

Our heart rates come down, the running muscles relax, we catch our breaths,

and the fatigue melts away.

After 30 seconds of walking, we tend to slow down.

Here is a typical example of what happens with a 1-minute walk break:

A run/walk/runner averaging 10-minute pace in a marathon using 3 min/1min

might walk at a 15-minute mile pace for the first part of the race.

As fatigue sets in, that walk gets slower, and by halfway, the runner may be

walking at 18 min/mi.

This means faster running is needed to stay on pace, which creates more fatigue

at the end of each running segment, so the walk will get slower, and so goes the

downward spiral at the end of the race.

Avoiding the Slow-down

Compared to running constantly, the 1-minute walk break still results in runners

feeling better, staying healthier, and going faster, but it can get even better!

Limiting walk break to 30 seconds, or in some cases even less, while cutting the

run time accordingly, gives all the same benefits, with even less fatigue and even

faster times.

The Bottom Line

If you are in a pace group that already uses a 30-second walk break or less, you

probably won’t see a change in the table below. If you are in a pace group that

uses a 1-minute walk break, keep the same ratio but cut your walk and run times

in half. It’s that simple, or at least it can be. If you want to play around a bit with

other shorter walk break times, see the options Jeff prescribes for each pace.

2015 RUN WALK RUN STRATEGIES

Pace/mi Run Walk

7:00 6 min 30 sec (or run a mile/walk 40 seconds)

7:30 5 min 30 sec

8:00 4 min 30 sec (or 2/15)

8:30 3 min 30 sec (or 2/20)

9:00 2 min 30 sec or 80/20

9:30-10:45 90/30 or 60/20 or 45/15 or 60/30 or 40/20

10:45-12:15 60/30 or 40/20 or 30/15 or 30/30 or 20/20

12:15-14:15 30/30 or 20/20 or 15/15

14:30-15:45 15/30

15:30-17:00 10/30

17:00-18:30 8/30 or 5/25 or 10/30

18:30-20:00 5/30 or 5/25 or 4/30

30-second Proving Ground

In 2014, Jeff asked Program Directors and Group Leaders around the country to

try these new strategies, especially for groups that had used a 1-minute walk

break. Universally, these Guinea Pigs and their groups reported positive results.

1 – Members were better able to keep up with the group.

2 – Conversations and stories were livelier as members had less fatigue.

3 – Fewer members missed group runs due to injury.

4 – Lots of PR’s in last season’s races!!

Acceleration-Glider Drills – Page 115 in Galloway Training Programs

One of the most common objections Jeff hears regarding walk breaks is “I just

don’t like all the constant jarring from stopping and starting.”

Well, no. “Constant jarring” sounds horrible. So let’s avoid that by practicing

accelerating into a run and gliding down to a walk:

1 – Start by jogging for about 15 steps then fast jogging for about 15 steps.

2 – Pick up your leg rhythm by shortening stride length and gradually increasing

leg turnover for next 15 steps or so.

3 – Now you are up to speed, so just glide, keeping feet low to the ground, using

very little effort.

4 – Continue to glide for 20 to 40 steps, gradually slowing down to a walk.

5 – Repeat 2 or 3 times.

Acceleration-Glider Drills done at the beginning of your run twice a week will help

you ease into and out of walk breaks comfortably – no jarring required!

[marc_read Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

thanks bazza i'm going to give it a go.

[turnturtle Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Thanks Bazza. Will try that the day after tomorrow!

[marc_read Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

yeah i tried it and it was good. I think though that i tried a too higher ratio and it ended up a bit like speed training. So i will reduce the ratio for next run and this will feel a little less tiring.... a promising start

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to marc_read]

For this slow longer running that I am doing as training for the HM and during the HM itself - I have this slow running pace which I use for all interval lengths -- it is a pace I can do for a long time non-stop without getting "out of breath" but which, if I do it long enough, my legs get tired and I start to lose what little "good running form" that I have !!

So - I use that running pace with different run/walk ratios to alter overall pace - so for example a 1/1 ratio will give me a different (faster) pace to a 5/1 ratio. It is very easy to increase your running pace - but it will catch up with you eventually!!

[marc_read Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

thanks all sounds interesting stuff...unfortunately the link didn't work

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

I am using run/walk for my current HM training. However I am using it not to speed me up - but to slow me down!! Most trainers say that "longruns" have to be done slowly - I understand this is because if they are not done slowly, then we cannot recover in time to do other shorter hard runs during the week. As a new runner , I was confused as to how running longruns slowly would help me to run the race at a faster pace - but I am starting to see the light now.

Once I finish with the HM , I am going to "experiment" at parkrun to see if I can crack the 30 minute barrier by using some short breaks. If it works - great!! - but if it doesn't , so what ???