Changing my walk-run ratio.

[turnturtle]

I've hadn't run for a week due to being put on oral steroids for my asthma but as we have a new local ParkRun I decided to give it a go today. I changed my ratio down to 2 minutes run:30 seconds walk, which theoretically should have made me slower than last week when I did 2 1/2 minutes run: 30 seconds walk. But guess what, I was two minutes faster and achieved a 63 per cent age graded score. It has really given me confidence that at the very least I will manage the Leeds HM in May and I no longer feel (as I did after the Bath HM) that the Berlin marathon is out of the question. I felt so much stronger running at this ratio. and was not mentally begging the beeper to signal 'walk' at the end of every run. So who knows? 42 K is only 8 and a bit Park Runs after all

[AncientMum Half Marathon]

Wow I cannot believe you're doing Parkrun so soon after oral steroids! You're one tough lady, they completely wiped me out. Good to hear you sounding so upbeat about Leeds and Berlin xx

[ju-ju- Marathon]

Well done and I'm so glad that has boosted you. That marathon is in your sights and the steroids will be sorting your asthma... Is it getting any better since Bath??

[ju-ju- Marathon]

And what are the dates of Leeds and Berlin and I will add them on our community calendar?

[Realfoodieclub Marathon]

Great to hear your back out there and it's going well.  You know I'm a great believe of walk/run but I got a book that changed how I thought about it.  It was called. "Run Walk Method Mastery" by Kirk Mahoney Phd. It was a cheap Amazon book but it talked about how  every break down is not always good for the whole run and some runs you need different breakdowns depending in what sort of run you do, so it suggests shaking them up a bit for different runs which made a lot of sense to me. I still  walk run but I listen to my body rather than specific times.  My pace has greatly improved since doing that also now with the addition of heart rate training I feel so much better after my runs and recovery is easier.  I think we all have a sweet spot ratio that works for us on the walk/run.  Great to hear you have found yours. 

[turnturtle Marathon in reply to Realfoodieclub]

OOh thank you for that. I have ordered the Kindle edition (£1.99-bargain!)

 so will see if it adds to my grand plan. I do have a heart rate monitor but am completely incompetent at interpreting what it tells me. It just functions to alarm me from time to time by screaming 'HEART RATE TOO HIGH!"