Following on from the post about people leaving the NHS running forums - I am now training for my first full marathon using a run/walk strategy for training and for the event itself. I have also done this for my three half marathons over the past few years. I think that I will be doing this from now on ( getting old - 73 this year!! ) - although I enjoyed the challenge of learning how to run 5K , then 10K non-stop and did a lot of long slow low heart rate training - I found that I was losing my interest in long distance slow "slogging" - I am a bit mathematically minded so I enjoy the calculations required to run certain paces over certain distances using different run/walk ratios. It also allows me to run at a more comfortable pace over a short time and then walk, rinse and repeat. . My Garmin watch basically controls my pace and HR. BUT - I have found it difficult to find any kind of active run/walk Forum on the Internet - There is a very active RunDisney FB page who mostly use run/walk ( as Galloway has written their training plans) - but they all assume that you are running the Disney Marathon and much of the discussion is all about which hotel to stay in and where to catch the bus
I am wondering if there is enough interest here to call for a run/walk specific NHS Forum - open to all run/walkers, beginners or "more advanced" ???
Written by
Bazza1234
Marathon
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Possibly - I can message the other running admins about it if they don't see this post. We would need some new admins though, I'd think.
At least we could focus more on run/walk on the existing boards - it's an interesting subject and, from what I've observed on various social media, seems very popular.
I am training for my first marathon in July - and am finding that 30/30 is a very "flexible" run/walk ratio to use. I think it is well accepted that most people do their longruns too fast - so using 30/30, I can run/walk for a short while and then assess whether I am going too fast and start to do more walking 30sec intervals. This way, if I want to run a longrun at say the very slow pace of 9:30 mins per k, I can run at a comfortable pace and also nail that slow pace by altering the number of walking intervals
There might be more info on optimum walk/run intervals in articles on ultra marathons. I saw a Youtube video recently about a 100 mile mountainous ultra where most walk/ran the course. Google "Run Rabbit Run 100 Ultra."
Forgot to mention that there was a race walker using the same indoor running track today and I judge she was on about a 01:45:00 20k pace judging by how many times she lapped me and other Marathon Club runners! Walking/jogging/running all relative to technique/fitness!
I think it's worth a try. Let's face it - most of us are here because while we now DO run, I doubt most of us would say we are "gazelles"
I have hopes of completing a marathon in October, would love to think I could do it non-stop but....
Galloway's book confused me with the math, I always had trouble with that subject in school, so a section devoted to "run-walk" would, I think, help a lot of FM aspirants.
Used to confuse the heck out of me when they started mentioning it first back home No Google then to do a quick check so I did next best thing - I asked Old Peter Across The Street.
"What's the difference between Celsius and centigrade" my innocent young self asked.
"Dunno" was the snarled reply. "Those things and feckin' Fahrenheit don't do a damn thing to make the weather better so who gives a rat's backside what they are!"
One of Nature's rather grumpier philosophers was OPATR.
I agree! I'm miles through and through. The km conversions give me some mental arithmetic to do to keep my mind busy and distract from my burning lungs.
True! I am a maths cretin. I cant do on the move calcs at all I have to nail down the run walk ratio beforehand and stick to it I’ve not got the mental maths agility to adjust as I go ☺️🙈
Glad that you are still enjoying your running Bazza1234, regarding the list of people who have left the form, there are many, not heard from you for a few months, glad that you are keeping well.
Fascinating idea. I am not so much into Marathons or other very long distances, but in controlling heart rate to prevent exhaustion. I suspect I represent many people who's heart isn't the huge pump that other people developed in their late teens and then let atrophy, but the group who avoided developing any cardio-vascular strength at all.
Run/walk, or even just controlling heart-rate through pace, is an interest.
I'd be interested Bazza, I'm training for my HM doing run/walk, I just couldn't manage anything else at the moment. I do 2 mins 1 min...count me in if you get one set up.
I am practicing NOT running/walking to fixed intervals. I have run 3 HMs , a number of 10Ks and 10 milers using fixed intervals ratios - but for the full Marathon I am so daunted by the distance that I have chosen to simply finish the event (if I can ) within the cutoff time of 6 hours 20 minutes. To do this I need to average 9 mins perK . I cannot walk that fast - I am a slow walker and find that if I try to walk too fast I overstride and become tired so I walk at only about 11 mins per K - so I need to run just enough to bring the moving forward average up to 9min pace. I set my "beeper" for 30 sec/30sec intervals and after each run segment as I am walking for the next 30 seconds , I look at my Garmin set to "average pace" and quickly determine whether I should walk for 1,2 or 3 x30 second walk segments - this allows me to set a very steady average pace of 9 mins, nice and slow to allow me to finish 42.2K. 30/30 intervals are very flexible and allow you to alter them to 60/30 or 90/30 or 30/60 or 30/90 etc without having to reset ratios. I do prefer to run these short ratios rather than longer ones like 2/1 or 5/1 etc. Just beware that this practice totally ruins your ability to run continuously After I complete this marathon, I am going to have to redo C25K completely over to relearn how to run non-stop for 30 minutes
I'm not sure why you would think this was easier -- it is more complicated than simply responding to a beeper set to 2/1 ? I find it good to maintain a fairly constant and lowish pace - especially in the early part of a run where I want to conserve energy. Like most people I got out a bit too fast at the beginning - and that will come back to bite you over a HM
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) - although I enjoyed the challenge of learning how to run 5K , then 10K non-stop and did a lot of long slow low heart rate training - I found that I was losing my interest in long distance slow "slogging" - I am a bit mathematically minded so I enjoy the calculations required to run certain paces over certain distances using different run/walk ratios. It also allows me to run at a more comfortable pace over a short time and then walk, rinse and repeat. . My Garmin watch basically controls my pace and HR. BUT - I have found it difficult to find any kind of active run/walk Forum on the Internet - There is a very active RunDisney FB page who mostly use run/walk ( as Galloway has written their training plans) - but they all assume that you are running the Disney Marathon and much of the discussion is all about which hotel to stay in and where to catch the bus 
Final big run of the year 
A good run...and my indecision!🤷♀️
A little change on the forums
