As a running coach, I often assign beginner runners to a run-walk-run training program to help build endurance, confidence, improve their chances of success, and decrease the risk of injuries.
However, some experienced runners also use run-walk-run as a strategy for increasing their overall mileage, completing endurance races, recover from hard workouts, return from injury with less chance of relapse, and to improve their time! In fact, I recently ran the New York City Marathon and decided to run the entire race without walk breaks. The result, my time was a few minutes slower than the City of Oaks Marathon using the run walk method I completed the year before! Plus, I did not finish strong. It felt like a mac truck hit me when I crossed the finish line!!!
Jeff Galloway, Olympian, best-selling author, and Runner’s World columnist, developed the Galloway Run Walk Run Method (Marathon Training Program), which has helped millions of runners achieve their goal of completing a marathon and running injury free for many years to come.
I have been a group leader for the Raleigh Galloway Marathon Training Program for the past three years and want to share some of the benefits of the Galloway Run-Walk-Run Method.
Benefits of Run-Walk-Run
• Run Walk Run is a form of interval training and will not fatigue the muscles as quickly
• Conservation of energy stores- Erase fatigue so you can “FINISH STRONG”!!
• Quicker recovery from long runs
• Less stress on the “weak links”- Reduce the chance of aches, pains and injury
• Ability to enjoy endorphins- Allow for endorphins to collect during each walk break
• Reduce core body temperature
• Allows you to carry on all of your life activities – even after long runs
• Motivates beginners to get off of the couch and run
• Bestows running joy to non-stop runners who had given up
• Maintaining control over attitude and motivation during and after
• Break up the distance into manageable units
• Helps improve finish times in all races- Walk breaks help speed you up: an average of 7 minutes faster in a 13.1 mile race when non-stop runners switch to the correct Run Walk Run ratio – and more than 13 minutes faster in a marathon. Give it a try!
Run Walk Run ratio should correspond to your pace:
8 min/mi run 4 min/walk 35 seconds
9 min/mi run 4 minutes/walk 1 minute (4:1)
10 min/mi 3:1
11 min/mi 2:30-1
12 min/mi 2:1
13 min/mi 1:1
14 min/mi run 30 seconds /walk 30 seconds
15 min/mi run 30 seconds/walk 45 seconds
16 min/mi run 30 seconds/walk 60 seconds
For those in Raleigh, NC:
The Raleigh Galloway Marathon Training Program starts their new Summer/Fall Training Season by hosting Jeff Galloway, for a FREE MARATHON CLINIC to kick off the 2014 half and full marathon training programs.
Date: Saturday, May 31st, 2014
Time: 8:30 AM to 11:30 AM – Doors open at 8:00 AM
Location: Garner Performing Arts Center (GPAC)
742 W. Garner Road
Garner, NC 27529
Contact: Ron Wahula – Program Director
www.RaleighGalloway.com
Happy Running!
Paula Smith, ACE CPT