The Run Walk Run Method
Page 8
Heat can also be a cause of exhaustion. On hot days, strenuous workouts should be done before the sun rises above the horizon. Be sure to read and follow the instructions in the heat section of this chapter.
Rule #1:
YOU CANNOT GO TOO SLOWLY OR TAKE WALK BREAKS TOO FREQUENTLY ON LONG RUNS.
Rule #2:
When in doubt, walk slowly for several minutes and let the body restore itself.
Rule #3:
Just walk the distance of the long run if you have serious challenges.
Chapter 15:
Running Faster With Run Walk Run®
13 minutes faster: The average marathon improvement when non-stop runners shift to Run Walk Run®.
7 minutes faster: The average half marathon improvement when non-stop runners shift to Run Walk Run®.
Over 150 runners have reported a sub 3-hour marathon (6:52/mile pace) by using Run Walk Run®—most could not run this fast when running continuously.
The fastest marathon time using Run Walk Run® from the beginning is 2:28.
Many runners in the 12- to 16-minute pace range have reported running 60+ minutes faster in the marathon or 30+ minutes faster in the half marathon when they switched to Run Walk Run®.
Over the past 40+ years I’ve received thousands of reports from former non-stop runners who improved finish times in a wide spectrum of race distances using my method. Even in the Magic Mile, over 80% of those who tried both running continuously and some form of Run Walk Run® report a faster time by inserting some form of a walk break.
In longer distances, such as half or full marathons, those who run continuously almost always slow down significantly during the last third of the event. Those who use the right Run Walk Run® strategy tend to maintain pace and in many cases speed up during the last 4 miles. In either case, the Run Walk Run® folks receive a huge psychological boost as they pass person after person to the finish.
Principles:
Walk breaks must be taken from the beginning
Walk breaks must be used consistently
Walk breaks can be eliminated during the last third of the race, if desired
Boston qualified on a Run Walk Run® bet
Jason had been running for about two decades, and encouraged his wife to join a Galloway program to start running. The Run Walk Run® method allowed her to ease into running while meeting a great group of new friends. When she heard stories of faster running times by using the method she told Jason, but he knew that it wouldn’t work for him—he had qualified and run in the Boston Marathon several times.
After failing to qualify for Boston three years in a row, Jason stepped up his training to run 3:10 or better—the time needed for his age group. He was on track for 17 miles and then painfully felt his pace get slower and slower, finishing in 3:23. Sensing that the method would avoid the slowdown at the end, Chris struck a deal. She wrote the family checks and he wanted a certain electronic product.
She said that if he would simply try using Run Walk Run® in his next marathon, as written in Galloway Training Programs, she would buy him the equipment, but if he qualified he had to get up in front of the group and give his testimonial.
The day before his attempt, Jason came up to me, saying he wanted to clarify some points from my book. After asking him some questions about his pacing in several races I suggested a R6min/W1min strategy. I could tell that he was skeptical. A few weeks went by before I heard the outcome. Chris notified me that Jason had qualified and would tell the story before one of my upcoming clinics.
He explained to the group how Chris had offered the bet. He did the same training he had been doing for a few years but did not believe in the Run Walk Run® method. This marathon had one purpose only—to win his bet with Chris.
The first 18 miles were right on pace as before, but this time he used R6min/W1min. He said that this mental strategy was just the opposite of the placebo effect—he knew he was going to fail. At mile 20, he was surprised that he was still on pace for his goal. By mile 23, he was tired but still strong and ran in to finish at 3:09.
Chapter 16:
Race Rehearsal
Practicing and choosing the right Run Walk Run® strategy
The race rehearsal workout can help you experience goal race pace while testing several Run Walk Run® strategies. By trying a variety of these strategies you will learn which feels best while having alternative strategies that you have used in case a shift is needed on race day. These workouts are scheduled on a short run day during each week—usually Tuesday or Thursday.
Magic Mile must predict goal pace
Before choosing a goal, look over the Magic Mile chapter, especially the Galloway performance predictor in this book or at www.JeffGalloway.com. Make sure that your goal is in line with what is realistic.
Here’s how to do the race rehearsal
After your warm-up, during one of the short runs each week, time yourself on a measured half-mile segment. Your mission is to run the time you want to run per half mile in the race.
For example, if your goal is 10 minutes/mile in the race, run the half mile in 5:00. Walk for 2-3 minutes between each. Repeat for 4-8 times. On each successive half mile (2 laps around a track) use a different Run Walk Run® strategy. Here are some suggested alternatives based upon pace per mile.
Suggested pace strategies for race rehearsal segments
8 min/mi
Run 4 min with a 30-second walk at the half
R2min/W15sec
R3min/W22sec
9 min/mi
R2min/W30sec
R80sec/W20sec
R90 sec/W25sec
10 min/mi
R90sec/W30sec
R60sec/W20sec
R45sec/W15sec
R60sec/W25sec
11 min/mi
R60sec/W30sec
R50sec/W25sec
R40sec/W20sec
12 min/mi
R60sec/W30sec
R40sec/W20sec
R30sec/W20sec
13 min/mi
R30sec/W30sec
R20sec/W20sec
R15sec/W15sec
14 min/mi
R30sec/W30sec
R30sec/W35sec
R20sec/W20sec
R20sec/W25sec
R15sec/W15sec
R15sec/W20sec
15 min/mi
R15sec/W30sec
R15sec/W35sec
R10sec/W20sec
R10sec/W25sec
16 min/mi
R10sec/W30sec
R8sec/W30sec
R7sec/W30sec
R6sec/W25sec
You want to feel smooth as you go through the half miles (800 meters). You’ll learn how to pace yourself while experiencing which of the strategies feel smoother and which may allow you to stay on pace without significant effort.
Chapter 17:
Making Adjustments Using Run Walk Run®
One of my favorite roles is helping runners solve problems. Almost every day I hear from at least one person who has experienced a rebirth of their running joy due to the Run Walk Run® method. But I also work with runners who get stuck in a rut. Most commonly, a simple reduction in the running segment leaves the legs feeling stronger and recovering faster, while running faster in races. With more endorphins during a run, life is good—and running is better.
Over 35 minutes faster by dropping from R3min/W1min to R30sec/W30sec
Kathy signed on as an e-coach client with a best marathon time of 5:15. She was using a Run Walk Run® ratio of R3min/W1min and was cramping during the last 5-6 miles. I asked her to try R1min/W1min and she improved by about 13 minutes. Because she still had some cramping issues I suggested R30sec/W30sec and she continued to improve down to 4:38.
Over an hour faster by changing from R3min/W1min to R20sec/W40sec
Cory weighed over 200 pounds with a marathon best of 6:15. He was slowing down a lot at the end of his marathons when using R3min/W1min. During his first marathon at R1min/W1min,
he broke 6 hours! But there were a few cramping episodes during the last few miles so I asked him to try R30sec/W30sec. He liked this and continued to improve to 5:50. One month before his current time goal marathon, Cory entered a marathon as a training run. In efforts to keep him from running too fast I asked him to do the long-run marathon using a strategy of R20sec/W40sec. When he sent me his weekly e-coach report he was proud to say that he followed my advice but that it hadn’t turned out as planned.
When only running for 20 seconds, Cory found he could run much faster because he had 40 seconds of walking for recovery. His finish time was 5:20—a 30-minute personal record. During the next year, he used a combination of R20sec/W40sec and R30sec/W30sec to improve down to 5:05.
Rules of adjustments
Never hesitate to drop back to more walking and less running.
Take a longer walk break if a challenge is approaching (e.g., hill, heat, pain).
If things aren’t going well at the beginning of a workout or race, ease back and walk more. Often the body will rebound with strength later.
When facing one of the challenges below at the end of a workout and if you are exhausted—and not injured or sick—walk the rest of the distance.
If things are not going well in a race, revert to training pace with the Run Walk Run® strategy used on long runs and you can race again in 3-4 weeks.
Read the section on solving problems for details about Run Walk Run® strategies that have worked for various situations.
The standard Run Walk Run® strategies mentioned in this book have worked well for thousands of runners who have overcome each challenge mentioned. But each of us has individual issues, and will commonly have different body and mind responses at different times of the year.
Be sure to read the chapter on solving problems for specific strategies on these challenges:
Aches, pains, and injuries—The insertion of liberal walk breaks can often allow runners to keep training while the injured area heals.
Slowdown at the end of long runs and races—The insertion of more frequent walk breaks from the beginning will keep the legs strong to the end. Practice several strategies during your race rehearsal segments.
Heat issues, body shuts down. On hot days, much more walking allows runners with low heat tolerance to finish long runs and stay on track for the goal.
Feeling out of commission after long runs—No need to experience this if you use the correct Run Walk Run® strategy from the beginning: shorten the run segments and increase the walks.
Chapter 18:
Motivation Strategies Using Run Walk Run®
Finishing a tough workout or race
You’re into a hard workout, your times are slowing down and you feel really tired. By focusing on the negative thoughts, you’ll increase overall stress and allow the subconscious brain to trigger negative attitude peptides, injecting billions of cells with their low motivation messages. If you don’t have a cognitive strategy, you’ll find yourself thinking thoughts such as:
This isn’t your day.
You can’t reach your goal today.
Just slow down a little.
There are other days to work hard.
Do this workout again when you are more motivated.
Evaluate whether there is a real reason (e.g., medical, heat, etc.) why you can’t run as projected. If there is a reason, back off and conserve—there will be another day.
Almost every time, however, the problem is more simple: you are not willing to push through the discomfort. You are allowing the subconscious brain to stimulate negative attitude hormones, reducing your desire to do your best.
The most effective way to turn attitude around is to change the ratio of the Run Walk Run® strategy you are using.
Mentally focus on the next segment of the workout. If you have been using R3min/W1min and were slowing down during the last minute, reset to R60sec/W30sec. As you find a segment of running that you know you can do, you gain confidence and release positive hormones. More positive secretions push your mood to the positive and keep the negative emotions away.
Reset your timer if needed. Taking the positive action of evaluating the segments on your Run Walk Run® timer will shift control into the frontal lobe of your brain and into the executive center. You will set a strategy that works so that you feel confident that you can run for the number of seconds or minutes in your running segment. If you have any doubt that you can run for that period, then reset to a shorter amount.
Focus only on the next running segment.
Say positive things like “I’m pushing back my barriers,” “I’m overcoming challenges,” and “This is making me tougher.” As you add to the number of repetitions during each workout and talk to the frontal lobe, you allow it to reprogram the reflex brain and lock into a series of steps to get through the fatigue at the end of the workout. By the time you run the goal race, the reflex brain is ready to click into one positive step at a time to get to the end.
Confront the subconscious brain’s negative messages with strength statements like
“Don’t quit!” “I can run one more minute,” “I can run 30 more seconds,” and “I can run 15 seconds!”
Mental toughness starts with simply not giving up. Ignore the negative messages, stay focused on the next few steps, and talk to yourself. Focusing on a doable length of run segments shifts control to the executive brain and away from the reflex brain. Positive affirmations activate positive peptides.
I can do the next segment! By focusing on the next running segment, and shortening the length if needed, you are in cognitive control over your run.
In your speed workouts, practice the following drill. Fine-tune this so that when you run your goal race, you will have a strategy for staying mentally tough, with a flood of positive peptides.
The scene:
You’re getting very tired, you’d really like to call it quits, or at least slow down significantly.
Quick strategies
Break up the remaining workout into segments that you know you can do:
Tell yourself “Just one more minute.” Run for one minute, then reduce pace slightly for a few seconds. Then say “Just one more minute” again, and again. Other segments that have been successful are the following: 30 seconds, 20 seconds, and 10 seconds.
Tell yourself “Just 10 more steps.” Run about 10 steps, take a couple of easy steps, then say “Just 10 more steps.”
Tell yourself “One more step.” Keep saying this over and over—you’ll get there.
Take some gliding breaks
Reduce the tension in your leg muscles and feet by gliding for a few strides every 1-2 minutes. The acceleration-glider drill prepares you for this moment, particularly when coasting downhill.
As you say “I’m gliding” or “I’m running smoothly,” you continue the mental shift to the positive.
Segment by segment
If you really question your ability to get through the workout, start each repetition, or race segment, saying to your self—“just one more” (even if you have 4 to go) or “10 more steps”. “I‘m getting it done!”
Teamwork! You may not realize it but you are on a team of thousands around the country and the world, who are using the Run Walk Run® method. You can pull motivation from the other person or persons. Think about your team members and say to yourself: “I feel their strength.” The perception of team bonding can pull you through many difficult workouts and shift your attitude hormones in your favor.
When you are getting close to the end and really feel like you can’t keep going, say to yourself “I am tough,” “I can endure,” “Yes, I can,” or “One more step.”
Smile!
Finishing a tough race
At any stage of a hard race—even in the first third—you can encounter problems that bring doubt and trigger negative messages from the reflex brain. If you focus on these messages, you will produce negative attitude hormones that will lower your motiva
tion.
By rehearsing every negative message you could get, you will desensitize yourself to their attitude lowering effect.
Confront each negative with a positive statement. Start with something you can control: the length of the run segment. Say to yourself: “I can walk in 60 seconds.” If this is questionable, reduce it to 30 seconds, or 20, or 10. The race or the workout is simply a series of segments. Don’t focus on the distance left in the race, just how long you will run before you walk.
If you feel negative...
Make a positive statement.
Back off, this isn‘t your day.
Don’t give up!
Thirty-second segments are getting tough.
I will run for 20 seconds.