That was probably the single best piece of running advice I ever received! After that, I bought your Running Until You’re 100 and started using the Run Walk Run® method. I love it! It gets me out the door even when I am not sure I feel like running. I have completed a number of 5Ks and one 15K in the past couple of years and had fun doing it.
This year I set a goal to do three successively longer triathlons (haven’t done longer than a sprint triathlon in 17 years and had never done a half ironman before). I registered for the Augusta 70.3 Half Ironman and successfully completed the 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run in 6:25:50. I won third place in my age group (3 out of 6). For a slower swimmer, this was phenomenal!
When I got off the bike, my right quad immediately cramped up into a huge ball, but I didn’t panic. I changed into running shoes and, knowing I had adequate electrolytes, fluids, and glucose on board and months of Galloway training behind me, I confidently began the half marathon. I was only able to jog 20 seconds at a time for the first few minutes, but gradually felt better and ended up using my usual R3-5min/W45sec and finished the run in 2:20 with a 10:43 per mile pace. And I had fun along the way!
Just wanted to say thanks for helping me regain my motivation and a totally different perspective on succeeding at running. This is much more fun without the race day jitters!”
C. H.
Comeback after open-heart surgery
“I successfully used your Run Walk Run® timer to complete the Walla Walla, WA, Marathon on October 14. I had open-heart surgery last year to remove a blood clot from my pulmonary artery. The damage to my left lung was severe, so breathing during times of exertion is difficult. I was able to use the timer during training to determine my best running to recovery ratio. I use R1:12min/W2min and I am proud to say my time was 6:29:18.“
R.S.
Five quality marathons in one year without hitting the wall
Joe Ely recently sent me a report of his experiments with various strategies using Run Walk Run® since 2007. In 2012 he tested the system, running 5 marathons. Here’s how it went:
First was the Carmel Marathon on April 21, 2012 in suburban Indianapolis. Joe used R6min/W1min through mile 24.5, then ran it in. This yielded an official time of 4:33:25—at the time his second best marathon of this running era, plus a 3-second negative split.
Marathon 2 was the Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, MI. Since he was running a trail marathon two weeks later, he took a then-radical plan to shift his pace. His plan was to use R3min/W1min through mile 10, then R4min/W1min to the finish. As it played out, he felt so good, he ran the last 2.2 miles and finished in 4:40:16, with almost 4-minute negative split. This was his second race in a row with no wall, feeling marvelous at the end.
Joe felt that his slow, conservative start did nothing to diminish his overall time and actually served as a governor to hold him back in the face of the adrenaline of a big race in a beautiful setting. This confirms much of what I have been saying for years. Interestingly, when he shifted to R4min/W1min, he didn’t really budge his overall average mile pace very much.
Marathon 3 was the Wineglass Marathon in Corning, NY. Because his next marathon was only 7 days later, Joe ran R3min/W1min through mile 16, shifted to R4min/W1min, and then ran the last 3 miles non-stop with a finish time of 4:38:55 and another negative split. He said he felt “awesome at the end...still no wall, still no cramps, a truly fun marathon.”
Marathon 4 was a big one, the Chicago Marathon. Because he had never run marathons one week apart he used R3min/W1min through mile 20, shifted to R4min/W1min, and realized his finish vision for that race: to run, continuously, the final 3+ miles down Michigan Avenue for a 4:48:28 and an 8-minute negative split). Because of the weaving in this crowded race, Joe probably ran a mile farther, and had a 6-minute port-a-potty stop, so his actual 26.2-mile time was comparable to his finish the week before. The best part is that he “felt terrific at the end and truly enjoyed this world-class event.”
Marathon 5 of the year’s journey was the Chicamauga Battlefield Marathon. He ran with two friends who were walking 30 seconds every mile but realized at about 4.5 miles that this wasn’t working and dropped back to R3min/W1min through mile 13. At that point he shifted to R4min/W1min through mile 24 and ran to the finish. The lack of adequate walk breaks in the beginning resulted in foot and calf cramps at the end, but he recorded his second fastest marathon of his mature era, 4:27:32. Joe says that’s “not bad for a 59-year-old guy!”
Chapter 21:
Variations to the Traditional Running and Walking Intervals
By Dr Stanley Zaslau
Here are the benefits I’ve received by continuing to adjust the running and the walking amounts:
Improved leg turnover
Development of a comfortable stride and running motion
Better recovery during the walk interval
Recovery from injury while staying below threshold of injury
Ability to run faster with confidence
Athletes may find that variations to the traditional running and walking intervals may be beneficial in several settings:
The beginning runner can gently introduce the body to running by using very brief periods such as 5 seconds. Thus, they could run for 5 seconds and walk for 55 seconds to allow some use of the running muscles followed by a long period of recovery.
Short running intervals allow the injured Run Walk Run® athlete to return to running while staying below the threshold for injury. The athlete can begin with running for 5 seconds followed by a walk for 55 seconds for the initial week back from injury. If things go well, they have several choices to make to improve speed. They can increase the running interval from 5 seconds to 10 seconds or they can reduce the walk break from 55 seconds to 45 or 50 seconds. This could create a new ratio for the next recovery week of R10sec/W50sec. If the body responds well, the interval can be further adjusted to R15sec/W45sec. If the muscles are not responding, the former ratio can be used.
Sample Injury Recovery Plan
Week
Run Walk Run® Interval
1
R5sec/W55sec
2
R10sec/W50sec
3
R15sec/W45sec
4
R10sec/W40sec or R20sec/W40sec
One can modify traditional Run Walk Run® intervals to improve speed through improved leg turnover. For example, an athlete who uses R30sec/W30sec but tires towards the end of races can try intervals such as R20sec/W20sec or R15sec/W15sec with desired results in improvement in training or race time. Athletes are encouraged to try these intervals during their weekly training runs to see which ones work better for them. Further modification of traditional Run Walk Run® intervals are also possible. Athletes have reported significantly improved times with intervals such as R10sec/W20sec.
Even somewhat innovative intervals such as R12sec/W17sec, which is a variation of R25sec/W35sec, can produce faster times. How is this possible? With shorter running intervals, athletes can run these intervals with increased leg turnover and an increased stride length. For a brief time period, the athlete will become minimally fatigued and allow for the running muscles to recover during the walk break. Most runners will have their most significant improvement in fatigue during the first 10-15 seconds of the walk break so that the 20 seconds of walk in the R10sec/W20sec example can produce rather fast times overall. One could expect to maintain a pace of 13 minutes/mile or faster with practice.
Use of mathematics to create the best Run Walk Run® interval based on traditional Galloway Run Walk Run® intervals
Each athlete can create the Run Walk Run® interval that works best. However, if you want to take the guesswork out of the formula, here is a thought. For the Run Walk Run® interval of R20sec/W40sec, the ratio of running to walking is .50. If this is the ratio you want to use but you want to try a similar variation, one could try R10sec/W20sec, or R5sec/W10sec. While these are certainly short intervals, similar long
er intervals can be created such as R40sec/W80sec, R1min/W2min depending on the fitness of the athlete. The choice is up to each athlete and the best way to figure this out is to try it out. Below are some samples of interval variations that have worked for some athletes that are nontraditional:
R25sec/W35sec
R10sec/W20sec
R12sec/W17sec
R15sec/W20sec
Chapter 22:
Products That Enhance Running
The stick
This massage tool can help the muscles recover faster. It will often speed up the recovery of muscle injuries or iliotibial band injuries (on the outside of the upper leg, between knee and hip). This type of device can help warm up the legs muscles and sore tendons before running, and move some of the waste out afterward.
In working on the calf muscle—most important muscle in running—start each stroke at the Achilles tendon and roll up the leg toward the knee. Gently roll back to the origin and repeat. For the first 5 minutes your gentle rolling will bring additional blood flow to the area. As you gradually increase the pressure on the calf you will usually find some knots or sore places in the muscles. Concentrate on these as you roll over them again and again, breaking up the tightness. See www.RunInjuryFree.com for more info on this.
Foam roller
A foam roller can be used in self-massage for the iliotibial (IT) band, hip, and other muscles. The most popular size of this cylinder is 6 inches in diameter and one foot long. This has been the most successful treatment device for IT band injury. In treating this injury, put the roller on the floor, and lie on your side so that the irritated IT band area is on top of the roller. As your body weight presses down on the roller, roll up and down on the area of the leg you want to treat. Roll gently for 2-3 minutes and then let the body weight press down more.
This is a very effective pre-warm-up exercise for any area that needs more blood flow as you start. It is also very beneficial to use the roller after a run on the same areas. See www.RunInjuryFree.com for more info on this product.
Cryocup
The Cryocup is the best tool for ice massage. Rubbing with a chunk of ice on a sore area near the skin is very powerful therapy. I know of hundreds of cases of Achilles tendon problems that have been healed by this method. The Cryocup is a very convenient device for ice massage. The plastic cup has a plastic ring that sits on top of it. Fill it up with water, then freeze. When you have an ache or pain, pour warm water over the cup to release it giving you an ice popsicle. Rub for about 15 minutes, constantly moving it on the area, until the area is numb. When finished, fill up the cup again for use next time. It may surprise you, but rubbing with a plastic bag of ice—or a frozen gel product—does no good at all in most cases.
Accelerade
This sports drink has a patented formula shown to improve recovery. It also helps to improve hydration. I recommend having some in the refrigerator as your fluid intake product taken throughout the day. The prime time to drink this regularly is the day before and the day after a long or strenuous workout day. During a prolonged speed-training session, have a thermos nearby for sipping during walk breaks.
Research has also shown that drinking Accelerade about 30 minutes before running can get the body’s start-up fuel (glycogen) activated more effectively, and may conserve the limited supply of this crucial fuel
Endurox R4
This product has what I see as a cult following among runners. Research shows that the 4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein helps to reload the muscle glycogen more quickly. This means that the muscles feel bouncy and ready to do what you can do sooner. There are other antioxidants that speed recovery. The prime time for this reloading process is within 30 minutes of the finish of a run.
Jeff Galloway’s Training Journal
This is my original, spiral-bound training journal. It has week-by-week entries with graphs and instructions and can be ordered from www.JeffGalloway.com, autographed. It simplifies the process with places to fill in information for each day. Your journal allows you to organize your training in advance, which you can use as a daily workout guide. As you plan ahead and enter your data, you gain control over your training.
Other Galloway books, training schedules, and gifts that keep on giving
Running: Year Round Plan
This is my most comprehensive training book. It has all of the elements scheduled, leading to goal races of 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon within 52 weeks. It weaves the training for several races at one time. You can choose plan A (to finish), plan B (to run a bit better than you are currently running), or plan C (to maximize performance). All of the training elements are scheduled, every day of the year.
Galloway’s Marathon FAQ
This book contains over 100 of the most common questions I receive about marathon training and racing. You don’t have to wade through pages of text to get the answers to your questions. The questions are organized into categories for quick access in the index.
Running Until You’re 100
In the chapter on joint health, you’ll see research studies showing that runners have healthier joints than sedentary folks. In the chapter on the researched health benefits of exercise, an expert on longevity says that for every hour we exercise we can expect to get back two hours of life extension. In the heroes section, you’ll discover an 85-year-old man who recently finished his 700th marathon and will do 29 more this year. There are nutrition suggestions from Nancy Clark, training adjustments by decade, and many other helpful hints for running past the century mark.
Mental Training for Runners
This has been a breakthrough resource for those who struggle with motivation issues in starting a workout, pushing through adversity, breaking through barriers at the end of a hard workout or race, and many more situations. You’ll learn why we lose our motivation and what we can do to turn this around. There are training methods for maintaining control over attitude, drawing on past success, staying mentally focused, etc. The chapter on mantras covers a variety of challenges with positive thoughts and statements.
100 Reasons to Run… Now!
Need a push to get out the door or onto the treadmill? This book has a series of 1-2 page motivational boosters with positive thoughts, inspirational stories, reasons to run, and thoughts to take with you on your run.
Fit Kids—Smarter Kids
This is a handbook for parents, teachers, and youth leaders in how to lead kids into fitness that is fun. A growing number of studies document how kids who exercise do better in academics and in life. Nancy Clark gives tips on what to eat, and there’s a chapter on childhood obesity. The hope is that others, like the author (a former fat kid), can turn things around. Included are contracts between children and parents and children and teachers/coaches/youth leaders. There are resources, successful programs, inspirational stories, and much more.
Women’s Complete Guide to Running
by Barbara and Jeff Galloway
The section on woman-specific issues makes this book unique: pregnancy, menstrual issues, bra-fitting, incontinence, osteoporosis, inner organs shifting, menopause, and more. There’s also a section for the unique problems of the fabulously full-figured runners. Nutrition, fat burning, motivation, starting up, and aches and pains are all covered in the book. There’s also a section written by famous sports nutritionist Nancy Clark.
Running and Fat Burning for Women
by Barbara and Jeff Galloway
I’ve not seen another book that better describes the fat-burning and accumulation processes with a strategy to take action. There are several important and inexpensive tools mentioned, with recipes and specific suggestions about managing the calorie income and expenditure. There is also a section on women-specific issues. The principles of fat burning work for men also.
Half Marathon: A Complete Guide for Women
by Barbara and Jeff Galloway
Women are flooding int
o half marathons as an empowerment experience. This book explains the process with schedules whether your goal is to improve your time or to cross the finish in the upright position. New to this book is a section on how to burn fat while training for a half marathon. There is also a section on women-specific issues.
Walking: A Complete Guide for Women
by Barbara and Jeff Galloway
This is the companion to the book above on running. Woman-specific issues, fabulously full-figured walkers, nutrition, fat burning, motivation, starting up, and aches and pains are all covered in the book. There’s also a section in each book written by famous sports nutritionist Nancy Clark. A 6-month get-in-shape program is included.
Walking: The Complete Book
Walkers now have a book that explains the many benefits of walking and how to maximize them with training programs for 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and full marathons. There is resource information on fat burning, nutrition, motivation, and much more.
The Run Walk Run Method Page 11