Galloway Run/Walk Method

all my runs are using this method. I swear by it bor speed, injury prevention, quicker recovery, and FUN.  Then again, I haven;t run in a million years, but when I was a runner, I ran/walked at 4:26 marathon using that method, (8:1) my fastest miles were 22/23.

LOTS of debate around here on the topic, especially the claim that a strong runner can PR using that method. Many Bters think that it should be sonething to grow out of, ie, when you get stronger and faster the walk break will, by definition, slow you down over the long haul.  The proof of this belief is that no elite runner uses this method. My belief is that for the ave Joe/Jane,  it CAN be a "style" that you need not grow out of, you just run faster during your run segments.  You also need to really keep the pace up during the walk part (I walk just under a 15 min pace) there are threads on this, lemme look around.

After struggling with my running for the past couple of years, I've decided to follow the Galloway half-mary plan to prepare for the Sarasota half marathon in March.  While my goal is to complete the Sarasota race, my ultimate objectives are to both improve my triathlon running and to lose twenty pounds. 

My ego has had to adjust to it a bit, but I am finding that my mile pace times are actually faster on my longer runs.  I feel good at the end of my workouts and running every other day on the Galloway plan also gives my 53 year old bones adequate time to recover.  Guess I'll find out on March 4th how successful it is.

Mark

While I don't specifically follow Galloway's method, I do run/walk when training and racing. I can definitely say the change in gait from run to walk is GREAT for my legs - I did MCM this weekend and the walk portions felt really good, not because I was going slower, but for the change in muscle usage.

I'm not a strong or fast runner by any means, but this really kept my legs feeling good this weekend - I'd definitely give it a shot.

The tips in your race report make more sense to me:

"Train more. I should have ran more LSD. I should have done two 22 milers and a 20 miler. But I went off schedule and just went for it."

I met him in person and he got me to run again, without pain, after several months due to injury. I swear by his method now and have seen others have great success with it.

I find that my times are similar to when I'm not taking walk breaks. I'm not trying to run a 3 hour marathon either. I've kept 8min miles for races while consistently taking 30 second walk breaks.

I've always incorporated regular, short walk breaks into my long runs and marathons.  My first marathon was the closest I've done to the Galloway method, where I took a one minute walk break every mile for the first 18 miles, then ran the rest of the way.  My goal was to go under 4 hrs, and I went 3:54 on pretty limited training (longest runs just one 18 mi and one 22 mi).

The following year, same marathon, still did walk breaks, but this time I took the walk breaks at every aid station, which were every 1 to 1.5 miles.  These walk breaks were probably typically about 45 seconds.  Finished in my marathon PR of 3:18.

My typical protocol now is to take about a one minute walk break about every 15 minutes during every long training run.  If it's really hot, I'll knock this down to every 10 minutes.  I use this time to take in my fluids.

During an IM marathon, I'll walk through every aid station, and make it my goal for those to be my only walk breaks.  Easier said than done ;-)  Once upon a time, I managed a 3:38 IM marathon while walking through every aid station.

Regular, planned, short walk breaks work for me.  I always just shake my head at the notion of some folks that one must run every step of a race or the effort is somehow diminished.  Whatever gets you to the finish line, baby!   I do buy into the notion that the shift in muscle stress/recruitment from these little breaks help your legs recover and delay the onset of fatigue.  Perhaps there's no legit science behind it, but I know what I feel, and I feel like it helps.  Mental, physical, whatever.  It works for me.

-Steve