To Run or To Run-Walkby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 05 Jul 2009 04:41 PM When I was training for my first marathon I briefly considered using legendary runner-turned coach Jeff Galloway's run-walk method. Contrary to what you might think, the technique doesn't include taking walking breaks when fatigue hits; rather it requires taking brief walk breaks when you're not. Which is exactly why I decided against incorporating it into my marathon training. I am the type of person who finds it nearly impossible to consistently stop and start, especially during a race. Which is not to say that Galloway's method is not a proven winner. There are millions of runners out there who swear by the technique and many of them crossed the finish line of the 1999 Chicago Marathon long before I did. The method differs slightly depending on a person's fitness level, but a simple example would be running for a minute and walking for a minute for as many miles of the marathon as one chooses. The technique can be modified according to the individual, so it would not be unusual for some marathoners to run for a mile, then walk for a mile and still cross the finish line ahead of someone who jogged without breaks for the entire duration of the course. According to Galloway, taking walk breaks makes running less grueling and reduces the risk of injury because it gives the muscles time to recover. What's more, the breaks help older, less fit and overweight people to take part in a sporting event that would otherwise be tremendously difficult for them to complete. That said inexperienced runners are not the only ones who embrace run walking. There are thousands of veteran runners who swear by the method as well. Many of them claim that they have posted faster race times since starting the technique. Interestingly, Galloway says that many runners employ the walk break technique without realizing it. Consider all the marathoners, who slow down at water stations or reduce their pace when they get tired. They are in essence taking a walk break. According to Galloway, if those same runners scheduled walk breaks throughout the course they would have a chance to finish stronger. Are you a run-walker? What do you make of the technique? Has it worked for you? Related Articles: The Best Part of Marathon Training: Tapering Runners vs. Drivers-Sharing the Road with Lunatics on Four Wheels Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantfitness tags Kids | Food | family | parenting | children | holidays | relationships | weight loss | pregnancy | ideas User Comments  mcmama (51978) 05 Jul 2009 09:22 PMYes, I am a run/walker. But I am one of those older, overweight people who would otherwise have not started running. When I was younger, running was all about being fast, going long. It was all about getting stitches in your side, collapsing in a drenched heap, pushing yourself to the limit. Otherwise you weren't really running. I've never been fast, so I learned early that maybe running was not a good sport for me. Now that I have to do it for health reasons, the stop start run walk method is a good way for me to begin and measure my endurance and improvement. I do about three miles of cadence run/walking several times a week. I'm VERY slow. Working on my endurance, getting the run times longer. Usually I start with a 5 k at the rear, since it can be very frustrating for people who run the distance to be behind someone like me.  Michele Cheplic |
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