Many novice joggers initially employ a run-and-rest strategy since they don’t possess the capability or physical shape to be able to keep going forlong stretches. Many veteran runners employ a run/walk system as a means of increasing their weekly mileage, completing lengthy races and minimizing the associated peril of injury.
Getting Started
This practice of alternating between running and walking is a good way to stay safe, get motivated to keep running, and build endurance. These are the initial steps to begin a run/walk plan. Later, you can add pace variations if you want.
Use a Warm-Up Routine
Take a five-minute stroll to get warmed up and then do some dynamic stretches. Once you finish your warm-up, go for a run for a little while, then take a time to walk before continuing. Novices might start by going for a run for a brief amount of time, followed by a longer walk.
One possibility for a ratio could be one minute spent running and seven minutes for walking.
Stick to Your Goals
Keep going back and forth between running and walking until you have gone the desired distance or amount of time. For instance, if you would like to jog/stroll for 16 minutes, you can rotate between running/walking at a rate of 1:7 for two repetitions. Ensure that you utilize the correct posture when running and walking.
Avoid Fatigue
Begin your stroll part before your running muscles get excessively fatigued. This measure enables your muscles to recuperate in a jiffy, thereby amplifying the time and span you can traverse. If you delay until you’re exhausted, you’ll progress at a slow pace and it will take a lot of effort to get yourself going again.
Use Technology
Utilize a watch or other timing mechanism to keep track of your intervals. A Timex Ironman running watch has the capacity to track intervals. Run/walkers often opt for the Gymboss as a great little gadget; it’s a simple and practical interval timer that can be attached to clothing such as shorts, shirts, jackets, or hats. The device emits a loud beep to indicate when to initiate and end the intervals.
Stick to a Good Pace
Concentrate on maintaining a steady speed while walking. Make sure you’re not taking a leisurely stroll. You should maintain proper posture and move your arms while walking in order to keep your heart rate up. By doing this, you can have a great cardio workout and it will make it more convenient when you go back to running.
If you are too lax with your breaks while walking, it may be difficult to return to running again.
Build on Your Success
As you progress with your running and walking regimen, aim to increase your running time and decrease your walking duration. Once you have built up your endurance to the point that you can run for long distances, you don’t need to completely stop with the run/walk technique. Some long-distance athletes employ it while training and competing to decrease the muscle soreness and weariness they feel.
Set Your Optimal Pace
The speed at which you jog and stroll over the course of each interval is dependent, to an extent, on why you are using the walk/run technique. Some people use a combination of walking and running to construct endurance and eventually be able to keep running without stopping. Some people, though, employ the technique of walking and running in order to get better finishing times in races. Here is an overview of both options.
Build Endurance
If you are just starting out running, or are coming back after a break, you may want to try the walk/run approach to increase your ability to last longer while running. An example of a goal could be taking part in a 5 kilometer race and running the whole way without a set objective related to speed.
The target in this case would be to keep the run part reasonably easy. Some coaches recommend keeping it to a low-intensity jog. This speed will enable you to chat while running.
Take a brisk stroll to ensure you stay at a steady level of intensity. Due to the marginal variation in vigor between jogging and strolling quickly, transitioning between the two and maintaining a continuous jog becomes simpler.
Improve Race Times
Famous instructors, including Jeff Galloway—an authority on the combined run/walk system—promote using this strategy to raise your contest performance. Galloway suggests that you will improve your performance in a marathon by 13 minutes if you opt to include breaks in which you walk rather than running non-stop.
Galloway suggests trying the run/walk tactic until 18 miles in a marathon or 9 miles during a half marathon and then cutting down on or taking out the walking segments where necessary.
If you want to improve your running performance, you should be mindful of two elements that will affect your speed: your best pace for covering one mile (Galloway calls this the Magic Mile pace) and the length of the race or running session. He employs a calculator to give each gap a number.
For instance, if your fastest mile time is 8 minutes/mile, then your interval running rate should be 12:24 per mile during extended runs, 8:33 per mile during 5K exercises, and 9:12 per mile during 10K exercises. For a full marathon, your target pace would be 10 minutes and 24 seconds per mile. Your goal for a half marathon should be 9 minutes and 36 seconds per mile.
Galloway advises individuals to take things slow while walking, with a shortened stride as longer strides can end up producing shin pains. The walking interludes in this example are meant to provide a recuperative break, so your strolling speed can be a tad slower.
What is the Galloway Method?
Jeff Galloway’s Run-Walk-Run Strategy is a running approach that involves a short warmup then cycles of alternating running and walking. You can modify the amount of time dedicated to walking and running to fit your objectives and capacities.
Here’s an example of what this might look like:
- Warm-up
- Run 3 minutes
- Walk 30 seconds
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 until done
- Cooldown
Do not be deceived by its straightforwardness – this process can bring about major outcomes.
Who Is Jeff Galloway?
Jeff Galloway is the founder of the Run-Walk-Run method.
He is a former U.S. Olympic runner with over half a century of running background. Jeff ran the 10,000 meters at the 1972 Olympics and was a backup member of the marathon squad.
Currently, Jeff has achieved international fame as a writer, lecturer, and mentor.
The History of the Galloway Method
In 1974, Jeff Galloway created the run-walk-run strategy as a method of bringing up running to a different group of people.
Galloway, as a proprietor of a running store, desired to acquire more clients while expressing his enthusiasm for the activity.
He developed a training regimen to assist novice runners in raising the distance they run slowly over time.
Galloway’s system of alternating running and walking enabled his athletes to prepare for a 5K or 10K without having any problems with injuries. In 1978, Galloway began alternating running and walking to prepare for marathon competitions.
Ever since then, it has been demonstrated to be an efficient technique for both veteran runners and newcomers wishing to boost their range and avoid harm.
Finding the Right Walk Interval
Galloway’s first outings were never more than a minute in duration, yet the running periods shifted—generally lasting anywhere from two minutes to one mile.
He discovered that in 2014 his sportspeople liked 30-second intervals of walking following a trial.
Galloway adjusted his walks so that the breaks only lasted for 30 or 15 seconds after getting feedback.
He advises to try out different ratios of running to walking in order to find the most effective combination for you.
How Does the Galloway Method Work?
It is essential that novice runners and first-time marathon participants avoid getting injured by accelerating the distance they cover too rapidly.
Athletes attempting to surpass their own record or preparing for an upcoming competition can be at risk of becoming overtrained and having to deal with injuries. Improved recovery can be critical to their success.
Study Shows Reduced Muscle Fatigue from Run-Walk Strategy
It has been demonstrated that incorporating periods of running and walking into a marathon schedule helps runners complete the distance with less muscular tiredness than if they had gone the full way without a break.
A research paper published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport (JSAMS) in 2014 was done to compare the performance of marathon runners who employed a run-walk technique with those who raced without stopping.
The participants in the run-walk group took a one-minute break of strolling roughly every 1.5 miles for the duration of the competition.
Both groups had similar times to cross the finish line: the athletes who only ran completed the marathon in around 4:07, and those who ran and walked had a mean completion time of 4:14.
The most notable result was a reduction in tiredness and soreness reported by the individuals in the study.
Less than 5 percent of the participants who combined running and walking reported feeling “extreme exhaustion,” while more than 40 percent of those who only ran said they felt that way.
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