Jeff Galloway's Walk-Run Method

As most of you probably have surmised, temperatures in north central Florida have begun to skyrocket as the spring progresses toward summer. This is not a good thing for people like me who like to run long distances and would like to run a marathon at some time this year (the earlier the better). The prevailing pattern is for lows around 70 and highs around 90, with the temperatures destined to rise even further. Quite different from a few months ago, when I could run as long as I wanted in temperatures of 40-60 degrees. So a change in my training strategy was needed, a change that I believe I found a few weeks ago while browsing in the running section of Jacksonville's large Barnes and Nobles store in Town Center.

The book was Marathon: You Can Do It! by longtime star marathon runner and running instructor Jeff Galloway. As I thumbed through it at the bookstore, I quickly discovered the book's overriding theme: intersperse short walking breaks within your long runs and you will drastically improve your ability to cover longer distances (like marathons) and withstand adverse weather conditions (like the heat and humidity). I began trying this on May 14 and have continued to this day. And it works, enabling me to run in conditions that would have been impossible before.

For me, I run the first seven minutes and then, after that, walk a minute and run six minutes. And then repeat the walk-run cycle for as long as I run on that day. This way, I just look at my watch and slow to a one-minute walk each time it hits a multiple of seven (like 21, 28, 35 minutes, etc). Walking for brief stretches like this replenishes my energy and helps me recover from the heat (I also now carry a bottle of Powerade Zero with me on the runs for rehydration). Yesterday I ran 8.14 miles this way while temperatures climbed to 90. It works!

Now some regard accomplishing a marathon as meaning "running 26.2 miles without stopping". In fact, an acquaintance of mine, when discussing his feat of running his first half-marathon a couple of months ago, told me that his main goal was to run it "non-stop", meaning "always running". But according to Galloway, studies have shown that those who use his walk-run method, or some variation of it, tend to finish longer races (like marathons) with faster times than those who run throughout them. Frankly, the prospect of me being able to run a respectable marathon (and training for it in the summer) strongly appeals to me!

Galloway also points out that taking walking breaks within a long run relieves the stress on legs and feet that, over time, could cause injury. And it's true: since I have been following his example, I have experienced very little pain in my feet or legs. Something for all of you runners (or aspiring runners) to consider!