Run-Walk-Run to the Finish Line
Filed Under: Running
Filed Under: Running
Can using a run-walk method increase your running performance? I just read an interesting article on marathon running that you might find interesting.
The article was featured in Competitor magazine, a Chicago free publication geared to the active lifestyle. The author is a running coach who has used this method of run-walking to qualify for the Boston marathon over a dozen times.
For the record, I have never, nor will I ever, run a marathon. At my size, I’m not designed for endurance races – but what this guy says, makes sense.
He recently watched one of his pupils run a marathon. The runner used a planned run-walk strategy. This might not sound that out of the ordinary, as I’m told that many runners end up walking here and there while completing a marathon.
Instead of running until fatigued and then resorting to walking, the walk portion is planned into the marathon and in the training, as well.
You would take regularly scheduled walk breaks throughout your run, in order to stay “fresh” throughout your marathon.
This lets your breathing return to a more comfortable rate and gives your muscles and joints a break from pounding the pavement. Sounds like something that would work well for those increasing their training mileage or older runners, too.
In the early portion of the race, your times would be slower, but you make up for it on the back half. In fact, the runner mentioned set a PR in his marathon, while running a slightly faster second half of the race -
something unheard of. This might be something that could improve your running performance and allow you to enjoy it more.
From someone who has worked with injured runners before, I’m guessing that this might cut down on overuse injuries.
This method also works for resistance training. Stay tuned for an article on how you can apply this type of method to build lean muscle tissue (increased metabolism) and increase your strength with density training.
Get moving!
Brian Morgan
Speaking to training rather than race day, I definitely began sparing my joints a lot of problems when I switched from long runs to run-walk intervals, and my endurance went up rather than down because I got a more consistent workout with less pain.
It’s well worth trying, especially for people who don’t already have magnificent biomechanics and a marathoners body or are mature athletes or quasi-athletes. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy running if I hadn’t switched to run-walk, I’d be dealing with knee surgery.
There are some specific ideas for run-walk programs in Bingham and Hatfield’s “Running for Mortals” and I found Jeff Galloway’s “Running: Getting Started” particularly inspiring. He let you know exactly when and why it’s perfectly ok and even advisable to walk rather than run so you don’t have to be a slave to either your ego or your natural laziness. You can just use the breaks to better your performance.
I can’t speak to the performance aspects, I’m far from a competitive runner, but I can say that as training protocol, I think you can get a better workout with less injuries by strategically incorporating walk breaks suitable to your level.