Galloway method for Goofy...

[cobbler]

I have signed up for the Goofy for 2013 and it will not only be my first Goofy but 1st marathon as well. I have completed several half marathons so I do know (kind of) what I am getting myself into.

With that said, I happend to save the 2012 Goofy Galloway training method which is 28 weeks long and quite honestly I can see that I should be starting it soon so I am hoping they will post the 2013 plan in the next couple of weeks.

So my question, as I look over this plan when it gets farther into the weeks, he has you walking on the "half-marathon" day and then doing the run/walk on the "marathon" day for the long runs. For those of you that have done Goofy, when it is the real half-marathon day, do you walk it and then do the run/walk on the actual marathon day? Or do you do some sort of run/walk both days?

Thanks

 

[KSH]

So my question, as I look over this plan when it gets farther into the weeks, he has you walking on the "half-marathon" day and then doing the run/walk on the "marathon" day for the long runs. For those of you that have done Goofy, when it is the real half-marathon day, do you walk it and then do the run/walk on the actual marathon day? Or do you do some sort of run/walk both days?

Thanks

I haven't done Goofy yet (I'm signed up for next year also) but I train with a Galloway group and have had the opportunity to hear Jeff speak on a few occasions. I'm pretty sure he put that in the training plan just to get you used to the time on your feet two days in a row without the extra stress/opportunity for injury that actually running the two days would bring. For the race itself I'm sure he would advocate the run/walk method you've trained with for both days.

Jeff's position seems to be that if your goal is to finish (not to achieve a certain time goal) then your training should be all about getting your body and legs used to going for the amount of time you'll be doing for the races, even if the speed is not there until race day. So by walking long distances you'll probably spend about the same amount of time on your feet as you would run/walking the actual race distance.

His program worked for me - I had some really slow training run/walks last fall and was worried about beating the time limit for my marathon, but on race day I finished feeling good and with 15 minutes to spare! I also finished exactly where his Magic Mile prediction said I would.

Happy training!

 

[jfinke]

Do you happen to have a link for the older Goofy training plan?

Thanks!

 

[cobbler]

The link doesn't work anymore. I saved it as a .pdf file. It's a 28 week program which for the 2012 Goofy started at the end of June 2011. We should see the plan pop up soon. Hubby thinks we should start it now but to me starting 6 weeks early is silly. Looks like a good doable plan.

Thanks KSH for the info!!!

 

[sissy_ib]

Some of his Disney training programs are here
http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/events/rundisney/run-disney-training-consultant/

I'm wondering why the programs would be different for the different half marathons? Other than the dates of course.

 

[KSH]

Do you happen to have a link for the older Goofy training plan?

Thanks!

I googled and found this plan from 2011...

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/media/ewwos/pdf/sports/rundisney/GOOFYexp.2.pdf

 

[jfinke]

I googled and found this plan from 2011...

http://espnwwos.disney.go.com/media/ewwos/pdf/sports/rundisney/GOOFYexp.2.pdf

Thanks!

 

[cewait]

Let me offer some Perfectly Goofy advice....

Find a solid marathon plan - one that fits your fitness level and lifestyle. That by far is the most critical element for a successful Goofy. FOllow that plan making it your highest priority. You will find the Jeff will have you training much longer than other plans - up to 2.5 months longer. The reason his is longer is that he relies on the long run as the key work out. Others (and me) relay on hard weekday workouts and then do not run as long ( or as many times as Jeff. I am not saying Jeff is wrong and I used to coach in a Galloway program. I am just saying Coach missed a lot of races because it was not a plan for his body.

WIth regard to running back to back runs.... You do not need to run them all training season. I would run 2-4 just to get a feel for dead legs. In my 7 Goofies, I may have run 10-11 back to backs - most all were due to scrubbing a long run then making the run the following day.

I offer this just to say that if you feel a nagging injury start to pop up, drop the back to backs. This will allow a little more healing opportunity. Remember it is much better to come into a race under prepared and well than well prepared and injured.

 

[cobbler]

Thanks for the advice, it's quite helpful. I do need harder workouts or longer runs on weekends due to the nature of my job. Summer will be fine to do whatever I want, but in September it becomes much more complex.

Where might I find other training plans so I can make a better informed decisions? Thanks

 

[cewait]

The three most widely used plans are Galloway, Bingham/Hadfield (Marathoning for Mortals) and Higdon. The MFM plan used to have an outline online for free but now one has to purchase their book or purchase the plan. They also have a Goofy plan. Higdon's plans be found at http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51135/Marathon-Training-Guide

Note that Galloway's plan will have you running 26 miles 3 weeks prior to the race. Higdon floods the more traditional 20 mile longest run. As a coach, I am not convinced that a beginner runner needs to go 26 miles for a training run. But if there is any doubt about the mental game of running, then that extra 6 can be a reassurance. All three of these plans will get you to the race well trained and get you across the finish line.

I should add that if you are a run/walker, you can still train under any plan out there, not just Galloway's

 

[cobbler]

I have the Marathon for Mortals book, I bought it a few years ago. I wonder if that will work or if it has to be a recent purchase.

Thanks for the tips. I honestly am leaning more towards Galloway because I do want that reassurance that I can go the 26 miles, I hear that the "wall" comes into play around mile 20ish. I have heard from several people that 20 is fine, it's the last 6 that feel like torture. That is one big reason I'm siding more towards Galloway. The other is due to the long runs on weekends which would work best for me.

Thanks again for the tips!

 

[cewait]

I have the Marathon for Mortals book, I bought it a few years ago. I wonder if that will work or if it has to be a recent purchase.

Thanks for the tips. I honestly am leaning more towards Galloway because I do want that reassurance that I can go the 26 miles, I hear that the "wall" comes into play around mile 20ish. I have heard from several people that 20 is fine, it's the last 6 that feel like torture. That is one big reason I'm siding more towards Galloway. The other is due to the long runs on weekends which would work best for me.

Thanks again for the tips!

Yes, you definitely can use the older book. There can be a wall in a race. The true wall is one where the brain shuts down the body due to glycogen depletion. Said another way, your blood sugar gets low enough that the brains starts to shut off unnecessary activity to conserve its food source.

What most all runners find during a long run is a mental issue similar to the wall, where the brain tricks you into slowing/stopping early. The long run training will give you a mental toolkit to work around the brain convincing you to stop. These are learned over the next few months and can be as simple as running to the next street light (or worse case to the next crack in the road). You already have a nice set of tools in the kit if you have run a few halves. One just needs a few more.

The other key thing learned in training is how to manage intake of liquids and fuel. I seriously carry two brands and 4-5 flavors of gels to Disney if the temps look to be warmer than normal. I am fairly tolerant of gels, but once I cook in the back half of a long run, I know that I will need to change a few things up.

A final point here is that you should understand that as you go through taper and especially after the travel week, you will easily be able to add 6 miles to the longest run made during training. But being on the new side of this understanding, if I had any doubts I would start off with Jeff's plan. You can easily modify the plan in the end if you realize that the distances come easier than you expect today. I actually like Jeff's Goofy plan over most others that I have seen. It is not a constant garage of back to back runs. From what I see he uses the back to back sparingly. I think I said in this post that I rarely run a back to back... but I do a couple heavy cycle workouts and a strength workout the couple days prior to the long run. So in effect I experience and learn how my body is recovering as we get closer to the event.

Hope this helps

 

[johde]

This has been an interesting discussion. You mention not needing the 26 mile long run Galloway recommends to be able to do a marathon. But, do you think stopping at a single 20 mile long run would enough for a Marathon given Galloway's weekday runs and long run every 3 weeks at the end.

 

[cewait]

This has been an interesting discussion. You mention not needing the 26 mile long run Galloway recommends to be able to do a marathon. But, do you think stopping at a single 20 mile long run would enough for a Marathon given Galloway's weekday runs and long run every 3 weeks at the end.

Could be... Though following further with the modification of Galloway's plan, one would end up with three 20 mile runs... simply keeping the 20, then cutting the 23 and 26 back to 20.

I would also offer that I would beef up the weekday runs a bit - even for the beginner plan. The old plan essentially had 2 30 or 45 minute runs with little direction. I am a big believer in making one of those runs a hilly run. The other I would try to put a little speed into the workout. It really does not have to be intense - it could be running a couple hills that push you to a near anaerobic effort on the hills and 2-3 quarter mile sprints. One would add a hill and sprint every other week or so. Note hat I would beef up the weekday runs regardless of whether one abbreviates the long runs. I have learned through the years that many folks will simply run the mid week workouts at the same pace and effort that they run on Saturday. I think it dooms the runner to a slower pace than they would otherwise be capable of on race day.

Make sense?

 

[johde]

Thanks for your insight Charles. Part of the reason for my question was the past couple of training cycles, I've peaked at 15 miles for my half marathon. Last year, I had the fleeting thought of If I did say a 17 mile and then 20 mile, could I do a marathon a couple of months later. As it turned out, I took a couple of weeks off after that half marathon so it didn't really matter.

I still haven't made the leap to trying for a marathon, I want to get at least a little bit faster first. If I do go with Galloway, I was thinking like you did either 3 20 miler's, or maybe 20, 22, 24 depending on how training goes.

 

[cewait]

Thanks for your insight Charles. Part of the reason for my question was the past couple of training cycles, I've peaked at 15 miles for my half marathon. Last year, I had the fleeting thought of If I did say a 17 mile and then 20 mile, could I do a marathon a couple of months later. As it turned out, I took a couple of weeks off after that half marathon so it didn't really matter.

I still haven't made the leap to trying for a marathon, I want to get at least a little bit faster first. If I do go with Galloway, I was thinking like you did either 3 20 miler's, or maybe 20, 22, 24 depending on how training goes.

A little info about my personal training....

I rarely run more than 16 miles or 3 hours up to three times in a cycle. But I also hit the weekday runs kind of hard and when doing well, cycling 3-4 times a week. I dug up a training plan through Google that mirrors what I do, so I feel a little more validated. I just find that I tend to injure if I run much more. Plus I get seriously bored during the run, so pushing much farther is very difficult. Now on the flip side, I do pay for the shorter distances mentally. Or maybe I should say that I understand that around mile 19 on a marathon or 15-16 in the Goofy, I am going to have to suck it up rather hard.

I only offer this up from the opposite side of 20+ marathons so that all understand that there really is no magic long run distance or formula. I tend to allow folks entering a full for the first time some latitude to run a full 26 prior to the marathon, yet want to reassure them that there is nothing magic about this formula. If life gets in the way or an injury is coming on, work with the hand you have. I would not run 26 miles 3 weeks out from Disney if I were nursing a knee or other injury.

Hope this helps

 

[johde]

It does help. I know most of my training has come from the other end of the spectrum. I basically did no significant exercise for the first 40 years of my life so the fact I've gotten 3 days a week in consistantly for the past 3 years is in itself a minor miracle. I tend to do 2 runs during the week of 4-5 miles. At my pace, that take between a little over or under an hour. Then, I do a longer run on the weekends. Just prior to my spring half marathon the midweek runs were closer to 5. Right now, their closer to 4. But, I'm getting ready for a 5K so on the week days I've been working on straight running, and long interval running, ie my long run/race ratio is around a 1:30/1:00, and during the week I'm doing 5:00/1:00 and in the race I'll probably cut it to 5:00/:30 if I take walk breaks at all. So, I'm a fairly low mileage runner.