Congratulations to Nancy and Lindsay on their races this morning!
QOTW--Do you--run without stopping or use run/walk intervals? What are your thoughts/experiences?
Here's my story. It's long, but there is a point, I promise.
I have been running off and on since 1987 when I was in college. Some year's more seriously. Some years not at all. I usually stopped when I got shinsplints--around 3-4 mile long distance. I always 100% believed if you weren't running the entire way that it didn't count. Period.
We moved here in 1994 and ever since then I wanted to run the local 1/2 marathon. Again ran and off for years, got injured, got burned out, gained weight, lost weight, gained weight. Quit. Over and over and never ran the local 1/2. Every April when the race came around I felt like a failure.
In 2008 I lost about 30 pounds, was walking a lot, in good shape, thought about running again and started feeling bad. Tired, lethargic. Started having hip problems and achilles problems. Just didn't feel well. This was probably malnutrition from my gluten problems kicking in. The diet and exercise were taxing my body and it was starting to show. I quit again and gained most of the weight back.
In 2009 my only child went to college and I went back to work. I was tired, over weight, out of shape, having some pretty good brain fog and just feeling pretty lousy about myself.
In Dec I joined the Y and in Jan 2010 I joined the BL thread. I lost weight pretty steadily and was working out a lot. In April my DH ran the local 1/2 and again I felt like a loser. He convinced me to start running again with the idea of doing the inaugural W&D. Honestly I did it to humour him. I figured I would quit eventually. I always did.
About the same time I had to go see a cardiologist about an irregular heartbeat. I had to wear a monitor and have an echo. It was a very frequent irregular heartbeat, but my heart was healthy, so I was cleared to exercise and continue losing weight.
My DH went to USNA. He was of the thought--you run. You don't do this run/walk thing. And so was I. My first half marathon in Sept of 2010 I ran the entire thing. I didn't walk a step. Mike stopped to use the porta-pottie and I kept running. I was so proud of myself. And so stubborn.
And I was slowly getting sicker. My irregular heartbeat was becoming more frequent. I was getting sick after long runs. I had terrible brain fog. My hair was falling out. I had a host of other issues which I won't bore you with.
I ran the W&D, but by then we were starting to look at walk breaks. I was so tired at the end of long runs/races, that we were starting to try things just to make it easier. We walked a minute at the end of each mile.
I was so sick at the end I didn't eat or drink anything at the party.
All through the winter I kept feeling yucky. I finally went to my doctor in January. I couldn't even explain to her what was wrong. I had to type out my symptoms. I stopped eating gluten in February, but unfortunately, I had a long road back at that point.
I ran the Princess in Feb of 11. Run 5 walk 1 (I think). It was my fastest race (and still is). After that race I spent the rest of 11 and the beginning of 12 injured. Really I already had some of the problems during the Princess, but I apparently have a high pain threshold.
In April of 11 I had to decide if I was going to skip the local 1/2 or just do it and take whatever time I got. I was in a lot of pain from a nasty case of itbs and my foot was pretty messed up. I ran/walked it. I can't remember what interval I used. It was very emotional. I shouldn't have run it. It was not the best decision. And I could not have done it without walking some. My time was almost 30 minutes slower than the Princess which I had just run 2 months earlier.
It took a long time for me to really feel like I was "better". I don't realize how bad I felt before I stopped eating gluten.
IF I would have stuck with the idea of "real runners only run" I would have probably had to give up running. I have worked very hard to get back to where I can comfortably run 5 miles without a walk break. I don't know that I will ever run a 1/2 again without a walk break.
I am faster with walk breaks. They give my body the recovery time it needs. The reality--I am not 20 years old. Or even 30.
I am in my 40s. I have limitations that I need to work within. Walk breaks help me keep my injuries in check. Hopefully this year, for the first time I will actually be able to enjoy the W&D party.
I think it is awesome if someone wants to run without stopping for walk breaks. It is a great feeling. I love my short runs where I just run without thinking about it. I think run/walk intervals enable me to try things I don't know if I could do otherwise. They got me back to running faster when I was sick than if I would have just run full out.
I think whatever you choose you should be open to trying other things if something doesn't seem to be working. And also remember--what works for you or me might not work for someone else. Everyone is hopefully working to the best of their ability.
You guys make me stick to it.
100lbs! That is alot of commitment - good for you! I'm doing the ToT 5K as well and am really looking forward to it. Maybe we can meet up and say hello.
I've lost more than that. I'm training to run right now but after the 1st of October I'll be working on a 70-day intense fat burning/muscle building program which will help make it easier for me to lose the rest of the weight and keep it off. THEN I can get back to running. 
I don't have a gym membership, any ideas I what I can do inside to still get a good workout in.
Thanks for sharing and for offering your help and experiences! 
