One issue I have is the run portion of the run/walk.
For example, if you are trying for a 12 minute mile and doing a 30/30 or 1/1 ratio.
That would mean a 6 minute run/6 minute walk.
No matter how you split it up the total is the same, 1/1 ratio.
Contrast that with doing a 12 minute mile with a 3/1 ratio.
That would mean 9 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking.
To me, the 6 minute run would require greater speed and more effort than the 9 minute run, thus being less fresh at the end.
Of course, this assumes the walk portions will be equal in pace.
That is why I questioned the 1/1 ratio for the pace groups in the 5:15 goal.
I guess it comes down to the pace of the run portion.
I'll try and take a stab at it! I'm not a run/walker. I'm a researcher in Vitamin D who likes to read endurance running scientific articles. So I'm by no means an expert on physiology or the run/walk method. But I'll try to explain it.
So, the 1:1 ratio does require a greater speed as you say. In the above example, the 1st and 2nd set of paces use 1:1. If keeping the walk pace the same (16:00), then the run pace must be a 9:36 in a 1:1 ratio. Whereas, the 2:1 ratio does allow for a slower run pace (10:40).
Also true, that if the ratio stays 1:1, then the paces remain the same regardless of the duration. So a 30/30 for 9:36/16:00 and 180/180 for 9:36/16:00 are both an average pace of 12:00 (5:15 marathon).
The key difference is how the body physiologically responds to these paces at these durations. Different physiologically relevant paces have different responses in the body.
The following chart is from the paper "Interval Training for Performance: A Scientific and Empirical Practice: Special Recommendations for Middle and Long Distance Running. Part I: Aerobic Interval Training" by L. Veronique Billat
The purpose of this paper is actually on doing speed work for continuous runners. But I equate that speed work for continuous runners is the same physiologically speaking as someone who uses run/walk as a running strategy. So this is where the difference between 30/30 and 180/180 comes in for a person aiming for a 5:15 marathon with a 9:36/16:00 min/mile. The 9:36 pace for a 5:15 marathon runner falls around mile pace to 3k pace. Depending on how long you run at this pace determines how the body responds. If you run 9:36 for 3 minutes you'll elicit a different response than 30 seconds. 30 seconds keeps the run under the duration that really pushes the breathing, VO2max response, etc. But running at 9:36 for 3 minutes has a much greater impact on these physiological responses.
Now, the question comes down to the rest period. Can you recover equally well after 30 seconds of Rest vs 180 seconds of Rest? The Rest response appears to not be linear. Rather than recovering at an equal pace dependent on length of duration, it appears the recovery response is more exponential. So the greatest amount of recovery response occurs very quickly. Once you hit about 30 seconds the recovery response starts to tail off. It's one of the reasons that 30 seconds can work well, but 180 seconds may not elicit much additional benefits beyond the 30 second mark. Now if the 3 minutes at 9:36 causes more damage, but the additional 3 min Rest doesn't add significant (it does add more, but at a slower rate than the initial 30 sec) recovery advantages over 30 seconds Rest, then you can see how over the course of a long distance race the strategy might hurt in the end.
Now, this is why run/walk can be so individual. Not everyone's response to paces is exactly the same for a 5:15 marathon goal. Some people's VO2max can be different even though they have a similar goal time. So if the 9:36 shifts to a slower physiological pace, then a different response by their body to that pace. So maybe their 9:36 is more sustainable for a long duration because it's more like 5k pace rather than one mile pace, even though they still have the 5:15 marathon goal pace.
Comparing the 2:1 to 1:1 comes down to where the 10:40 run pace is to the 9:36 pace. Is it 5k vs one mile physiologically? Or is it 10k vs 5k? Now combine where that pace is physiologically to the duration you are maintaining it for. Is the bodies response to 30 second of 9:36 run the same as 10:40 for 1 minute over the course of 100 to 200 intervals (does one slowly build fatigue over time where the other maintains at a steady rate?)? Since Galloway is recommending a 30 sec walk break one thing he is doing is helping runners find a sustainable run pace/duration that can be maintained with an optimal length recovery interval. Again, it's no guarantee and that's why trying lots of ratios and durations helps people find their individual sweet spot.
So when I evaluate run/walk ratios to help runners make a training plan I try to find where their run pace falls physiologically and then how long they are running at it.
Just my two cents and like I said I'm by no means an expert on the subject.
I am very concerned I have a stress fracture or other injury.
Last night before bed I noticed some pain in my left foot but now this morning it's even worse. I had a stress fracture a few years ago on my other foot, and this feels similar.
With the holidays, and my insurance, it will be weeks before I can get an x ray.
I'm thinking I will just lay off my feet for the next two weeks and hope for the best.
This goes beyond Dopey though. I had a very special running based trip to South America planned for two weeks after Dopey. I am so worried!
Wishing you the best outcome!
