The Galloway Plans - It's All Marketing

[ontheuptick]

A little background...

I'm not the best athlete in the world, but I train consistently and have been for some time. I am not a great runner, I'm a triathlete, and Swim/Bike are my strengths. With that said, I have "studied" running, run planning, and all that surrounds it more than anything else because I enjoy it the most.

I'm making this post to encourage runners to really consider their training plan - don't just use a Galloway plan because he's the Disney Guy.

I have been following these forums for a fairly short time, and have read about a LOT of people using the Galloway/Disney training programs. I shrugged it off and never looked at them. When I went to look at the plans this week - out of curiosity - I was absolutely floored.

Galloway's plans should be called the "Time-Crunched Training Program", and should only be used by someone who absolutely doesn't have the time to train properly. His Marathon plan, for "Experienced Runners" with a goal of "Time Improvement" only has 3 runs per week? Absolute madness. Every program he has basically has 3 runs per week. I implore you to research a little (and I don't mind sharing my thoughts as well) - but this is far from an optimal strategy.

In my opinion, these plans are all about wanting to make plans that seem as "Newcomer friendly" as possible, to be able to fill the races. Back when Disney created runDisney, they needed to encourage a whole crop of new runners to get involved and enter their races - and that's awesome! So, what they did was made sure their recommended training plans were easy enough that they didn't scare anyone away. 3 times a week? I can do that.

But 3x per week is not for someone who is looking to either improve or simply run their "best" marathon on that day - best could be fastest or simply feeling great.

Have many people had success using his plans? Yes, surely they have. But, that does not mean it was the Optimal training program for them.

Now, for those of us running 5-7 times per week, it's very important to know how to run. Getting intensity right is one of the most important keys to run training. go EASY! Don't just start running hard 6 times a week or you will be risking an injury. I can talk more about a plan and go into more detail on that if desired.

But, I wanted to encourage everyone that if you wanted to run your best race, or if you want to improve - look past the Galloway plans. If you only have 3x per week to run - that's fine, just be consistent and keep up what you are doing!

 

[ontheuptick]

Can someone move this message be in the "Events/Competitions" WISH forum? I think I should have put it there...

 

[momto3gr8boys]

Well, every runner is different and every runner will train slightly differently, but I think you are making some pretty broad assumptions about a plan that actually has a tremendous success rate.

There will be runners who want to BQ.

There will be runners who want to run a family fun run at Disney.

And a whole slew of runners in between.

What do many of them have in common? Success achieved via the Galloway method. Yes, even those who BQ and successfully complete the Boston Marathon. Even the man himself accomplished this this year using his own method.

Running three times a week will enable a person to finish a race upright. They may not run very fast, but they will finish. For those who want to improve, did you look beyond the three times a week to the drills and length of runs he includes? It's not a light jog three times a week.

I think he is actually being quite responsible. Marketing or not, people who love Disney want to do all things Disney. ALL things - even the seemingly impossible. By creating a method that safely allows a newer runner to complete these races, he is making sure people do it without overdoing it. Any runner who is planning to go beyond one Disney race will ultimately tweak his plan and seek out ways to improve in addition to following the Galloway method.

There are just as many theories out there that warn agains overtraining and running more than 4 times a week. Everyone needs to find their own plan and stick with what works for them.

 

[ontheuptick]

Well, every runner is different and every runner will train slightly differently, but I think you are making some pretty broad assumptions about a plan that actually has a tremendous success rate.

There will be runners who want to BQ.

There will be runners who want to run a family fun run at Disney.

And a whole slew of runners in between.

What do many of them have in common? Success achieved via the Galloway method. Yes, even those who BQ and successfully complete the Boston Marathon. Even the man himself accomplished this this year using his own method.

Reading my post, you will see that I clearly said you can run a marathon using Galloway's 3 runs per week plan. Absolutely, you can run a marathon and finish. But, is it the optimal plan for someone who is looking to either improve on previous times or run their "best" race? No, it is absolutely not.

Obviously Galloway himself can do it on 3 runs a week. He has 50 years worth of base training under his belt. Would he have been in better fitness running 6x per week (under a good program)? yes he would have.

Running three times a week will enable a person to finish a race upright. They may not run very fast, but they will finish.

Absolutely! I said so in my post. If you just want to finish and you only have 3x per week to run, that's fine. Do it.

For those who want to improve, did you look beyond the three times a week to the drills and length of runs he includes? It's not a light jog three times a week.

Yes I did. I know that he adds speedwork into the workouts. Speedwork is valuable for experienced runners (moreso for 10k or mini's, less valuable for marathons). But, running at a slow pace more frequently would serve marathon trainers DRAMATICALLY better. Instead of adding a bunch of intensity, if you just add in 3 more 30 minute very EASY runs per week, you will be a lot better off. Your engine (the heart) needs repetition and consistency to learn how to allow you to run for long stretches at low heart rate.

I think he is actually being quite responsible. Marketing or not, people who love Disney want to do all things Disney. ALL things - even the seemingly impossible. By creating a method that safely allows a newer runner to complete these races, he is making sure people do it without overdoing it. Any runner who is planning to go beyond one Disney race will ultimately tweak his plan and seek out ways to improve in addition to following the Galloway method.

That's all I'm trying to say. If you are one of the runners trying to improve - seek out better training methods.

There are just as many theories out there that warn against overtraining and running more than 4 times a week. Everyone needs to find their own plan and stick with what works for them.

Overtraining can happen, which is why getting your intensity right is so key. People tend to run faster than they should, and if you are going to take on a better training program (which is running 5-6 times a week), you need to remember that at least 3 of the runs should be at a very easy pace. One of my coaches used the term "embarrasingly slow", and I think it fits the bill. Some runners may think it isn't helping, but it is.

The goal is to increase your time/mileage running. The way to do that without getting injured is to run easy, training your heart and ligaments/joints/muscles to take the pounding. Running hard 5 days a week will NOT work.

 

[ontheuptick]

Read this on the benefits of low heart rate training: http://www.triforceteam.com/2011/11/dont-call-low-heart-rate-training-slow-training/

Granted, it's written focusing on triathletes, but the principles are the same. Teach your body to run at low heart rates for a long, long time. That's what will help you in your marathons. You can only do that by running slow and steady, and doing it consistently. See what he had to say about Mark Allen, 6 time Kona Ironman champion:

But a much more important purpose of keeping the heart rate low is to train our bodies to be fast at low heart rates. Some people might say low heart rate training is anachronistic, but I’ve seen it work wonders. To quote an article by Mark Allen, 6 time Kona Champion and one of the greatest triathletes at ALL distances including shorter distances:

“To keep my heart rate below 155 beats/minute, I had to slow my pace down to an 8:15 mile. That’s three minutes/mile SLOWER than I had been trying to hit in every single workout I did! My body just couldn’t utilize fat for fuel. So, for the next four months, I did exclusively aerobic training keeping my heart rate at or below my maximum aerobic heart rate, using the monitor every single workout. And at the end of that period, my pace at the same heart rate of 155 beats/minute had improved by over a minute. And after nearly a year of doing mostly aerobic training, which by the way was much more comfortable and less taxing than the anaerobic style that I was used to, my pace at 155 beats/minute had improved to a blistering 5:20 mile.”​

 

[Pleglech]

Just two points here:

Keep in mind that some beginner and run/walk plans are structured to keep the participant injury free just as much as they are to get them to the finish line. I personally believe that volume is the single most important aspect in maximizing performance and minimizing injury risk long-term for most people (and run six or seven days a week myself). But not everyone runs year round ... and for those people, jumping right into a higher-volume training plan can be a dangerous thing.

You aren't even sniffing overtraining on four days a week unless you're putting in 25 mile days. And even then, it's unlikely.

 

[ZellyB]

Well, I'm a fan of Galloway methods and have found that it works well for me. But, I think like anything, an individual runner needs to find the training plan that works best for them and their goals. When I first started following the Galloway training plan, I'd done no real distance running of any type. I had a single goal in mind. Train to the point to be able to finish a half-marathon with my husband. I've never enjoyed just running for an extended period of time, but the run/walk/run approach was something I could enjoy and get myself to extend my mileage. Galloway's beginning plan is quite clear that this is training plan that will allow you to finish a half or full marathon, upright and injury free. I followed his plan the first year and was able to complete my first half in 2:34. Slow obviously, but respectable I think for my first.

We are working on a revised Galloway schedule this year working to improve pace and time. The total mileage is still reasonable and the running remains at 3-4 days a week, but we are doing some other speed, pace and hill work. We've got a goal to improve to a half-marathon pace of 2:20 this year and right now, that seems readily attainable if we continue with our current training.

Anyway, I guess my point is that I don't think Galloway tries to misrepresent what his training plans are about. He's quite clear about how you need to train to achieve a certain goal. I think Disney promotes his training plans because Disney races are well-known for being attractive to beginning runners and while I'm sure some people run Disney races with a goal of getting a PR, most are not looking for an agressive time goal for these races. It's about having fun and finishing. For that, Galloway's plans are perfectly adequate and do help you avoid injury. And, they can be, like it was for me, the magic formula that makes you fall in love with running. I'm not sure why it's important then to disparage the plan. I'd readily admit that if you have agressive goals and want to maximize performance there are likely better plans out there, but that doesn't mean that the Galloway plan is nothing more than "marketing".

 

[momto3gr8boys]

e very EASY runs per That's all I'm trying to say. If you are one of the runners trying to improve - seek out better training methods.

. One of my coaches used the term "embarrasingly slow", and I think it fits the bill. Some runners may think it isn't helping, but it is. The goal is to increase your time/mileage running. The way to do that without getting injured is to run easy, training your heart and ligaments/joints/muscles to take the pounding.

I have taken 7 minutes off my half marathon time from January to March using an advanced Galloway method, so I'm pretty happy with that. And interestingly, what you described in the endurance building long runs is exactly what he recommends. So many people criticize his long runs as being too long (16-18 miles for a half and over 26 for a full. But they don't take the time to understand how he wants you to run them.

Well, I'm a fan of Galloway methods and have found that it works well for me. But, I think like anything, an individual runner needs to find the training plan that works best for them and their goals. When I first started following the Galloway training plan, I'd done no real distance running of any type. I had a single goal in mind. Train to the point to be able to finish a half-marathon with my husband. I've never enjoyed just running for an extended period of time, but the run/walk/run approach was something I could enjoy and get myself to extend my mileage. Galloway's beginning plan is quite clear that this is training plan that will allow you to finish a half or full marathon, upright and injury free. I followed his plan the first year and was able to complete my first half in 2:34. Slow obviously, but respectable I think for my first. We are working on a revised Galloway schedule this year working to improve pace and time. The total mileage is still reasonable and the running remains at 3-4 days a week, but we are doing some other speed, pace and hill work. We've got a goal to improve to a half-marathon pace of 2:20 this year and right now, that seems readily attainable if we continue with our current training. Anyway, I guess my point is that I don't think Galloway tries to misrepresent what his training plans are about. He's quite clear about how you need to train to achieve a certain goal. I think Disney promotes his training plans because Disney races are well-known for being attractive to beginning runners and while I'm sure some people run Disney races with a goal of getting a PR, most are not looking for an agressive time goal for these races. It's about having fun and finishing. For that, Galloway's plans are perfectly adequate and do help you avoid injury. And, they can be, like it was for me, the magic formula that makes you fall in love with running. I'm not sure why it's important then to disparage the plan. I'd readily admit that if you have agressive goals and want to maximize performance there are likely better plans out there, but that doesn't mean that the Galloway plan is nothing more than "marketing".

Yes, this.

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