The Running Thread--2024

[jmasgat]

Questions to the run/walkers (some dialogue on the MW thread has been timely) as I have been wondering if I should be open minded about it at this stage of my life. How do you figure out what pace to run the intervals?

For those who transitioned from being strictly runners, was there something that you did that made this easier?

And if anyone wants to recommend a concise/single reference to the method, thanks.

 

[Herding_Cats]

Questions to the run/walkers (some dialogue on the MW thread has been timely) as I have been wondering if I should be open minded about it at this stage of my life. How do you figure out what pace to run the intervals?

For those who transitioned from being strictly runners, was there something that you did that made this easier?

And if anyone wants to recommend a concise/single reference to the method, thanks.

I'm significantly slower than you, but I just run however fast I feel. And if I want my overall pace to be faster, I just make the run part of the interval longer.

If you mean how do you figure out what ratio to use, there's a calculator on the galloway website to get you started based on a mile time trial. And then you just fiddle with it from there for what you prefer.

"Recommended Run-Walk-Run Strategies​

Pace/mi Run Walk​

7:00 6 min / 30 sec (or run a mile/walk 40 seconds)
7:30 5 min / 30 sec
8:00 4 min / 30 sec (or 2/15)
8:30 3 min / 30 sec (or 2/20)
9:00 2 min / 30 sec or 80/20
9:30-10:45 90/30 or 60/20 or 45/15 or 60/30 or 40/20
10:45-12:15 60/30 or 40/20 or 30/15 or 30/30 or 20/20
12:15-14:30 30/30 or 20/20 or 15/15
14:30-15:45 15/30
15:45-17:00 10/30
17:00-18:30 8/30 or 5/25 or 10/30
18:30-20:00 5/30 or 5/25 or 4/30"

 

[MissLiss279]

ATTQOTD (run/walk):
I switched to run/walk in March of this year. I had just ran a marathon at the end of February and was pretty tired and worn out by the end of it (about 5 hours). Which is not un-normal, and it was 70s and very sunny at the end - but more tired than I sometimes am. I had already signed up for 3 marathons in an eight day period in October at that point, and I had been thinking of trying run/walk to help me get through those three marathons. So being really tired at the end of the February marathon helped me make that decision.
I signed up for a customized Galloway plan and it had suggestions for run/walk ratios with the option to adjust them as needed for what works best for you. The plan had me running a lot less than I had previously, so it worried me a bit.
I ran another marathon with run/walk at the beginning of May (REVEL White Mountains), which is downhill at the beginning, has a good uphill in the middle, and then slightly downhill for the last half (so probably a faster course than some). I ran that one somewhat hard. I generally hate running marathons hard. I finished that race in 4:18. I was having stomach issues, so stopped for multiple bathroom stops which added up to about 10 minutes. That was the fastest marathon I have run in a few years (by about 10-15 minutes even with the stops) and I felt ‘good’ and not trashed at the end.
My marathon pace is supposed to be 9:30 with 90/30 run/walk. My long run pace is 11:30 with 60/30 intervals.
For my three October marathons, I ran the first marathon (Sunday) at a fast ‘easy’ pace of 10 min/mile with 90/30 intervals and felt good through the race. The second marathon (Saturday), I was trying to run slower, it was hillier, and I used 90/30 intervals. I felt tired throughout, and my Achilles started to hurt. I ran that one with a 10:45 pace. For the third marathon (Sunday, day after 2nd), I just wanted to finish. I decided to use 60/30 intervals. Surprisingly, I felt good throughout the race (even though it was warmed up) and no Achilles pain. There were a few hills, but not too bad. I ended up running that one with a 10:35 pace.
I think I am sold on run/walk. I would like to see what I can do for a proof of time type of race since I haven’t done that yet. I guess I did PR a 10k not too long after I started using run walk. I think that interval suggestion was 4 min/30s for a 8:20 pace.

 

[FFigawi]

Excluding the WDW Marathon, what marathon would you recommend to run that takes place from January through March? Does not need to be a big city, would prefer something somewhat flat.

Houston for sure. Great crowd support, normally cool weather, and free beer at mile 24.

 

[Naomeri]

ATTQOTD: run/walk is the thing that convinced me I could run. My lungs and my legs disagree on acceptable paces--unless there's a crowd of people around limiting my pace, my legs like to go fast. So I settled on 30 seconds of running as a the right amount of fast running to do without aggravating my lungs, and in training and races longer than 10K, I use 30/60 intervals for a 13:30-14:00 pace; 10K gets 30/45, and 5K gets 30/30. My fastest mile trial is 10:18, using the 30/30 intervals.

 

[GuinnessRunner]

ATTQOTD: Like others, I have started using RWR, but mostly for longer training runs and races. I'm a pretty solid middle of the pack runner with a 1:59 HM last November (last time I raced hard). For me, I did it because I honestly suck at pacing myself. I consistantly run too "fast", especially for easy runs. So I started mixing in intervals to slow my overall pace and it has helped emensely. I try and stick with a :30 walk break as from what I read, that's the ideal "rest" period, and then adjust the running portion depending on what overall pace I am trying to hit which usually for easy training runs is netweek 1:30-2:00. Even then I will sometimes extend a walk break as needed to slow myself down if I find myself still above where I should be, especially for "harder" training runs. I don't race often, so it's hard for me to gauge there since I don't have a good sense of my true fitness going in to the race that would let me set the right RWR ratio from the start to achieve a time goal. So while I will use it for races, I ususally wait and run the first 2-3 miles continuously to get a sense of what I think I can achieve that day (and clear some of the course congestion) and then will switch to RWR and adjust the interval to maintain that pace. I naturally run the running portions faster during RWR (knowing a walk break is coming), so interestingly I can generally keep at the same pace I was using for the first 2-3 miles of continuous running. I suspect if I was better disciplined and had realistic time goals going into a race based on fitness tests (like the magic mile tests Galloway reccomends), I could use RWR from the start with the right ratio and be even faster, but at this stage of my running, I'm not really trying to push myself for new PRs, especially since MW is really the only races I do other than making sure I get a new POT from a local race when needed. So RWR helps me run injury free and enjoy the few races I do. That being said, I don't know I could ever switch to Jeff Galloway plans because the thought of having to do back-to-back runs topping out at 26 miles is just not for me. I understand the reasoning behind it, but couldn't commit to that much training time on a weekend. A cumulative-fatugue based plan with RWR to slow me down to the right training paces seems to work, so I will stick with it.

 

[nancipants]

Like @Naomeri, run/walk/run is how I got started running. I was always fast, but had no endurance. So I started with run/walk intervals and followed the Galloway training plan for a 10k. Later, as I learned more about running, I realized I was running too fast in my training runs so I adjusted my intervals and paces. Now I pretty consistently use 30/30 intervals, no matter if I'm training or racing. In summer, I'll use 15/30.

 

[LSUlakes]

Houston for sure. Great crowd support, normally cool weather, and free beer at mile 24.

Houston is looking more and more likely now. The other option is the Woodlands Marathon, since my BIL lives there. We also have friends in Katy Tx that would work for Houston Marathon as he is a runner as well. Would be a cheap trip with the ability to drive and possibly stay with family or friends. Then... you mention beer a mile 24!!!
True story, my PR marathon I had about half a pale ale of some sort at mile 24. It was one of the best beers of my life lol. I was so tired of yellow Gatorade and water that probably anything would have been good, but that beer was special.

 

[garneska]

@jmasgat been doing the run walk after i struggled through that Jan 2022 Marathon we did. up until that point i was mainly a continuous runner and then in the marathon when things got tough i just walked and ran not according to any watch.

Due to injury i had no choice what my intervals were when i started running again in Mar 2022. PT said 2 min run and 1 min walk. By Jan 2023 I was doing a 9 min run and then a 1 min walk trying desperately to get back to continuous running. Here is when i ran with @camaker. I was ready to throw in the towel as the knee was screaming at me. He was doing a 3 min run and 1 min walk. While we did not stick to it exactly because we were chatting (mind you he picked me up about mile 20), at the point i realized that 9 min run was WAY to long. After the Jan 2023 marathon, i moved to a 4 min run and 1 min walk. Did that for a bit but started to realize i did not need as long of a walk. I landed on 4:30 run and 30 sec walk. It worked really good until i torn the root of the meniscus.

I would say you might prefer something along those lines of 4 min run and 30 sec walk. As for pace i also run at my normal running so if my run was 9:30 pace when i was doing continuous i did it for the run portion. I think the big thing is the walk. you want to recover, so you don't need to power walk, especially if it is only 30 seconds.

 

[jmasgat]

Thanks to all for the feedback. What I have not explicitly seen (although I haven't looked hard) is a discussion of "run portion pace" as opposed to "overall pace". Simple math says that in order to achieve a given overall pace, you need the run portion to be faster. And obviously the length of the run/walk segments will impact that. Not sure (beyond the suggested interval timing in the chart above) what really makes sense to do if you are looking to be in a specific pace range.

I realize all of this is "an experiment of one". And first I have to figure out my motivation/goals for considering this--part of this is driven by an ego-stroking need to regain some of my age-relative speed. There are many paths to the goal.....assuming you know what the goal is!

 

[sandam1]

t I have not explicitly seen (although I haven't looked hard) is a discussion of "run portion pace" as opposed to "overall pace". Simple math says that in order to achieve a given overall pace, you need the run portion to be faster. And obviously the length of the run/walk segments will impact that. Not sure (beyond the suggested interval timing in the chart above) what really makes sense to do if you are looking to be in a specific pace range.

As you can see from the discussion here, there are a wide range of intervals that people use. And different people can use different intervals to get the exact same pace. But what a lot of people seem to miss is that it isn't about the interval, but all about the pace. The interval chart gives you an idea of what interval works for most people to achieve a certain pace.* However, if you walk and/or run faster or slower than the average person, that will impact the intervals that work for you. The constants in the equation is to a) not walk for longer than 30 seconds at a time and b) don't run longer than you need to achieve your pace. Everything else - the pace of your run, the pace of your walk and the duration of each, it is up to what is comfortable and effective for you. So, sorry, there is no magic chart with this information on it. It needs to be some trial and error.

Chris Twiggs did a video about pacing that you might want to check out. It also is a good comparison of how two different watches measure distances and speeds.

*Now, about the Magic Mile - so many people ignore this! The MM tells you what your predicted race pace is at your current level of fitness. Not what you want it to be or what it was six months, a year or five years ago. It would be easy for me to say that my goal race pace is a sub-2 hour half marathon. However, there is nothing about my running that says that is a reasonable goal (or even possible). By running a Magic Mile and using that to guide my paces, I'm setting realistic expectations and also getting better information about what intervals I should be trying.

I hope that helps! And if you have specific questions, you can always pick up one of Jeff's books (make sure you get a newer edition as the method has been tweaked through the years) or contact Chris (chris@jeffgalloway.com).

 

[MissLiss279]

Thanks to all for the feedback. What I have not explicitly seen (although I haven't looked hard) is a discussion of "run portion pace" as opposed to "overall pace". Simple math says that in order to achieve a given overall pace, you need the run portion to be faster. And obviously the length of the run/walk segments will impact that. Not sure (beyond the suggested interval timing in the chart above) what really makes sense to do if you are looking to be in a specific pace range.

I realize all of this is "an experiment of one". And first I have to figure out my motivation/goals for considering this--part of this is driven by an ego-stroking need to regain some of my age-relative speed. There are many paths to the goal.....assuming you know what the goal is!

Generally speaking for me, my run pace is about a min/mi faster than the average pace I want - at least for my marathon tempo pace (9:30, 90/30, run at 8:30 and walk at 17) and long run pace (11:30, 60/30, run at 10:30 and walk at 17). It’s possible my run pace end up a little faster, but that’s what I am generally aiming for. And I don’t watch my pace when I walk, just focusing on recovering.

 

[kps7795]

I just received an email from Janji that their entire site will be up to 40% starting tomorrow. My favorite shorts for long distances when I need to bring gels and my phone is the Janji men's trail half tights. Pockets galore!

 

[nancipants]

I just received an email from Janji that their entire site will be up to 40% starting tomorrow. My favorite shorts for long distances when I need to bring gels and my phone is the Janji men's trail half tights. Pockets galore!

I love my Janji pace shorts, but they're not in stock very often.

 

[kps7795]

I love my Janji pace shorts, but they're not in stock very often.

That's the one problem with a company that is relatively small but makes such quality products. You have to be patient and grab what you want when they're available. I love that the shorts (at least) come wrapped in a piece of twine. It's such a nice touch.

 

[PrincessV]

Thanks to all for the feedback. What I have not explicitly seen (although I haven't looked hard) is a discussion of "run portion pace" as opposed to "overall pace". Simple math says that in order to achieve a given overall pace, you need the run portion to be faster. And obviously the length of the run/walk segments will impact that. Not sure (beyond the suggested interval timing in the chart above) what really makes sense to do if you are looking to be in a specific pace range.

I realize all of this is "an experiment of one". And first I have to figure out my motivation/goals for considering this--part of this is driven by an ego-stroking need to regain some of my age-relative speed. There are many paths to the goal.....assuming you know what the goal is!

I’m not a numbers and data person, so I’ve never spent time dissecting it… but at any given point in a rD race I can tell you I’m walking significantly faster than nearly everyone around me - and I am not a fast walker, lol! When I’ve done just walking, my Garmin clocks me around a 18:00 mile. My running pace varies a lot by terrain, temp, and shoe choice, but lands somewhere around a 10:00-12:00ish mile, with speedwork around a 9:00 mile pace. Somehow the math of that ends up being around a 12:30-14:30 avg pace, with the slow end being in high heat and the low end being short runs in cool temps.

 

[Naomeri]

Thanks to all for the feedback. What I have not explicitly seen (although I haven't looked hard) is a discussion of "run portion pace" as opposed to "overall pace". Simple math says that in order to achieve a given overall pace, you need the run portion to be faster. And obviously the length of the run/walk segments will impact that. Not sure (beyond the suggested interval timing in the chart above) what really makes sense to do if you are looking to be in a specific pace range.

I realize all of this is "an experiment of one". And first I have to figure out my motivation/goals for considering this--part of this is driven by an ego-stroking need to regain some of my age-relative speed. There are many paths to the goal.....assuming you know what the goal is!

For me, my run pace is somewhere in the 9-10 range, sometimes down in the 8s if I'm really speeding, and the walking is probably 20-21 (I've never mastered walking faster than average)

 

[FFigawi]

Houston is looking more and more likely now. The other option is the Woodlands Marathon, since my BIL lives there. We also have friends in Katy Tx that would work for Houston Marathon as he is a runner as well. Would be a cheap trip with the ability to drive and possibly stay with family or friends. Then... you mention beer a mile 24!!!
True story, my PR marathon I had about half a pale ale of some sort at mile 24. It was one of the best beers of my life lol. I was so tired of yellow Gatorade and water that probably anything would have been good, but that beer was special.

I knew that would get you. You can't miss it. The beer is handed out by the Houston Hash House Harriers, and they're always dressed up in a common theme. For those of us who are hashers and ran either the full or the half, they'd set up an "elite" fluids table for us with the beer of our choice waiting when we came by.

 

[Dopey 2020]

At what age can I start running with my dog?

For context, we adopted a German Shepherd mix in September. At a little over 5 months, she is driving us completely crazy. She needs way more stimulation than we can give her, even with DH going on 2+ hour walks each day with her. We've tried every mental stimulation game at the store, we do obedience training with a trainer, we've given her multiple bones to chew on. But she never. stays. still. Constantly biting and jumping on us. Vet says she's lost her baby teeth already, so that's not the cause of the biting. There's only so much time she can spend in her crate.

I'm thinking of taking her out on a few of my runs, as my run pace is like a fast walk for her. Maybe it would help her to spend some of that excess energy. But at the same time at 5mo she might be too young still.

View attachment 911715

Beautiful pup! I am not a vet by any means but have been a dog owner for my nearly my entire 53 years, being on dog #4 now with time off in between to recover from that which we will not talk about.
Our current pup is a 2+ YO 60 pound golden that we rescued at 7 months old. She had crazy energy as she didn’t get any exercise where she was but also had behavioral issues and was nervous. She was about a year when I started running with her, not because of her age but because I waited until she would behave next to me on a leash. I think as you get to know your pup you can read if they have had enough and want to stop, I’d worry more about behavior than age. Just start slow as you would for your own training. Our neighborhood is a half mile loop which we walked her around twice, so it was easy to start by running her around once and going from there. We’ve gone a couple miles before but 1 mile at about a 9 min pace is really her favorite.

Speaking of running with dogs - does anyone have a running belt/leash they recommend? My sister is getting into running, and she takes her golden with her. She asked for a leash for running with him for Christmas, but I know literally nothing about running with a dog.

I use a regular leash (5’ maybe) on her collar and held in my hand just to give a simple reminder if she wants to stray. Unless there is another dog she stays a few feet from my side about one stride in front of me. She actually gets a harness on walks as she’s better behaved when running, more focus on the run than distractions I guess.

Word of warning, it’s a blessing and a curse. I love running with her and know that the exercise is good for her and gets out a ton of energy, however, it’s been a year and now I cannot leave for a run without her. She knows when she sees what I’m wearing that it’s time. I have to run her a mile then go out and finish my run on my own.

 

[Professor_Cookie]

Went out for a sunrise run in Old San Juan this morning. Saw the Magic coming in from open water. Such a beautiful city.