The Running Thread - 2026

[PrincessV]

The billboard that currently is up at Nike store, Newbury St, Boston.....View attachment 1067828

Cannot roll my eyes hard enough.

 

[Mr_Incr3dible]

Saturday morning I participated in the Galloway school 5K in Chastain Park in Atlanta. As nearly as I can tell, it is an annual run put on by the school (founded by Jeff's dad) and with the Galloway family present, and this year it was a tribute to Jeff. The run itself has some hills to it and there was plenty of RWR-ing on my part and that of others. Even with walking the hills, I managed a 33 minute finish, good enough for fourth in my age group (out of 15, not 4!). They do a nice job with both pre- and post-race, food, drinks, and accommodations.

With this year‘s run being largely to honor Jeff there were a lot of runners there that I’m guessing probably would not normally be, and I felt like I was in the middle of a lot of running royalty. We had Bob from Rise And Run podcast, who was there for the race and to eulogize Jeff at a service Sunday morning. I was unable to attend that due to having to teach at my own church, but here is a link to the service. https://www.live.jeffgalloway.com/?...rEIV4QE75MgKoh9Pfz_aem_mK0xIEqfgoqkt6VrlcRGTw

Bob pointed out Amby Burfoot to me, noting that he's a past Boston Marathon winner (1968, I looked it up). AJ and Erika from One More Run were there and I got to meet them, and turns out we have a church in common. Saw Coach Twiggs. I had a chance to meet Carissa Galloway and stood there like a fanboy just to tell her that I’ve seen her so many times up on the stage before races and just wanted to say hi and tell her how touching it was for her to cross the finish line with all the pacers at the end of Princess Weekend and then she winds up giving me a hug. [Cue 14-year-old me with a stomach flip at attention from a girl]. She later yelled some words of encouragement to me as she passed me going up one of the hills. The Pelkey’s were there and I talked to them and discovered that Jody Pelkey and I have encounters with each going back quite a few years to when she was a Hollywood Studios street performer, as well as at this past MW. Too funny. Plus there were other Rise & Runners there. It was touching to see all the Galloways coming through the finish chute together, both old and very young.

I had to leave not long after the race was over to meet the DW, but glad I got up and went down there to be with everyone else to honor Jeff.

 

[garneska]

@dis_or_dat congrats on another Boston finish. It was great weather for Boston. Berlin should be fun. Plus I love Berlin.

 

[garneska]

@Dopey 2020 great recap. So strong. Congrats.

 

[DianaMB333]

Saturday morning I participated in the Galloway school 5K in Chastain Park in Atlanta. As nearly as I can tell, it is an annual run put on by the school (founded by Jeff's dad) and with the Galloway family present, and this year it was a tribute to Jeff. The run itself has some hills to it and there was plenty of RWR-ing on my part and that of others. Even with walking the hills, I managed a 33 minute finish, good enough for fourth in my age group (out of 15, not 4!). They do a nice job with both pre- and post-race, food, drinks, and accommodations.

With this year‘s run being largely to honor Jeff there were a lot of runners there that I’m guessing probably would not normally be, and I felt like I was in the middle of a lot of running royalty. We had Bob from Rise And Run podcast, who was there for the race and to eulogize Jeff at a service Sunday morning. I was unable to attend that due to having to teach at my own church, but here is a link to the service. https://www.live.jeffgalloway.com/?...rEIV4QE75MgKoh9Pfz_aem_mK0xIEqfgoqkt6VrlcRGTw

Bob pointed out Amby Burfoot to me, noting that he's a past Boston Marathon winner (1968, I looked it up). AJ and Erika from One More Run were there and I got to meet them, and turns out we have a church in common. Saw Coach Twiggs. I had a chance to meet Carissa Galloway and stood there like a fanboy just to tell her that I’ve seen her so many times up on the stage before races and just wanted to say hi and tell her how touching it was for her to cross the finish line with all the pacers at the end of Princess Weekend and then she winds up giving me a hug. [Cue 14-year-old me with a stomach flip at attention from a girl]. She later yelled some words of encouragement to me as she passed me going up one of the hills. The Pelkey’s were there and I talked to them and discovered that Jody Pelkey and I have encounters with each going back quite a few years to when she was a Hollywood Studios street performer, as well as at this past MW. Too funny. Plus there were other Rise & Runners there. It was touching to see all the Galloways coming through the finish chute together, both old and very young.

I had to leave not long after the race was over to meet the DW, but glad I got up and went down there to be with everyone else to honor Jeff.

So nice that you joined the tribute to JG!! Must have been very emotional
Congrats on the 4th out of 15

 

[FFigawi]

So my official results came in and it went the wrong way… arrgghh

Start 7:16:56.492 am
Finish 10:40:55.571 am
Chip time 03:23:59.079

Second Wind timing says standard practice is rounding to the next second so 3:24:00
I’ll still take it and am ecstatic but .079!? I’ve had Disney races surprise me with a second faster so I was hoping

I’m a big fan of truncating. That’s a 3:23 in my book.

 

[fatmanatee]

London!

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[GuinnessRunner]

@Dopey 2020 congrats on a great race. You put in a lot of work to prepare and it's nice when the race gods smile and reward it with an effort like you had! Great job!

 

[Herding_Cats]

Allyson Felix is coming out of retirement to make a run (pun intended) at the 2028 Olympics?!

 

[WDW 4 ME]

Race report: Jim Thorpe Marathon PA 4/26/26

Marathon #20 for me and I had to go over some pros and cons to decide on this one.
Cons -
-It says very clearly on the site that you run down into a gorge with little satellite and cell service and that your gps will NOT work. This is a huge problem for me as a run/walker checking on pace frequently.
-You run along a train bed and cross it at one point. Could trains be a problem? Or even block the course? Not like a road crossing where cars are stopped but supposedly not an issue.
-Remote smaller race so very little crowd support
-Packed gravel/dirt the entire length. I’ve run that before and it was tough on knees and ankles if it wasn’t smooth (potholes/washboard)
Pros -
-only 4 hours away and in a new state should I ever try for all 50
-the course profile…
View attachment 1067759
-it fits my calendar around a time when weather has a chance of being in my favor
In the end the pros win, mainly the fact that it fit my schedule and I wanted a race this spring to try for a BQ

I can’t speak about any form of expo as I opted for my bib to be mailed. The fact that they have this option tells me someone is doing a good job of organizing things. It was $12 on top of $119 for the race including a shuttle to and from parking. There is a more expensive option including finish line parking and a scenic train ride to the start.
Participant shirts are picked up after the finish/medals/refreshments.

The weather turned out to be nearly perfect. It was very hot the week before with a front and rain coming through the day before. Conditions at the start - 40* and cloudy, a bit humid at 85% but really, a temp and dew point in the mid 80s?! And the forecast for race finish? 47* and cloudy with humidity dropping along the way. Very little wind at your back if at all. I had to be dreaming, this was like the planets had aligned or something.

My training had gone well, taper was good, my problem was for some reason I had butterflies in my stomach more so than any race I can remember. No idea why but it was bad. I’m glad that it was a smaller race without a long wait to start or I may have gotten sick. The start is organized fairly well, with a bag drop right at the line which is just a truck that piles everything at the finish on the honor system. Works for me but I wouldn’t be tossing in a phone or wallet. You self corral based on your honest pace and it starts at 7:15. There is a second wave at 8:00 for those that opted to take the train ride up and once you’re there you can start anytime I’m between so if you wanted to wait for some crowds to head out first you can.

Anyone looking at the course map may not get an accurate picture. It looks like you start a mile out of town, then onto main st and onto the trail. You actually start near main and do a quick out and back to a timing mat (to keep the Boston hopefuls honest) running past where you started and onto the D and L trail. The first couple miles has some slight uphill just like the elevation chart shows and it actually is a nice way to keep speed in check so you don’t go out crazy fast on a downhill. Once you’re there you hit the trail it is a steady but almost unnoticeable downhill. Over 24+ miles you only drop 600’. Absolutely perfect for perceived effort without destroying the quads. Running on the dirt was no problem, there was on spot that was soft from the rain but definitely no need for trail shoes, my regular race day shoes were perfect.
There were plenty of aid stations along the way if you wanted with water, electrolytes, and UCAN with enough volunteers for some encouragement. I opted to carry my own fuel and water which helped me immensely to keep a consistent pacing and fueling strategy. There are not a lot of bathrooms should that be a concern to any one, mile 2,12,and 24 was it I believe.
So how was my race? I’ve dropped the spoilers so yeah, it was great.
I did start out a little fast but not like usual. With a lofty goal of 3:23 I needed 7:45/mile. Mile one clocked in at 7:27, ok back it down. The nerves were gone at least and I was feeling great. Mile 2 came in at 7:34. Better but be careful, here comes the downhill. Well miles three and four got progressively faster and it was decision time. My perceived effort was the same and with the course and weather I was getting faster, ok embrace it and go all in. It may bite me later but fighting to go slow wasn’t in the cards. Bonus - at the moment it seems that my GPS is working quite nicely. I kept running my race and hit the 10 mile mark with a 3 minute PR then onto the halfway with another PR. Ok now I’m not going to math it but I know I messed up, no way I can hold this pace for another half. No matter, keep at it, stopped at mile 14 for about 30 seconds to refill my fuel/water mix and was still three minutes ahead of goal pace when I hit mile 17. The next two miles were slower than I wanted and I started giving back some of that banked time. Don’t lose it now, pick up the feet, stand up straight, ok mile 20 clocked in at 7:40, still ahead of goal and only a 10K to go. Well we all know what that 10K is like, it’s the real race when it comes to a marathon and it was rough. I slowly bled the time back as each mile ticked in at 8+ minutes. What really got me good, somewhere after mile 24 I wasn’t in sync with the markers, my GPS was indeed hiccuping, was I on? Was I slow? Doesn’t matter just give it everything. I forced myself to down an extra gel around 24-1/2, slammed down some drink and threw the intervals out the window. Time to empty whatever fumes were in the tank. 25, 26, the finish in sight. Every second counts now, I was screaming at myself in my head as I was watching the seconds go by and crossed the finish at full speed, stumbled a bit, and went straight toward a volunteer for help standing. They were concerned but I said no, medically I’m ok, just a bit wobbly, took a few moments to collect myself, got a medal around my neck, and grabbed some food.
Post race wasn’t anything special but plenty to suffice, water, pretzels, bananas, some other assorted snacks that I don’t remember. Chip time was available to you immediately at the timing tent. A slow Disney like walk to the shuttle (school bus) and off to my ride. Again well organized for a small race.

Race report: Jim Thorpe Marathon PA 4/26/26

Marathon #20 for me and I had to go over some pros and cons to decide on this one.
Cons -
-It says very clearly on the site that you run down into a gorge with little satellite and cell service and that your gps will NOT work. This is a huge problem for me as a run/walker checking on pace frequently.
-You run along a train bed and cross it at one point. Could trains be a problem? Or even block the course? Not like a road crossing where cars are stopped but supposedly not an issue.
-Remote smaller race so very little crowd support
-Packed gravel/dirt the entire length. I’ve run that before and it was tough on knees and ankles if it wasn’t smooth (potholes/washboard)
Pros -
-only 4 hours away and in a new state should I ever try for all 50
-the course profile…
View attachment 1067759
-it fits my calendar around a time when weather has a chance of being in my favor
In the end the pros win, mainly the fact that it fit my schedule and I wanted a race this spring to try for a BQ

I can’t speak about any form of expo as I opted for my bib to be mailed. The fact that they have this option tells me someone is doing a good job of organizing things. It was $12 on top of $119 for the race including a shuttle to and from parking. There is a more expensive option including finish line parking and a scenic train ride to the start.
Participant shirts are picked up after the finish/medals/refreshments.

The weather turned out to be nearly perfect. It was very hot the week before with a front and rain coming through the day before. Conditions at the start - 40* and cloudy, a bit humid at 85% but really, a temp and dew point in the mid 80s?! And the forecast for race finish? 47* and cloudy with humidity dropping along the way. Very little wind at your back if at all. I had to be dreaming, this was like the planets had aligned or something.

My training had gone well, taper was good, my problem was for some reason I had butterflies in my stomach more so than any race I can remember. No idea why but it was bad. I’m glad that it was a smaller race without a long wait to start or I may have gotten sick. The start is organized fairly well, with a bag drop right at the line which is just a truck that piles everything at the finish on the honor system. Works for me but I wouldn’t be tossing in a phone or wallet. You self corral based on your honest pace and it starts at 7:15. There is a second wave at 8:00 for those that opted to take the train ride up and once you’re there you can start anytime I’m between so if you wanted to wait for some crowds to head out first you can.

Anyone looking at the course map may not get an accurate picture. It looks like you start a mile out of town, then onto main st and onto the trail. You actually start near main and do a quick out and back to a timing mat (to keep the Boston hopefuls honest) running past where you started and onto the D and L trail. The first couple miles has some slight uphill just like the elevation chart shows and it actually is a nice way to keep speed in check so you don’t go out crazy fast on a downhill. Once you’re there you hit the trail it is a steady but almost unnoticeable downhill. Over 24+ miles you only drop 600’. Absolutely perfect for perceived effort without destroying the quads. Running on the dirt was no problem, there was on spot that was soft from the rain but definitely no need for trail shoes, my regular race day shoes were perfect.
There were plenty of aid stations along the way if you wanted with water, electrolytes, and UCAN with enough volunteers for some encouragement. I opted to carry my own fuel and water which helped me immensely to keep a consistent pacing and fueling strategy. There are not a lot of bathrooms should that be a concern to any one, mile 2,12,and 24 was it I believe.
So how was my race? I’ve dropped the spoilers so yeah, it was great.
I did start out a little fast but not like usual. With a lofty goal of 3:23 I needed 7:45/mile. Mile one clocked in at 7:27, ok back it down. The nerves were gone at least and I was feeling great. Mile 2 came in at 7:34. Better but be careful, here comes the downhill. Well miles three and four got progressively faster and it was decision time. My perceived effort was the same and with the course and weather I was getting faster, ok embrace it and go all in. It may bite me later but fighting to go slow wasn’t in the cards. Bonus - at the moment it seems that my GPS is working quite nicely. I kept running my race and hit the 10 mile mark with a 3 minute PR then onto the halfway with another PR. Ok now I’m not going to math it but I know I messed up, no way I can hold this pace for another half. No matter, keep at it, stopped at mile 14 for about 30 seconds to refill my fuel/water mix and was still three minutes ahead of goal pace when I hit mile 17. The next two miles were slower than I wanted and I started giving back some of that banked time. Don’t lose it now, pick up the feet, stand up straight, ok mile 20 clocked in at 7:40, still ahead of goal and only a 10K to go. Well we all know what that 10K is like, it’s the real race when it comes to a marathon and it was rough. I slowly bled the time back as each mile ticked in at 8+ minutes. What really got me good, somewhere after mile 24 I wasn’t in sync with the markers, my GPS was indeed hiccuping, was I on? Was I slow? Doesn’t matter just give it everything. I forced myself to down an extra gel around 24-1/2, slammed down some drink and threw the intervals out the window. Time to empty whatever fumes were in the tank. 25, 26, the finish in sight. Every second counts now, I was screaming at myself in my head as I was watching the seconds go by and crossed the finish at full speed, stumbled a bit, and went straight toward a volunteer for help standing. They were concerned but I said no, medically I’m ok, just a bit wobbly, took a few moments to collect myself, got a medal around my neck, and grabbed some food.
Post race wasn’t anything special but plenty to suffice, water, pretzels, bananas, some other assorted snacks that I don’t remember. Chip time was available to you immediately at the timing tent. A slow Disney like walk to the shuttle (school bus) and off to my ride. Again well organized for a small race.

I believe there were around 900 runners total and the course is beautiful running down into a gorge along the river. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for a PR or if you are just looking for a really pretty marathon to run.
In the end this was a huge PR for me by 8:02 and a BQ by 6:02. After Boston and London I’m worried about that but still feel pretty good, fingers crossed.

The finishers medal is awesome

View attachment 1067785

View attachment 1067786

Race report: Jim Thorpe Marathon PA 4/26/26

Marathon #20 for me and I had to go over some pros and cons to decide on this one.
Cons -
-It says very clearly on the site that you run down into a gorge with little satellite and cell service and that your gps will NOT work. This is a huge problem for me as a run/walker checking on pace frequently.
-You run along a train bed and cross it at one point. Could trains be a problem? Or even block the course? Not like a road crossing where cars are stopped but supposedly not an issue.
-Remote smaller race so very little crowd support
-Packed gravel/dirt the entire length. I’ve run that before and it was tough on knees and ankles if it wasn’t smooth (potholes/washboard)
Pros -
-only 4 hours away and in a new state should I ever try for all 50
-the course profile…
View attachment 1067759
-it fits my calendar around a time when weather has a chance of being in my favor
In the end the pros win, mainly the fact that it fit my schedule and I wanted a race this spring to try for a BQ

I can’t speak about any form of expo as I opted for my bib to be mailed. The fact that they have this option tells me someone is doing a good job of organizing things. It was $12 on top of $119 for the race including a shuttle to and from parking. There is a more expensive option including finish line parking and a scenic train ride to the start.
Participant shirts are picked up after the finish/medals/refreshments.

The weather turned out to be nearly perfect. It was very hot the week before with a front and rain coming through the day before. Conditions at the start - 40* and cloudy, a bit humid at 85% but really, a temp and dew point in the mid 80s?! And the forecast for race finish? 47* and cloudy with humidity dropping along the way. Very little wind at your back if at all. I had to be dreaming, this was like the planets had aligned or something.

My training had gone well, taper was good, my problem was for some reason I had butterflies in my stomach more so than any race I can remember. No idea why but it was bad. I’m glad that it was a smaller race without a long wait to start or I may have gotten sick. The start is organized fairly well, with a bag drop right at the line which is just a truck that piles everything at the finish on the honor system. Works for me but I wouldn’t be tossing in a phone or wallet. You self corral based on your honest pace and it starts at 7:15. There is a second wave at 8:00 for those that opted to take the train ride up and once you’re there you can start anytime I’m between so if you wanted to wait for some crowds to head out first you can.

Anyone looking at the course map may not get an accurate picture. It looks like you start a mile out of town, then onto main st and onto the trail. You actually start near main and do a quick out and back to a timing mat (to keep the Boston hopefuls honest) running past where you started and onto the D and L trail. The first couple miles has some slight uphill just like the elevation chart shows and it actually is a nice way to keep speed in check so you don’t go out crazy fast on a downhill. Once you’re there you hit the trail it is a steady but almost unnoticeable downhill. Over 24+ miles you only drop 600’. Absolutely perfect for perceived effort without destroying the quads. Running on the dirt was no problem, there was on spot that was soft from the rain but definitely no need for trail shoes, my regular race day shoes were perfect.
There were plenty of aid stations along the way if you wanted with water, electrolytes, and UCAN with enough volunteers for some encouragement. I opted to carry my own fuel and water which helped me immensely to keep a consistent pacing and fueling strategy. There are not a lot of bathrooms should that be a concern to any one, mile 2,12,and 24 was it I believe.
So how was my race? I’ve dropped the spoilers so yeah, it was great.
I did start out a little fast but not like usual. With a lofty goal of 3:23 I needed 7:45/mile. Mile one clocked in at 7:27, ok back it down. The nerves were gone at least and I was feeling great. Mile 2 came in at 7:34. Better but be careful, here comes the downhill. Well miles three and four got progressively faster and it was decision time. My perceived effort was the same and with the course and weather I was getting faster, ok embrace it and go all in. It may bite me later but fighting to go slow wasn’t in the cards. Bonus - at the moment it seems that my GPS is working quite nicely. I kept running my race and hit the 10 mile mark with a 3 minute PR then onto the halfway with another PR. Ok now I’m not going to math it but I know I messed up, no way I can hold this pace for another half. No matter, keep at it, stopped at mile 14 for about 30 seconds to refill my fuel/water mix and was still three minutes ahead of goal pace when I hit mile 17. The next two miles were slower than I wanted and I started giving back some of that banked time. Don’t lose it now, pick up the feet, stand up straight, ok mile 20 clocked in at 7:40, still ahead of goal and only a 10K to go. Well we all know what that 10K is like, it’s the real race when it comes to a marathon and it was rough. I slowly bled the time back as each mile ticked in at 8+ minutes. What really got me good, somewhere after mile 24 I wasn’t in sync with the markers, my GPS was indeed hiccuping, was I on? Was I slow? Doesn’t matter just give it everything. I forced myself to down an extra gel around 24-1/2, slammed down some drink and threw the intervals out the window. Time to empty whatever fumes were in the tank. 25, 26, the finish in sight. Every second counts now, I was screaming at myself in my head as I was watching the seconds go by and crossed the finish at full speed, stumbled a bit, and went straight toward a volunteer for help standing. They were concerned but I said no, medically I’m ok, just a bit wobbly, took a few moments to collect myself, got a medal around my neck, and grabbed some food.
Post race wasn’t anything special but plenty to suffice, water, pretzels, bananas, some other assorted snacks that I don’t remember. Chip time was available to you immediately at the timing tent. A slow Disney like walk to the shuttle (school bus) and off to my ride. Again well organized for a small race.

I believe there were around 900 runners total and the course is beautiful running down into a gorge along the river. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for a PR or if you are just looking for a really pretty marathon to run.
In the end this was a huge PR for me by 8:02 and a BQ by 6:02. After Boston and London I’m worried about that but still feel pretty good, fingers crossed.

The finishers medal is awesome

View attachment 1067785

View attachment 1067786

Amazing!! Congratulations!!! Thanks for sharing with us!

Would love to know more about your run/walk intervals. After struggling for over a year with IT BAND issues, I took a month off and started with run/walk. So far no ITB. But…my pace has taken a hit. Even with running faster during my running portions, I’m still 15-30 seconds slower per mile. On a bad day, 45. Getting to the point where I want to change it up but scared of my it band flaring up again. It is definitely not nothing, to end my runs pain free. But…I want that faster pace!!!!

 

[sandam1]

Yup, the run walk works for me, though I think I’m right at the limit. I feel really good running around 7:40 but can only hold it for single digit miles. To get that run walking I run around 7:07 but usually end up just under 7 which puts me right on the edge of my zone 5 and quickly makes the wheels fall off later in the race if I even slightly overdo it.

You might want to consider reaching out to Chris Twiggs (chris@jeffgalloway.com) and asking for some suggestions. While the publicly available chart has ratios down to a 7 minute mile, Chris does work with runners that have a faster paces and knows the ratio tweaks to try. (FYI Chris's son did a 2:51:56 at this year's WDW marathon with walk breaks so you probably since still have some room.)

After struggling for over a year with IT BAND issues, I took a month off and started with run/walk. So far no ITB. But…my pace has taken a hit. Even with running faster during my running portions, I’m still 15-30 seconds slower per mile. On a bad day, 45.

Keep in mind that the run/walk ratio chart is what works for "most people." You are not most people. Consider playing with longer run intervals or shorter walk breaks until you figure out what is comfortable, but still gets you the correct pace. Hint - as painful as it might be the runner's brain, those numbers might not end in a 0 or a 5.

Chris always makes the analogy that some people are like Jeff Galloway and are cheetahs. They move quickly through their run intervals and thus their run intervals are shorter. Some people are like Chris and are camels. They don't move as fast as the cheetah, but they are built to go forever. The camel's run interval is going to be longer. And some people can recover with a 15 second walk and some people's bodies need the full 30 seconds. None of these are right or wrong, just different, and you need to experiment to see where you fall.

 

[Dopey 2020]

You might want to consider reaching out to Chris Twiggs (chris@jeffgalloway.com) and asking for some suggestions. While the publicly available chart has ratios down to a 7 minute mile, Chris does work with runners that have a faster paces and knows the ratio tweaks to try. (FYI Chris's son did a 2:51:56 at this year's WDW marathon with walk breaks so you probably since still have some room.)

I spoke with them both at Springtime Surprise, crazy fast time he pulled. I bounced different ideas off them both including how hard I could push the challenge mid taper and still be ready for my marathon. Basically I’m going to have to experiment with two possibilities to see which works better for me. Like you said I can start by upping the time running or I can shorten the walks to 15 seconds. Am I a camel or a cheetah? Only one way to find out.

 

[Dopey 2020]

Amazing!! Congratulations!!! Thanks for sharing with us!

Would love to know more about your run/walk intervals. After struggling for over a year with IT BAND issues, I took a month off and started with run/walk. So far no ITB. But…my pace has taken a hit. Even with running faster during my running portions, I’m still 15-30 seconds slower per mile. On a bad day, 45. Getting to the point where I want to change it up but scared of my it band flaring up again. It is definitely not nothing, to end my runs pain free. But…I want that faster pace!!!!

I’ve been doing RWR since my first half in 2017 and started with 2/:30 looking for a two hour half. I went to 2:30/:30 the following year and back down to 2/:30 for my first full in 2019. That was too many breaks over a long slow run for me so I went up to 3 and then a few years ago to 4/:30 looking for 8 minute miles basically following the Galloway recommendations. The past couple years I’ve gone my own direction and kept the interval but increased paces. To calculate what I need I use this site

https://race-planner.com/run-walk-calculator

It can be filled in to calculate walking pace, running pace, times, etc. it’s great to play around with and see what you need to do and how tweaking things affects the outcome. The most important thing I can say is whatever plan you come up with, stick to it as long as possible on race day. If you think oh I feel good so I’ll skip a couple breaks it will bite you later. Save that thought for the final push if you’ve got something left.

Edit to add: I also don’t train RWR all the time, though what works for me might not work for anyone else. Doing intervals always made me feel like I had to stop and could be mental, physical, or both but felt to me like it was hurting my endurance. So I run continuously most of the time up to 12-15 miles. Or I’ll take a break for a gel if needed. I only stick to my strict RWR around 15+ miles to practice the intervals and recover quicker.

 

[nancipants]

Saturday morning I participated in the Galloway school 5K in Chastain Park in Atlanta. As nearly as I can tell, it is an annual run put on by the school (founded by Jeff's dad) and with the Galloway family present, and this year it was a tribute to Jeff. The run itself has some hills to it and there was plenty of RWR-ing on my part and that of others. Even with walking the hills, I managed a 33 minute finish, good enough for fourth in my age group (out of 15, not 4!). They do a nice job with both pre- and post-race, food, drinks, and accommodations.

With this year‘s run being largely to honor Jeff there were a lot of runners there that I’m guessing probably would not normally be, and I felt like I was in the middle of a lot of running royalty. We had Bob from Rise And Run podcast, who was there for the race and to eulogize Jeff at a service Sunday morning. I was unable to attend that due to having to teach at my own church, but here is a link to the service. https://www.live.jeffgalloway.com/?...rEIV4QE75MgKoh9Pfz_aem_mK0xIEqfgoqkt6VrlcRGTw

Bob pointed out Amby Burfoot to me, noting that he's a past Boston Marathon winner (1968, I looked it up). AJ and Erika from One More Run were there and I got to meet them, and turns out we have a church in common. Saw Coach Twiggs. I had a chance to meet Carissa Galloway and stood there like a fanboy just to tell her that I’ve seen her so many times up on the stage before races and just wanted to say hi and tell her how touching it was for her to cross the finish line with all the pacers at the end of Princess Weekend and then she winds up giving me a hug. [Cue 14-year-old me with a stomach flip at attention from a girl]. She later yelled some words of encouragement to me as she passed me going up one of the hills. The Pelkey’s were there and I talked to them and discovered that Jody Pelkey and I have encounters with each going back quite a few years to when she was a Hollywood Studios street performer, as well as at this past MW. Too funny. Plus there were other Rise & Runners there. It was touching to see all the Galloways coming through the finish chute together, both old and very young.

I had to leave not long after the race was over to meet the DW, but glad I got up and went down there to be with everyone else to honor Jeff.
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I hung out with AJ and Erika at Princess, and they are super nice. They cheered at me during the Springtime Surprise 10 miler and I doubled back to get a selfie.