Ready, Set, WALK. (Part I)

When I set out to train for a marathon, I thought it would be good to do a little research on how to go about it. I talked to people, read Runners World, and came across a book by Jeff Galloway called, Marathon: You Can Do It. The title conveniently answered a question buried in my head so I bought it, and read it.

His big schtick in training for a marathon is that you should take plenty of walk breaks, which he says should be done “early and often.” I didn’t really know how I felt about this approach because I thought it was kind of like cheating. I mean, he was talking crazy talk like, run four minutes, walk one minute. Huh? That seemed like a lot of walking.

He also said you should run your long runs two minutes slower per mile than your race pace, which after my first long run, made serious sense.

I am, what he calls, an “A” type personality runner and I loosely took his advise and adapted a plan for my own training. It included run two miles, walk one minute, which is usually about the same spot they have water stations at marathons.

However, the best advise I was able to glean from his experienced history, which includes well over 100 marathons, is that walking is one of the best ways to recover, and loosen up before races.

I find that the best things I can do following a marathon are:
1) take a 15 minute ice bath
2) go for a long walk, after the race, and everyday after until you start running again.

I usually feel so much looser for ANY run if I take a walk of a mile or two the night before. I can’t believe the difference if I walk the night before a long run, and stay active the afternoon following.

Who knows, it could also improve your relationship with your wife and kids if you take them with you.

Serious running might be your thing. You may have that “A” type streak in you. And you may think walking is for the ladies next door, but I’m telling you, don’t knock it till you try it.