Thursday, June 16, 2005
Poll: Taking Walk Breaks During a Long Run?
I have been reading Galloway’s Book of Running...he is a big promoter on taking “walk breaks” on long runs.
I was wondering:
1. How many of you take walk breaks on long runs.
2. Do you think this is a good way to complete a race?
3. Do you know/think that you can really complete a race as fast or faster when you take walk breaks, as Galloway claims?
During my first marathon I took walking breaks (15-30 secs.) at every drink stand, which occured every 2.5K/1.6M beginning at the 5K marker. During my training long runs I took a maximum of 2-3 walk breaks, usually to eat a sports bar. After reading some of Scott Douglas's remarks I wonder if the walk breaks during my first marathon were the CAUSE of my severe muscle cramps, particularily in the hamstring muscles? Of course taking walk breaks when I hadn't trained taking walk breaks was probably a mistake in itself.
My Training Last Night:
Yesterday when I got home from work the sun was shining, the sky blue, temperature about 27C/80F so I decided to take my scooter to the garden (11K/7M) and do some hill running. I tried a new route from the garden to the beginning of the stretch of hills that I wanted to run, it turned out to be almost exactly 3K/1.9M, mostly through the forest bordering the local moor. A week or two ago I turned left and went up the hill, last night I turned right. Wow, what a climb, for almost 12 minutes I wound my way up this truly brutal stretch of asphalt road that led to a (now unused) landfill. I think I was closer to walking than running as I finally made it over the crest. Awesome! I loved it! What a workout!
Anyway I continued on running up and down a series of rolling hills with trail conditions ranging from logging roads to (probably) wildlife paths. I just love running through the forest, particularly when there are hills involved. Anyway I eventually decided I should find a way down from the mountain, as I was starting to feel the results of my workout. This ended up becoming an adventure in orienteering (or disorientation), minus the map and compass. I really had no idea how the trails went, so had to trust my sense of direction. Luckily this is pretty good, I basically headed down (logical) in the general direction that I figured would get me back to the garden. I popped out of the wood line at the bottom of the mountain about 300 meters (1000 feet) from the trail that I took up the mountain. Not bad!
I headed along a couple fields that I knew would bring me back along the moor and to the garden. I ended up running almost 1 ½ hours so I would guess this would be around 14K/8.7M, the distance that I usually run. I was comfortably tired and just feeling just totally satisfied after my hill workout.
Summary of Last Night's Training:
Warm-up;
1 set 15 pushups, 1 set 25 sit-ups;
14K/8.7M run; total time 1:28:10 - hill training.
1 set 15 pushups, 1 set 25 sit-ups;
Cool down.
Conditions: 16:15; 27C/80F, sunny, beautiful!
Feeling after training: Excellent!
Diet Stats:
Wake-up weight this morning: 75 kg/165 lbs
Weight lost since 01/01/2005: 5 kg/11 lbs
Goal weight by the end of June: 74 kg/163 lbs
Goal weight by Christmas: 70 kg/154 lbs
I was wondering:
1. How many of you take walk breaks on long runs.
2. Do you think this is a good way to complete a race?
3. Do you know/think that you can really complete a race as fast or faster when you take walk breaks, as Galloway claims?
During my first marathon I took walking breaks (15-30 secs.) at every drink stand, which occured every 2.5K/1.6M beginning at the 5K marker. During my training long runs I took a maximum of 2-3 walk breaks, usually to eat a sports bar. After reading some of Scott Douglas's remarks I wonder if the walk breaks during my first marathon were the CAUSE of my severe muscle cramps, particularily in the hamstring muscles? Of course taking walk breaks when I hadn't trained taking walk breaks was probably a mistake in itself.
My Training Last Night:
Yesterday when I got home from work the sun was shining, the sky blue, temperature about 27C/80F so I decided to take my scooter to the garden (11K/7M) and do some hill running. I tried a new route from the garden to the beginning of the stretch of hills that I wanted to run, it turned out to be almost exactly 3K/1.9M, mostly through the forest bordering the local moor. A week or two ago I turned left and went up the hill, last night I turned right. Wow, what a climb, for almost 12 minutes I wound my way up this truly brutal stretch of asphalt road that led to a (now unused) landfill. I think I was closer to walking than running as I finally made it over the crest. Awesome! I loved it! What a workout!
Anyway I continued on running up and down a series of rolling hills with trail conditions ranging from logging roads to (probably) wildlife paths. I just love running through the forest, particularly when there are hills involved. Anyway I eventually decided I should find a way down from the mountain, as I was starting to feel the results of my workout. This ended up becoming an adventure in orienteering (or disorientation), minus the map and compass. I really had no idea how the trails went, so had to trust my sense of direction. Luckily this is pretty good, I basically headed down (logical) in the general direction that I figured would get me back to the garden. I popped out of the wood line at the bottom of the mountain about 300 meters (1000 feet) from the trail that I took up the mountain. Not bad!
I headed along a couple fields that I knew would bring me back along the moor and to the garden. I ended up running almost 1 ½ hours so I would guess this would be around 14K/8.7M, the distance that I usually run. I was comfortably tired and just feeling just totally satisfied after my hill workout.
Summary of Last Night's Training:
Warm-up;
1 set 15 pushups, 1 set 25 sit-ups;
14K/8.7M run; total time 1:28:10 - hill training.
1 set 15 pushups, 1 set 25 sit-ups;
Cool down.
Conditions: 16:15; 27C/80F, sunny, beautiful!
Feeling after training: Excellent!
Diet Stats:
Wake-up weight this morning: 75 kg/165 lbs
Weight lost since 01/01/2005: 5 kg/11 lbs
Goal weight by the end of June: 74 kg/163 lbs
Goal weight by Christmas: 70 kg/154 lbs
# posted by Jack : 7:29 AM
Comments:
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Hmmm, Scott's really got an axe to grind.
I plan on walking for 10 or so seconds at water stops because otherwise all the water would be up my nose. I have found, many times, that the people I observe ahead of me who are taking what appear to be planned walk breaks (as opposed to walking because they're exhausted) are hard for me to catch. Sometimes I don't.
In my recent, difficult 10K, when I finally had to walk, my leg muscles immediately began to tighten and it was very hard to get running again. Of course at that point I was not so much taking a break as collapsing.
Interesting subject.
I plan on walking for 10 or so seconds at water stops because otherwise all the water would be up my nose. I have found, many times, that the people I observe ahead of me who are taking what appear to be planned walk breaks (as opposed to walking because they're exhausted) are hard for me to catch. Sometimes I don't.
In my recent, difficult 10K, when I finally had to walk, my leg muscles immediately began to tighten and it was very hard to get running again. Of course at that point I was not so much taking a break as collapsing.
Interesting subject.
A 5k - no walk breaks. A 10k sometimes yes, sometimes, no. If the 10k is during my weeks of training for a longer run, say a half, I will do the walk breaks just to retain my pattern for my longer race training.
I do 8-10run with 1-2 walk depending on how I feel that day or where the hills are.
As for timing. I have finished faster using run/walk than running straight for distances 10k or over.
I do 8-10run with 1-2 walk depending on how I feel that day or where the hills are.
As for timing. I have finished faster using run/walk than running straight for distances 10k or over.
It's weird, I never used walk breaks (of course I never ran more than 13.1 miles in a row, either) before The Egg. It didn't occur to me to use them as a tool. You know, I was "running", so to me, that's "not walking". The thing is, though, is that that's just *me*. That's how I did things, but not because it was the right way or anything, just because it's what I thought I was supposed to do. Years ago, when I ran the first time, it was more like walking, and I'd take a running break. The way I see it, any way that gets you from point A to point B, that's the way to do it. Walking, jogging, running, rolling.
So, I guess now it occurs to me that you really weren't trying to figure out if walk breaks were the way to *finish* a marathon, so much as to *perform* a certain way in the marathon, so there are nuances there I can't speak to. I do think it's an interesting question, though, and if anyone can figure it out, I'll bet it's you!
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So, I guess now it occurs to me that you really weren't trying to figure out if walk breaks were the way to *finish* a marathon, so much as to *perform* a certain way in the marathon, so there are nuances there I can't speak to. I do think it's an interesting question, though, and if anyone can figure it out, I'll bet it's you!
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