Comments on: Run-Walk-Run to the Finish Line http://gravityfxfitness.com/blog/run-walk-run-to-the-finish-line/ Time Efficient Solutions for Fitness, Fat Loss, and Flexibility Fri, 07 May 2010 08:42:42 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.3 hourly 1 By: Todd I. Stark http://gravityfxfitness.com/blog/run-walk-run-to-the-finish-line/#comment-561 Todd I. Stark Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:58:37 +0000 http://gravityfxfitness.com/blog/?p=88#comment-561 Speaking to training rather than race day, I definitely began sparing my joints a lot of problems when I switched from long runs to run-walk intervals, and my endurance went up rather than down because I got a more consistent workout with less pain. It's well worth trying, especially for people who don't already have magnificent biomechanics and a marathoners body or are mature athletes or quasi-athletes. I wouldn't be able to enjoy running if I hadn't switched to run-walk, I'd be dealing with knee surgery. There are some specific ideas for run-walk programs in Bingham and Hatfield's "Running for Mortals" and I found Jeff Galloway's "Running: Getting Started" particularly inspiring. He let you know exactly when and why it's perfectly ok and even advisable to walk rather than run so you don't have to be a slave to either your ego or your natural laziness. You can just use the breaks to better your performance. I can't speak to the performance aspects, I'm far from a competitive runner, but I can say that as training protocol, I think you can get a better workout with less injuries by strategically incorporating walk breaks suitable to your level. Speaking to training rather than race day, I definitely began sparing my joints a lot of problems when I switched from long runs to run-walk intervals, and my endurance went up rather than down because I got a more consistent workout with less pain.

It’s well worth trying, especially for people who don’t already have magnificent biomechanics and a marathoners body or are mature athletes or quasi-athletes. I wouldn’t be able to enjoy running if I hadn’t switched to run-walk, I’d be dealing with knee surgery.

There are some specific ideas for run-walk programs in Bingham and Hatfield’s “Running for Mortals” and I found Jeff Galloway’s “Running: Getting Started” particularly inspiring. He let you know exactly when and why it’s perfectly ok and even advisable to walk rather than run so you don’t have to be a slave to either your ego or your natural laziness. You can just use the breaks to better your performance.

I can’t speak to the performance aspects, I’m far from a competitive runner, but I can say that as training protocol, I think you can get a better workout with less injuries by strategically incorporating walk breaks suitable to your level.

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