When we start with our challenge to run the first five kilometers we talk about the CA-CO or, what is the same, alternate walking and running in different periods of time until the body gets used to the effort required by the race. It is clear that this way of working benefits the beginner runners: it gives them confidence, helps them to improve in a progressive way and puts them in shape for longer runs. But can it also work for veteran runners and for medium or long distance races?
This is what the Galloway method proposes : a special running-walking-running adaptation for long distance runners. This method, which has given good results to runners and veterans, was created by the former Olympic athlete Jeff Galloway in 1976 and is still valid today. We tell you what it is and what its benefits are.
The Galloway method, as we have said, is based on combining different intervals of running and walking , according to our rhythm and according to the time we want to do at a specific distance. Eye, because this does not mean running and walking “to tuntún”, but it is a work of perfectly planned intervals that must be followed to the letter to obtain benefits.
And what benefits do we get from this method? Basically an appearance of the latest fatigue (since we use the muscles of the lower train in different ways, for walking and running), a lower degree of stress in the corridor and a decrease in the possibility of injury, better management of the energy and a faster recovery.
Galloway’s proposal for the marathon is to combine these race-walk-race intervals until kilometer 29 and, from there, finish all the others running.
This does not have to be easy either at the mental level, since at the beginning of the race, when we are fresher, it can be difficult to stop running and start walking.
Depending on the time we want to do in the marathon, the career-walk-race intervals that we should use according to Galloway are the following:
| ESTIMATED MARATHON TIME | RUNNING TIME / DISTANCE | WALKING TIME |
|---|---|---|
| 02: 50: 00-03: 07: 00 | One mile | 10 seconds |
| 03: 08: 00-03: 15: 00 | One mile | 15 seconds |
| 03: 16: 00-03: 21: 00 | One mile | 20 seconds |
| 03: 22: 00-03: 29: 00 | One mile | 30 seconds |
| 03: 30: 00-03: 59: 00 | One mile | 1 minute |
| 04: 00: 00-04: 29: 00 | 7-8 minutes | 1 minute |
| 04: 30: 00-04: 59: 00 | 6-7 minutes | 1-2 minutes |
| 05: 00-00-05: 29: 00 | 5-6 minutes | 1-2 minutes |
| 05: 30: 00-06: 00: 00 | 5 minutes | 1 minute |
As you can see, the recovery times are short, at most two minutes walking at a very light pace, after which we must return to running at our marathon pace, also overcoming the temptation to keep walking longer.
An interesting formula to try over long distances, without a doubt, although for which, in my opinion, you have to go with a lot of head to know how to stop or to choose to continue running.
If you want more information about this method you can do it through the website of Jeff Galloway.