Training Tips by Jeff Galloway
Note: Olympian Jeff Galloway has helped over 150,000 runners successfully train for their running goals (RunInjuryFree)
Posted Thursday, 30 December, 2004
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Motivation Tip:
When you balance running and rest, and running with life, your runs can blend the best of mind, body and spirit, in a unique and positive way.
Extending Endurance
Your body responds to a gentle increase in distance, when done slowly and regularly, and with enough rest between runs. Here’s how to increase endurance while reducing the chance of injury:
- Run a long run each weekend.
- Maintain your conditioning by running (with walk breaks if desired) 2 other days a week
- Starting long run distance: one half mile longer than your longest run in the last 2 weeks
- Increase by one half mile each week
- Put walk breaks into each long run from the beginning (see table below for suggested ratio)
- Don’t exercise the day before long runs
- Pace of long runs should be at least 2 min/mi slower than you could race the distance
(for pacing guidelines, use the prediction chart in the back of Jeff’s books, and add 2 min/mi)
You get the same endurance whether running slow or fast. By running very slow and taking walk breaks you extend endurance, reduce the chance of injury and recover very fast.
Walk break ratios on long runs
The frequency of walk breaks is tied to the pace of your long runs. The following table is based upon my experience in working with tens of thousands of walk-break-takers, but many runners thrive when they walk even more often than the ratio recommended by the table.
| Pace per mile | Ratio of running to walking |
| 9 min/mi | Run 5-7 min/walk 1 min |
| 10 min/mi | Run 3-5 min/walk 1 min |
| 11 min/mi | Run 3-4 min/walk 1 min |
| 12 min/mi | Run 2 min/walk 1 min |
| 13 min/mi | Run 2 min/walk 1 min |
| 14 min/mi | Run 1-2 min/walk 1 min |
| 15 min/mi | Run 1 min/walk 1 min (or 30 sec/30 sec) |
| 16 min/mi | Run 1 min/walk 1-2 min |
| 17 min/mi | Run 1 min/walk 2 min (or 30 sec/60 sec) |
| 18 min/mi | Run 30 sec/walk 60 sec |
| 19-20 min/mi | Run 15-30 sec/walk 60-90 sec |
Note: for further walk break information see GALLOWAY’S BOOK ON RUNNING 2ND EDITION
Nutrition Tip
The best time to reload your muscle fuel for the next workout is within 30 min of the finish of your run. A snack of 80% simple carbohydrate and 20% protein has been the best re-loading fuel, according to the research. For more info see the nutrition chapters in GALLOWAY’S BOOK ON RUNNING 2ND ED
Note: you can find more information at www.RunInjuryFree.com where you can ask Jeff a question, order his books, or find info on his highly motivating and informative Run Schools and Weekend Retreats.
Jeff Galloway: