Galloway Method Question

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

I'm looking for some advice on the Galloway run/walk/run method - I've been using it to train for the WDW half, but on a whim decided to go ahead and sign up for a half that is going to be in a couple of weeks (because it was close to the house and cheap!).

My question is has anyone ever dealt with any comments/issues from utilizing this method at a non Disney race? My main concern is starting out and then walking within 4 minutes or so. I realize that after a few miles no one is going to care - but i'm a little self conscious about doing it..

Am I just over thinking this?

TIA!

 

[Keels]

Both my DLH run buddy and I have! At multiple races!

I ran the Lone Star Half in Arlington and was planning on running with a pace group until after talking to them, I discovered they didn't take walk breaks OR walk fluid stops. So that was a no go for me. But once we got started, I fell in with a group of ladies who were running intervals (2:1) and I ran with them. We ended up quite a few people at the end who started out with the pace group!

Which race are you looking at? I think we're close to each other in Texas ...

 

[Keels]

Oh! And I did the Jalapeño Half starting with a 1:1 as a test back-to-back. It was no big deal. I usually just start towards the back of the pack and stay all the way to the right to be out of the way.

 

[Ariel484]

I doubt anyone will care (and if they do, they probably need to get a life) as long as you sort of stay to the side when you're walking and are aware of those around you - like, you don't want to be THAT GUY that's in the middle of the course and starts walking all of a sudden, and someone behind you runs into you. If you're going to start to walk, try to move to the side (again, being aware of those around you) and put up a hand to signal that you're doing something. People won't necessarily know that you're signaling a walk break but it should at least get their attention.

 

[ExportedMolson]

I have noticed lots of people both training and running local races utilizing the run/walk/run method. I ran the Peachtree Road Race this year with my wife who uses the method and we were fine, in fact there were lots of people around us doing the same thing. She has used the method in plenty of local half marathons as well with no issues. As long as you are conscientious about your walk breaks (there is another thread here about walk breaks) no one will care.

Run your race as you desire and don't care about what others think.

 

[ZellyB]

We just finished our local race this past weekend (I ran the half and DH ran the full) doing Galloway. I will say we ran through the first few walk breaks until the crowd thinned out a bit, but then we transitioned and had no issues. As stated, be aware of your fellow runners and signal your walk breaks and it should be fine. We had a lot of Galloway method folks around us in the race. It's a widely used method these days, so most people won't think much about it.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

Ok, thanks everyone for the advice! I figured that it wouldn't be a big deal but needed some reassuring!

Keels - I'm running the Tour de Glen Rose half since we live south of FW.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

I have my own modified version of the Galloway method, which I have used in the last few races. Essentially, I walk 1 minute after completing a mile run. I have done this in a few locally run "fast" races and had no problems. You just have to be more careful because walking early in a race is far less common in "serious" races. Folks aren't looking out for someone who might go from running to walking, so be sure that you use clear signals that you are about to slow to a walk.

 

[Keels]

Ok, thanks everyone for the advice! I figured that it wouldn't be a big deal but needed some reassuring!

Keels - I'm running the Tour de Glen Rose half since we live south of FW.

The company that does that race is a good one! I've run two of their races this year - so that should be a nice one!

I was thinking of doing something different, but I think I'm going to stick to the Fort Worth Thanksgiving Half since it's right by my house and I hate mornings.

 

[flvy]

I've done B.A.A (Boston marathon people) races and other local races with the walk run. TONS of people use it! It's nothing to be worried about at all

 

[bumbershoot]

My question is has anyone ever dealt with any comments/issues from utilizing this method at a non Disney race?

YES.

IN fact on the Rock 'n Roll Vancouver page there's a "funny" picture of someone with a sign saying "there's no time for Walken in this race", with a picture of Christopher Walken, but meaning "walking". I am glad I did not see that.

That race was a bit odd in that those of us assigned to the last corral and with a very long expected finish time were told to go up BEFORE corral 1. So the elites were actually behind us. We started at 7:45am and the race actually started at 8:15. We were told that this was the corral for the slower people, for the walkers. I was already planning on walking a whole lot of it (had done the 10K the day before and it was my first back to back event) and that really gave me stronger "permission" to do so. About 2K into it we came across a group of people who were telling us that it's a "run, not a walk".

So...that wasn't nice. But the group didn't look like they would be joining us anytime soon (I think they were just waiting for a bus or for work to open or something), and I tried to not let it bother me, but I did sort of feel like explaining things to them.

And then once the race started, I definitely felt bad for the people who hadn't paid attention to anything ahead of time, and didn't know that there would be a group of walkers (or run-walkers) ahead of them. The elites, I'm sure knew, and of course they had a truck in front of them telling us to move out of the way, but a few corrals back, I'm sure, paid NO attention to the whole thing.


Now NONE of that is told to you to make you feel sad or worried or anxious or anything. I'm an obnoxiously honest person, and I tend to tell my whole truth and experience. And that was my very recent experience during an otherwise very nice event. I didn't let it get under my skin (the Walken thing I just found out about so it's still irksome) and I didn't change what I was doing to make some random strangers happy.

Do what you do. Just...don't be freaked out if something like that happens. Smile, wave, move on. What they think doesn't matter at all.

 

[TXHauntedMansionFan]

Just wanted to give everyone who gave advice an update on this... I ran the half about a week ago and had no issues with the run/walk method. I ran the first 3 miles to the first water stop and then proceeded with the plan after that. Funny thing was that a guy that I kept passing/getting passed by actually ended up asking if he could do the interval running with me starting around mile 6. We ran the next 6 miles or so together and he couldn't have been more appreciative at the end!

So lesson learned (just like you guys all said), run the way that you're comfortable with!

 

[ZellyB]

Just wanted to give everyone who gave advice an update on this... I ran the half about a week ago and had no issues with the run/walk method. I ran the first 3 miles to the first water stop and then proceeded with the plan after that. Funny thing was that a guy that I kept passing/getting passed by actually ended up asking if he could do the interval running with me starting around mile 6. We ran the next 6 miles or so together and he couldn't have been more appreciative at the end!

So lesson learned (just like you guys all said), run the way that you're comfortable with!

Glad it went well for you. We just ran a half this past weekend that is a fast course and is a common one used for Boston Qualifiers, so I was a little paranoid that we'd be treated with some distain. But, we had no issues whatsoever (we did line up toward the back of the pack). Not a lot of Galloway method folks, but many with whom we were yo-yoing that asked what our intervals were and encouraged us, so yet another circumstance with people being very familiar with the method even if they don't follow it.

The same thing happened with my DH on his full a few weeks ago where another runner asked to join them in their intervals. I think she actually thought it would be easier, but she was only able to hang with them for a few miles (my DH and his running buddies go fairly fast). Sometimes I think people underestimate the challenge of doing run/walk/run if you haven't trained to it and they just think it will be easy, but it takes mental training to get used to transitioning between paces and especially when you get tired to get yourself running again after your walk breaks. Glad you were able to help a fellow runner out on the race!

 

[margitmouse]

Just wanted to give everyone who gave advice an update on this... I ran the half about a week ago and had no issues with the run/walk method. I ran the first 3 miles to the first water stop and then proceeded with the plan after that. Funny thing was that a guy that I kept passing/getting passed by actually ended up asking if he could do the interval running with me starting around mile 6. We ran the next 6 miles or so together and he couldn't have been more appreciative at the end!

So lesson learned (just like you guys all said), run the way that you're comfortable with!

This is a great story! Thanks for sharing it.