Runners - Do you incorporate walking breaks at all?

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  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    i do it. it helps me continue to build my endurance.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I don't know that I would walk during a race. But I have also stopped and walked for a bit during my daily runs, usually at the midway point. I suppose the little break helps me to run faster than I would otherwise. I really don't know. Just seems natural.
  • Philtex
    Philtex Posts: 948 Member
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    I don't have a set plan to walk, I let my body tell me what to do on any given run. I ran my first half marathon without any walk breaks, but I have also walked some on three or four mile runs. It all depends on how I feel. I do walk less now than I did early in my running career.
  • berolcolour
    berolcolour Posts: 140 Member
    edited August 2016
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    I do a mix. Some days I'll just run and some days I'll run/walk. I had a Runkeeper program that had twice a week 4min run/1 min walk (x6) and then a long run once a week. Made a huge difference to my speed in the long runs.
  • nadler64
    nadler64 Posts: 124 Member
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    Damn right I do walk-run intervals. I Galloway my longer training sessions and every race (I'm a triathlete). The method was pioneered, if you want to call it that, by 10k Olympian Jeff Galloway when his aging body resisted long-distance training. I'm 52 and the knees just can't take the pounding anymore. But changing my stride and working 3:1 intervals has 1) improved my times significantly and 2) allowed me to do distances I wouldn't have dreamed of, let alone attempted, a few years ago. I plan to do half marathons next spring. A year ago I would have laughed at the idea.

    Those who say you should be able to run continuously may change their tune eventually. You do what works for you.
  • jeepinshawn
    jeepinshawn Posts: 642 Member
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    I concur do what works for you. I did my first half in may. Finished in 2hrs 2mins, there was some older runners that are much faster and they did the run walk method. That said I don't walk at all on dedicated runs.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
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    Yes, I walk some while out on a run. I don't have a problem starting up. I'll usually look ahead, pick a driveway to start walking, and then pick a second driveway to start running again and just follow that.
  • engodwin
    engodwin Posts: 516 Member
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    I just completed my first half marathon Sunday. (2:18:03 - and it rained the entire time! UGH I didn't train in the rain so it was very challenging.) I ran the entire time. No walk breaks. I don't do walk breaks. I also started with C25K and followed the run/walk plan in that. Since then, no walking. There is something very rewarding about saying "I just ran 13 miles without stopping! " BUT! To each their own. If you enjoy the walking, it helps your, or it's how you are successful... Keep doing it!
  • berescga
    berescga Posts: 27 Member
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    Do what works for you. I've been running 9 years and always take a running interval, usually running 10&1. I have run 2 half marathons (both sub2:10) and a sub 28 5k as well as a sub 1hr 10k using this method. I'm a solid middle of the pack runner and I think the walk breaks make me faster because I can push a little harder during the running interval because I know a break is coming.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    engodwin wrote: »
    I just completed my first half marathon Sunday. (2:18:03 - and it rained the entire time! UGH I didn't train in the rain so it was very challenging.) I ran the entire time...... There is something very rewarding about saying "I just ran 13 miles without stopping! " ...

    A lot of it is pace related. As that was a relatively slow HM you were running at a pace that you could sustain for 13.1mi. You could probably have done it faster, but you'd have had to take walk breaks. There is a balance to be sought in terms of finish time, continuous vs structured run/walk vs opportunistic run/ walk, and equally recovery.

    If I'm doing back to back longs, say 10 miles Saturday followed by 15mi Sunday, I'll be much slower on both than I'd need to be if there was a rest day either side.
  • katharmonic
    katharmonic Posts: 5,720 Member
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    I do walk breaks only for recovery between intervals in speed workouts. If I'm doing a long run or base run I don't. There the idea is to run a pace that I can sustain for whatever period of time, and work on increasing that time.

    Absolutely people different things work for different people though.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    tturley wrote: »
    I found that I'm more comfortable slowing my pace a bit and running the whole time. When I take walk breaks my muscles tend to stiffen up.

    Yep. I actually found a training program that relies on this to simulate running a marathon at shorter distances. It had intervals something like 'run 6 miles, walk 5 min, repeat 3x'. It's supposed to get you used to running when your legs feel dead.

    I've done it, but only when I'm supposed to be running and for whatever reason I'm too beat to do the scheduled full distance in one go which is very unusual for me. I have no problem slowing down enough that I have to be really wiped to have to stop.

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