The run-walk system keeps popping up in this book. That’s because I consider it such an essential, fundamental, and adaptable training tool. It’s tough to beat for beginning runners, those returning to running (or returning after injuries), or those increasing their miles to run a half marathon or marathon. I have used it for all of these.
Now that I’ve turned the corner past seventy, I do more run-walk training and racing than ever before. I’m constantly amazed at the power and utility of run-walk. Indeed, I believe it holds the key to lifelong health through running—the ultimate goal of this book.
However, one thing I never expected was the way I would use run-walk for speed workouts. In recent years I’ve done much of my summer speed training with the run-walk system, and enjoyed it more than I ever could have imagined. Indeed, it feels playful, like the way a child runs and walks. It’s also the way elite runners train. Only they call it intervals.
My run-walk speed training generally takes this form: run, run faster, then walk. This is similar to the just-covered 30-20-10 workout, except that it uses walking for recovery rather than slow jogging. The walks provide an extra mental and physical boost. It’s easy to run hard on your fast segments when you know they’ll be followed by a walk.
I also use run-walk for longer workouts than 30-20-10, which, as I noted, is primarily for high-end speed. I do run-walk training at everything, from mile pace to tempo pace to marathon pace.
I have found that run-walk speed training works great on the roads, our most common training environment. Much as I love trails and parks, there aren’t any adjacent to my home. Since I run in part to avoid the car-centricity of our culture, I don’t like driving even 5 minutes to a park. With run-walk speed, I can stroll down the driveway, turn onto the nearby roads, and begin my speed workouts. I don’t need to get in my car and drive to a track.
Run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute: My favorite run-walk speed session begins with a 1- or 2-mile warm-up consisting of slow running or relaxed run-walking. Then I switch to this pattern for the next several miles: run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute. You might be tempted to point out that I haven’t done anything fast yet. But in practice I do. I run the last 30 seconds of the 2-minute segment fast. That is, I run the first 2 minutes as 90-30, with the 30 at about my 5K race pace. You could call it 90-30-60. It’s all the same, just measured in minutes instead of seconds.
At my current fitness, I cover about one-third of a mile in a 3-minute segment. I’ll do six to ten of these during a run-walk speed workout. If I add another mile or two of cooldown, that gives me a total run distance of 5 to 7 miles—pretty decent.
Run 60 seconds, walk 30 seconds: The great thing about run-walk training is that everyone can have their own favorite ratio. My wife, who completed fourteen marathons in her thirties and forties, now refuses to do any running that is not a run-walk. Why? Because she’s a few years older than she once was, and hence a few strides slower. As a result, a continuous run feels slow and boggy to her.
She much prefers feeling light and fast. Who wouldn’t? She achieves what she’s looking for with a 60-30 run-walk. During her 60-second runs, she goes much faster than she would on a continuous 30- to 40-minute run.
That’s a good thing on several fronts. It probably gives her a better overall cardiovascular workout. And she definitely enjoys it more. She finds it motivating, not depressing. Do what works best for you.
Run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute: I have used this workout to sharpen my marathon pace for the last several Boston Marathons. Let’s say I’m running a 16-miler. I’ll do the first 8 to 10 miles at a slow, steady running pace of about 10 minutes per mile.
Then I’ll switch to a 4-1 run-walk for the last 8 to 10 miles. Once I’ve switched over, I run the 4-minute segments at about a 9-minute pace and recover with 1-minute walks.
I get the best of both worlds this way: endurance building, and running at slightly faster than my goal marathon pace. This program has proven its value. It has gotten me to five straight Boston Marathon finishes.