Week 37: The Galloway Running Method is working

My experience with running with tendonitis:

I am finally at the point with my running that I feel it’s safe to say I will be able to run most of IMFL.  My definition of run is not what it used to be.  To be able to run a long distance, I had to find a new way to run.  I knew the old, pound the pavement as fast as I could until I was in pain method was not going to work.

I started looking around and found The Galloway Method.  At first, it embarrassed me to run this way.  Seriously?  Run 4 minutes and walk 2 minutes.  I might be able to do this in private but what about on game day?  Wouldn’t people laugh at me?

But because of my injury I knew I had to try it or risk walking the entire 26.2 miles.  There is nothing wrong with walking 26.2 miles but at a 15 min mile pace, it would take me about 7 hours.  I was trying to avoid that.

I started back just walking at a brisk pace.  Then I added in a little running here and there.  Switched to 4 minutes of running followed by 2 minutes of walking.  Once I could keep that up for an extended distance, I changed to 6 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking and realized I needed more walking.  So I have settled on 6/2 and am up to 12 miles.  My schedule for my weekly long run says I should be at 16 miles so I am not far off.

I feel a minor amount of discomfort during the run but it is NOT continuous and it never gets above a 1 on a scale of 1-10.  I have some pain afterwards which I address with ice, cold baths, self-massage on my legs, compression tights, elevation, and rest.  I also roll out my legs and use a tennis ball on my glutes.  Of all of this, the leg massage works the best.  And I am religious about eating post run nutrition in the form of Recoverite by Hammer.

I am averaging about an 11 min per mile pace and do not feel the least bit of strain or push while running.  It is so slow, I feel at times that I’m walking.  I’m doing this in the heat of the afternoon around 6 pm when it is 95-97 degrees out on a flat, hard packed dirt surface.  If I get no faster than this, I’ll be able to complete the marathon portion in under 5 hours.  This pace includes me stopping to refill my bottle and eat Gu.  So far, it is working.  Jeff Galloway says come race day I will be able to go faster than this but he is only speaking of someone who is running only and not doing the two other sports. 

Mostly at this point in my training, I am worried about GI issues.  The 3 sports seem to be coming together just fine and I practice fueling on every training day.  But when you put the 3 sports together and add fuel, things can often go wrong.  I read a friend’s REV3 Portland race report and although he normally drinks an Ensure in T1, his body told him not to that day and he listened.  It worked for him rather well.  It is just going to have to be a wild card that I accept and hope and pray that I get it right that day.