it depands, in Malaysia everybody walked the aidstations.

I guess what welchy meant was that he was aible to hold his speed the whole way, shuffling at 12 km/h is NOT running for the top pro's

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http://www.wimdedoncker.be

Traditionally -- even though Greg was a very strong runner -- he had tough patches during the marathon at Hawaii. Stopping to stretch a tight back, walking breaks, recovering from hemmoroid surgery, etc. So when he said, "run the whole thing," he meant it!

In fact, I think Dave Scott was sort of banking on Welch having some difficulty late in the marathon, but it didn't materialize in that particular race.

Just think how close Dave was to win #7!! Wow!

Wow, good.... I'm not the only who caught this.

I know I'm a stick in the mud about this, but I really resolve to run the entire marathon at Ironman. I have been beaten by guys who have walked parts of it, but it just makes me feel like I am more in the fight.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Im with ya Tom, Im a stick in the mud about it too. I dont even count the finishes where I walk more than 10 minutes or so. The ironman is swim, bike and RUN.

I just tried to do a Jeff Galloway marathon trianing program where you run 3 minutes and walk one. It may work but I couldn't handle it mentally. I want to RUN a marathon not walk and run a marathon. Which I did do today.

Aloha,

Larry

I find taking 6.5 hours to walk the marathon works just fine for me.
What's this "run" thing you are talking about? :)

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I thought the same thing until I met Galloway in spring 2003. I won't bore folks with the story, but the net result is that anybody running over 2:45 can run/walk with a healthy return.

At IM, it's simple... 30 seconds at each aid station will save you around 10% of your marathon time that you're losing in pace from running the entire way.

So Smitty - you estimate that by walking and refueling during aid stations makes you about 10% faster as opposed to running thru them?

I remember that interview with Welch. Either there or somwhere else around that time he talked about running thru the aid stations for the first time (for him) in Kona. That is what he meant. (IMO)

I should clarify....I didn't estimate that figure, Jeff Galloway did. It works wonders for me, but I could understand how it wouldn't work for others.

I'm going to suggest somebody try this out. Instead of walking, try "skipping." Hear me out, before any of you scoff at this.

I was reading one of my wife's ignorant motivational business books the other day, and the author suggested that you could literally make yourself feel better psychologically by changing your physical demeanor. His theory was outward appearance can change mood.

Therefore, if you forced your facial muscles to smile, you would at some point naturally affect a mood swing to happiness. And so on.

He then suggested going outside and "skipping" down the block. He predicted you would start laughing and smiling, after you started "skipping."

I think he's probably right. I haven't done that, or tried that out. Why don't some of you, today, instead of putting in your long runs, go out, and do a "long skip."

Skipping would probably be better than walking, then. You'd feel better, happier, as you crossed the tape.

Oh, I quite agree. At the Disney Marathon I stop at the musicians and get a little dancing in. Perks me right up. :)

Almost anything uplifting or that engenders positive vibes is good, except for the beer I've tried a few times. I've never been offered sex during a race, but I don't think it would be conducive to a personal best-at least not for the race. :)

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I've met Galloway a couple of times myself and quite frankly his claims about sub 3 hour, even sub 3:30 marathoners walking their way to faster times are hogwash.

Having never done an Ironman I won't comment on the usefulness of Galloway's methods in regards to that particular endeavor, but for the straight up marathon his program makes absolutely no sense whatsoever for anyone looking to run anything south of 3:30.

The marathon is a race of optimum fuel consumption and stopping and starting your engine every mile is not a fuel efficient way to run.

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill

Well...I've run sub 3:30 run/walking. Perhaps those doubters are the ones that haven't tried.

It's rather funny lining up with the 3:10 group, only to walk at mile 1. Heads turn, you get pats on your back, people coach you on the fly, by mile 13....I've dropped 75% of the pace group.

Smitty,

personal anecdotes to not make scientific facts. If you drop 75% of the 3:10 pace group by mile 13 occam's razor would suggest that 75% of the 3:10 pace group had no business being in that group in the first place.

If you managed your pace and your fuel properly and ran evenly without stopping I guarantee you'd run faster than you would with walk breaks.

If you are properly prepared for the distance and you pace yourself intellignetly walking breaks will do nothing only burn up your fuel reserves faster, increase the chances of bonking, and give you a slower finishing time.

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"A society is defined not only by what it creates, but by what it refuses to destroy."
John Sawhill