I think the erroneous assumptions are on your part, but that’s just how I read it.
Sorry, I did misread it. Apologies to JChap on that.
However… it’s still extremely debatable to call walk breaks a “penalty” when they very well may lead to a faster overall time.
I think the erroneous assumptions are on your part, but that’s just how I read it.
Sorry, I did misread it. Apologies to JChap on that.
However… it’s still extremely debatable to call walk breaks a “penalty” when they very well may lead to a faster overall time.
“…extremely debatable…”
“…very well may…”
Really?
“Ooops” would have been sufficient.
I’m convinced the run/walk is the way to go in an Ironman. It seems most triathletes are resistant to the run/walk, but I’m convinced if they gave it a try they’d PR. I did a run/walk at Wisconsin last year and it worked out great (IM marathon PR by about 35 minutes).
I did 9:30 running, 30 seconds walking. I only walked when I was supposed to and ran through the aid stations unless I needed water, then I had my fuel belt bottle out and filled it quickly and got on my way. The walk breaks gave my legs a “reset” and it was much easier to eat, drink and take salt pills while walking. It broke down the marathon into more manageable chunks too. I only needed to think about the next 10 minutes. Late in the marathon, after every walk break I felt good for a few minutes and then only needed to get myself through the last 4 minutes or so and then I got another break. Then I felt good for a few minutes again. It allowed me to run a faster pace overall and it kept my HR down. My heart rate was pretty much dead even the whole time.
If you run 9:30 and take a 30 second walk break you’ll lose about 10 seconds per mile on your average pace. But since you get a walk break you can run faster and your legs will feel better late in the race (the key is to do the run/walk the whole time - you can switch to it late in the race) so you shouldn’t fade like most people do. There’s a run/walk calculator out there where you can play around with different intervals and see how the pace works out.
I ran a 3:37 overall. Most of my run splits were around 8:00-8:15. Walk breaks were around a 13 minute pace. Overall I think my pace was 8:17. I know I can go faster with the run/walk, but I’m not convinced I can by running straight through because the 30 second walk breaks gave my legs a little recovery and eased the fatigue.
If you’re considering it, give it a try on a long run. It takes a little getting used to, but it works.
Sounds very interesting, looks like it worked for you, I might give it a try.
I used to run through the aid stations, and then walk in between them. I wasn’t the only one.
I do it for all my halfs and fullIM’s. also did it for a marathon. you are supposed to run a bit faster for the 8-9 min of running and walk as fast as you can for the walk period. My times have all been considerably faster with this method than straight running. Gordo byrn uses it
We’ve been recommending a run/walk strategy for our athletes and at our “Four Keys” pre-race talk for years. It works and these are our thoughts:
Run through the aid station to the last water, gel, coke, sportsdrink guy/gal, whatever your needs are for that aid station. Get it and walk for 30 steps:
Last means you’re not tempted to walk allllll the way through the whole aid station. They can be big. You’re now, hopefully, walking among people who are running = a reminder to start running vs keep walking like everyone else.
30 steps is a hard, non-negotiable number that removes you from the decision to start running again. 30 steps takes about 15-18". Maybe later in the race you start running after 30" vs 30 steps. Whatever, pick a non-negotiable something that removes your will from the decision to start running again.Walking for 15-30" at the aid stations then becomes:
A tool for slowing you down early on the run. Stand a half to a mile out from T2. From the looks of it, about half the field thinks they can run a sub 3:15 marathon, has hundreds drill it at sub 7:30 pace…until they end up walking 10 miles at 17’ pace. Walking the aid stations slows you down, separates you from these people who are running too fast, and focuses you on your race, a 140 mile TT, not a race to the fastest mile 8 of the run split.
A reward for continuing to run between the aid stations. As the run develops:
At first you won’t need to walk the aid stations, at all. You don’t think about it until you’re in the aid station.After about mile 8 or 10, you’ll start looking for the next aid station (ie permission to walk and take a short break) about 7-8’ after you’ve left your last aid station.Then you start looking for it at 6’ out
Then 4’ outThen 2’ out
Then 30" out :-)Giving yourself permission to walk the aid stations, beginning with Mile 1, becomes a reward for continuing to run between the aid stations. The mental conversation becomes “Body, STFU. Keep running, don’t slow down, and I will reward you for that effort over the next mile by letting you walk 30” at the next aid station. That’s the deal and we only have to play this game for another 6-8 miles. Suck it up.“Walking then becomes a tactic, to keep you running and not slowing down between the aid stations, vs a failure. Next time you go for a long run with friends, do this 1 mile on, 30” off (walking, not standing) thing. See just how little space they actually gain on you, how quickly you can get back up to pace, and long you can maintain this total pace vs them slowing down. That slowing effect is much greater and much more likely on the IM marathon.
I have a Garmin 310 and I walk 30" every mile on nearly all of my training runs. I have one display screen that gives me current pace, cummulative distance, time, blah, blah and another that gives me current pace, lap distance and average pace of the lap. I hit the lap button at the end of the mile and see myself walking for 30" at about 17-18’ pace. When I start running, my avg pace for the lap is…17’. But it quickly spools down until by about .6-7 miles into the interval I’m back at the average pace I would be at anyway, had I not taken a 30" break. Each time I do and see this I gain confidence in what the numbers tell me. I’m able to reset my focus on form and pace cues that I hold for 1 mile and then reset at the start of the next interval.
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And now you have several posts describing a much more effective way to incorporate walking in your IM run.
Rich,
thank you for that information, really useful, I think I will be doing that.
Nice to read that - I’ve been training with 9/1 for two months now. Will use it in IMDE - I was sceptical at first, but on long runs I average a faster pace with 9/1 than straight running for the same avg HR, and feel much better afterwards. It just feels bad stopping to walk! Fingers crossed it works in the IM.