Galloway Run Week # 2

Last weekend I did my first long run using the Galloway run/walk method. I used a 10:2 ratio of running to walking and the run went very well. My overall pace was faster than my previous "all running" twenty mile long run. Although I did fade towards the end of the run, overall I felt better than usual. This weekend I ran my second long run using the Galloway Method. This time out I changed the run/walk ratio to 8:2. I wanted to see if the shorter running time would delay the onset of the inevitable fatigue that creeps into my body around 16 miles.

After my initial slow start for the first 5 miles, my 5 mile splits for 10, 15 and 20 miles were very even, no more the 1:40 separating the slowest from the fastest. The fact that I could hold a consistent pace for 15 miles is encouraging. I also didn't start to slow down until mile 18 when my legs really started to feel heavy. I finished the 21 mile run at an 11:44 pace. That was slower than last week but I think the humidity and the 2 races I ran in the past seven days took a toll on me.

Next week I will follow Emily's advice and try the 5:1 split. After that, I'll take a break from the long runs. Three 20s in a row is hard even for a young guy like me ;-)

Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there.