Run 30, Walk 30 -This is Crazy!

Ok, so this is crazy -I read on Jeff Galloway's Blog this week about someone running 30 seconds and walking 30 seconds for a PR in a marathon. I've been doing Jeff's run/walk method ever since I started long distance running 3 years ago. My particular method has been to run 4 minutes and walk one minute; or run 9 minutes and walk one minute. This has worked pretty well for me mainly because it is easy to calculate...every 5 or 10 minutes.

So, when I read about the 30/30 split, I thought: that would be too hard to keep up with, and how could that help you run a faster time? Well, I've been trying it this week. I've run 21 miles -4 miles on Tuesday, 6 miles on Thursday and 11 miles this morning. I've found keeping up with it isn't that hard at all. After a short time I find myself getting into a natural rythym with the timing. I also got pretty good at looking down the road to a point where I figured the 30 seconds would end. These 30 second segments broke up the overall run into mini runs that seemed easy and light.

While running the 30 seconds, I never got tired. While walking the 30 seconds, I always felt anxious to get started running: my times are about the same, maybe a little better than previous weeks, but my mileage is also greater. I felt this morning like I could easily continue after my 11 miles. I felt strong, with no soreness in my knees like I usually would at that distance. I'm running longer, and stronger, and at or better my regular pace. This is incredible. And it is getting me to think about something I haven't serously thought about since I finished my first 1/2 marathon in December 2007...I might entertain the thought of running a full marathon.

Finishing the 1/2 St. Jude in 2007, dashed all hopes of ever running a full marathon. I was elated as I was sore, and beat to hell. The thought of turning around and doing that again was as attractive to me as sitting down with George W. Bush over a cold O'Doul's. I've run the St. Jude 1/2 subsequently in '08 and '09 and I have always convinced myself that the 1/2, was my marathon. But with this 30/30 I'm reconsidering this.

I've got the Nashville Music City 1/2 Marathon on April 24th on my calendar. I'll be using my new found method, and hoping for a new PR...and most of all I'm hoping when I'm through, I might have the inclination, to turn around and do it again. Thanks Jeff.