20 milers have always been a big challenge for me. When I prepared for my one and only marathon years ago, I got injured around the time I was doing 16s and never did a 20. On the marathon day I was walking past 13 miles, so I don't count that either. Every time I tried the distance this year I had to stop at some point. Mostly because of heat in the last few months. 16 was maximum for the year.
Last weekend I participated in the NYRR Marathon Long Training Run. This run-as-long-as-you-want, non-timed event consists of 4 loops around the Park. 6, 5, 5 and 4 miles. NYRR sets up a big recovery area. At the end of each loop, you enter the recovery area, walk a few minutes, eat, drink, catch up with your pace group and go out for the next one. That day, at the end of the first 6 miles I was feeling really tired. I didn't think I could do another mile, let alone a whole loop. Yet when I came out of the recovery area I was as fresh as I was before the run. I did another loop and left that day not feeling tired at all (but bleeding a bit, because for some reason I thought I could remove a water bottle someone dropped from the road, while running and of course took a flight instead. Low blood glucose makes you do interesting things!).
So, I applied the same strategy for my solo-run this Saturday. And I am here to tell you folks, Jeff Galloway has a point. I did a mostly non-stop 8 (except for one water stop) and then I started to walk up the Cat Hill, the toughest part of the course, while getting in some glucose and decreasing my body temperature. To my surprise, my legs didn't mind the rest of that loop and they did the same for two more loops. On the last loop, I allowed myself to take as much as I needed. Still, I was able to mostly run the anonymous hills of the West Side and then finish with a quarter mile, about 7 min/mile finishing kick. Here are the virtues of walking as I could observe.
1) Lactic acid out, glucose in
This is probably the most important aspect of the walk break. It allows the muscles to move some of the lactic acid out and lets you eat and drink in peace, thus getting more in. (without covering your face in gel!)
2) Speed control
Speed control is crucial in distance running. You might run through the pain to finish a 5K; but if you start a marathon too fast, you are done. You are one of the living dead. Unfortunately, when you get tired, you also lose speed control. For me it is generally somewhere after mile 10. This Saturday I started the run at an easy 11:30-12:00 min/mile pace, but after 12 miles my legs took over and started to speed up to their default easy pace, which is somewhere around 10:00. The walk breaks gave me a chance to reset the pace, which is not very easy while you are running.
Also, if you, like me, can't stop yourself from pushing up the hills and thus depleting yourself unnecessarily, you will benefit even more from walking the hills.
3) Don't panic
According to one theory, you don't stop because your muscles can't contract anymore; your brain presses the panic button way before you get to that point. You start to think about the miles left, the hills look menacing, your legs start screaming and finally you admit defeat. I went through this panic cycle many times.
When you have a planned break ahead, on the other hand, that becomes a pseudo-finish line. You never quit a race in the last mile, do you? You just keep charging ahead. You get your break and start anew.
4) Your time doesn't suffer too much
This is probably why most people refrain from walking. I was able to post negative splits in the last 12, mainly because I could speed up with the mental help of the walk sections, including a decent last quarter mile sprint. I finished at 11:15 min/mile average pace. The breaks definitely pay back.
So, next time you are out doing a long run, don't listen to your rookie friends, who think if you walk you need to be disqualified. Heed Coach Galloway's advice and take that walk break.
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