I’ve completed seven marathons, and I’ve walked in all but one, including three sub 3-hour finishes.
Many runners, when training for their first marathon, set out with the intention to cover all 26.2 miles without taking any walk breaks. Back-of-the-pack runners and Boston Marathon qualifiers alike can often see walking as a sign of weakness or poor training.
On the other hand, there are runners of all abilities and pace ranges who subscribe to the Galloway Method. Made famous by Olympian Jeff Galloway, the method involves using pre-determined running and walking intervals from the beginning of the race to conserve energy and keep a steady pace through the finish line.Before my first marathon, I fell into the first camp of people who believed that walking during a race would make me seem weak and slow. But my first marathon humbled me. I quickly realized mid-race that I would have to develop my own run/walk strategy to make it to the finish line.Starting at mile 16, I began to lap my watch every five minutes, ignoring the pace and overall time. At the top of each five-minute interval, I would walk five steps. As the race progressed, I needed more frequent walk breaks, and by the final three miles, I was taking a five-step walk break every two to three minutes. I crossed the finish line in one piece with a finishing time of 3:08:35, less than nine minutes away from my A-goal of 3:00 and under my B-goal of 3:10.I believe that if I hadn’t developed my five-step strategy, I would have run 10 or 20 minutes slower—if I was able to finish at all. I’ve since completed seven marathons , and I’ve walked in all but one, including three—yes, three!—sub 3-hour marathon finishes.I don’t go into races with the intention to walk, but if I need to, I wait as long as I physically and mentally can. Most importantly, I keep my breaks short. I hold myself to a very strict five-step count, oftentimes counting aloud to hold myself accountable. “One, two, three, four, five.” Then I’m off at whatever running pace I can muster.If I need another break shortly after I begin running, I walk five more steps. Usually this does the trick, and I need two or three total walk breaks throughout the entire marathon. I never let myself feel bad or disappointed if I need consecutive short walk breaks. My personal record time, 2:55, included a quarter mile stretch where I did my signature five-step count walk break probably a dozen times in mile 22. I was able to power through and get back on running pace, with no more walk breaks, in the final three miles.Another easy way to try this method is at the water stops. Instead of struggling to choke down a few ounces of fluids at full speed, grab a cup, walk five steps and sip, then start back up again.I never go into a marathon with the intention of slowing down my pace, but sometimes I need to pivot. The five-step trick has salvaged seven of my marathons, and I’m sure it will help in countless more.
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