Sunday, November 17, 2013

Galloway Method to the Rescue

I had an ultrasound this week and the doctor said the golfball sized bloodfilled cyst I had that was causing a lot of pain had 'resolved itself' and then released me from my ban on high impact activities.

My first test run (of just 3 miles) went decently. No cramping at all. Of course, I was rather dismayed at how slow and hard that three miles went. Fitness levels have plummeted and made worse with a 10 pound gain.

Last night I read a woman's post on Facebook. She said that she had been having problems running long distances until she started using a Galloway technique. Of all the steps in that method, she chose to alternated 9 minutes of running with 1 minute of walking. This is kind of a turn off to me as I ran the entire distance of the half marathon last year. The idea of walking any part of a goal is kind of like admitting defeat in my mind. I asked the woman and some others about that and they said that it is actually very little of the whole, and eventually, you start going 11 minutes to 1 or 15 minutes to 1. You might find yourself doing the whole distance again without walks.

So, I tried it - and I worried - expecting a horrid heart breaking pace.

It was a cold and windy overcast day - 54 degrees is cold when wearing shorts and a thin shirt. In fact, it is downright chilly after a sweaty run when the breezes blow on your damp overheated skin.

I ran the first three miles stopping only at a stop light.

Then, I walked 1 minute VERY slowly. I know it is supposed to be a brisk walk, but I went slow to get my heart rate way down; to enjoy the beautiful fall foliage; and to minimize the actual distance walked overall.

Then, I ran for 9 minutes and found myself feeling rather refreshed. In fact, I was surprised the 9 minutes occured so quickly on two of the cycles.

I ran up all the hills. Even the nasty 52 foot elevation climb up over the freeway on a footbridge that was only 1/5th of a mile long. Both ways. That is STEEP.

My overall pace INCLUDING the walking was 12:28 minutes per mile. NOT impressive by any means. But, still better than paces I was running my first six months competing in 3 mile races.