While resting between runs may make a lot of sense, it is much more difficult to wrap your head around the concept of resting while you run. When you go out for a run, the concept of rest that comes to mind is shutting down, sitting down, and possibly laying down. But any of those options aren’t productive for finishing an endurance event. You can’t just lay down and take a nap every time you get tired. You would never cross the finish line if you did that. Instead, why not rest on the run.
If you are new to running, you are keenly aware that running causes your leg muscles to get fatigued. The less fit your are, the more aware you are of this fact. Running takes muscle power, and your muscles can’t keep going forever without taking rest. The trick is that you can extend the time that your muscles will keep working by letting other muscles take over for a while, and letting them take a short breather. The secret is simple, and it is called run-walk-run. It’s a system that was championed by the famed runner Jeff Galloway.
Aren’t we supposed to be running the entire time?
My answer to that question is simple. Who says? Is there a running rule book that requires your feet to keep moving at a certain pace? Will the Running Police come and drag you away if you move too slowly? Will you be disqualified from a race because you take a walk break? The answer to all of those questions is a resounding “NO!”. If you can run 26.2 mile without taking a break AND you can do it in less than 2:30:00, than you are a remarkable individual! If you can’t run 26.2 miles without a break OR your current marathon time is slower than 2:30:00, then walking will help you go faster. How will walking make me run faster, you ask?
Constant use will wear anything out
It applies to tires, underwear, hamster wheels, and even your leg muscles. If you use them all the time, they will wear out. The good news about your legs muscles is that, after they are worn out, you don’t have to throw them away! In fact, you don’t even have to wear them out. While there is a limit to how much abuse your legs can take before they completely fail, you can push that limit far into the future if you will give them a rest break. But you can’t wait until you are tired to take a break and expect your tired muscles to recover. Once fatigue has set in, a short rest just isn’t enough. You have to take a rest before you feel tired. Walking uses different muscle groups than running. By walking, you give your running muscles a chance to take a break and recover. But since that walk break is short, at no more than a minute, you can’t let fatigue build up. You need to start resting those muscles from the start of your run.
But I feel great! Why should I walk now?
You can walk now, or you can walk later. If you take scheduled walk breaks from the beginning, you will have amazingly consistent power on tap, all through your run. If you wait until you are tired to start walking, the fatigue will set in and you will have less and less power, as your run progresses. Do you want to start strong, or finish strong? Last time I checked, there are very few individual pictures taken at the start line, but there are a ton of them shot at the finish line!
Next time: I don’t want to hurt!