You’ve decided to implement the run/walk method into your training and racing strategy. Before you can truly embrace the power of walking during your run routine, you’ll need to take the next step forward: Finding your optimal run/walk paces. Runners of all levels and backgrounds can find success with the run/walk method, meaning that your run/walk paces and walk interval lengths should be unique to you.
With a simple test, you can take guesswork out of your run/walk sessions at the beginning, identify the proper paces for you, and forge a clear path for reaching your training and racing goals. Runner’s World’s guide, How to Master the Run/Walk Method: Using the Magic Mile, maps out how one helpful test run can define your run/walk training speeds, pace your races strongly, and build fitness for the long term. In Runner’s World’s How to Master the Run/Walk Method: Using the Magic Mile, we’ll teach you: Once you have your Magic Mile, use the following formulas created by Galloway to calculate your ideal training and race paces: An important note to keep in mind: For long runs, your target training pace should be about 90 seconds to two minutes slower than your 5K pace.
Don’t want to do the math? Use our Magic Mile Calculator to find your run/walk training paces with the click of a button. You should repeat the Magic Mile test every one to three weeks to get the most accurate representation of your fitness and best training paces.
When you complete the mile test again, start off slower than your previous pace before gradually speeding up and finishing strong. Over time, you should see the seconds shaving off your time as your fitness progresses. Once you calculate your run/walk paces with your Magic Mile, begin putting them to use in your training.
Once a week: Complete a tempo run at marathon pace, playing around with different run/walk ratios to find the split that’s most comfortable for you. Every 1-3 weeks: Repeat the Magic Mile test to adjust your run/walk training paces to your most up-to-date fitness level, especially once you notice you can go farther and feel strong while training at your current paces. Race day: Ready to conquer your goal race distance?
Run your race with the help of the paces you found using the Magic Mile calculator. Using the training paces determined using your Magic Mile, you can also find your ideal run/walk ratio needed to comfortably hit your unique paces. Run/walk ratio varies by individual, but generally, you can use the following pace guidelines to structure your pacing: Now, those ratios aren’t inflexible.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
