The Run/Walk/Run Training Plan

Monument Valley road
Scene of Forrest Gump's long run
(Courtesy paolo_rosa @ Flickr)

The focal point of Galloway marathon training programs - indeed, nearly every marathon training program - is the long run. Once each week, typically on a Saturday or Sunday, the trainee's program calls for an ever-increasingly longer distance to be covered. At first, each week adds another mile to the distance of the long run. Then two miles are added but every other week now. Finally, three miles are added to the long run but only every three weeks. In this way, the runner-in-training gradually conditions his body to distances approaching that to be covered on race day.


A distinctive feature of Galloway run/walk/run training programs is that the long run is longer than that covered by most other programs: at least 23-24 miles and as far as 26-29 miles. A number of other programs call for a maximum run length of only 20 miles. Only! Of course, the Galloway weekend long runs are actually run/walk/run efforts, so the actual distances covered in running mode are a good bit less. Due to the requirement to cover these longer distances, Galloway training programs are typically longer on a calendar basis, usually 26 to 28 weeks.

Another distinctive feature of Galloway programs, since a significant fraction of those opting to participate are first-timers, is a three day running week. This might typically be comprised of a Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday or Sunday workout. Novice and older runners seem to appreciate a training program that doesn't require them to accomplish a hard midweek training routine, but Jeff's schedules do allow for those with ambitious time goals to optionally add some additional workouts. All runners are invited to add cross-training on other days of the week, always reserving a minimum of one day for rest each week.

So what does all this look like, specifically for the timelapserunner? Here's what a typical week's schedule will amount to, in broad brush form:

Typical Week's Schedule for timelapserunner (Mon, Wed, Fri walking or XT)

Though this doesn't look overly ambitious or strenuous from surface appearances, it does represent a step-up in activity from timelapserunner's last year of workouts: activity on six days each week. Even this increase in physical activity will need to be gradual and allow for accommodation.

Next: Expectations about speed during the marathon.