?? for those who have used Galloway (Read 1535 times)

I would do the longer runs. Just make sure you have rest days and/or REALLY easy days. Keep your pace down. The reason Galloway advocates the 3-4 days is that he knows runners train to hard on their easy days, so it is better to not run at all.

Arla, I haven't used a Galloway training pgm, but I do use run/walk strategies, but mostly for terrain issues. They do provide breaks and makes it easier to go a bit longer with shorter recoveries. Galloway's approach is based on that assumption. If your friend is walking about 10mi/shift, I can understand her wanting to run rather than run/walk. I noticed the pgm is 30-min runs (run/walks) plus the weekend long run. As the runs get longer, they are every 2 or 3 weeks, so there's certainly enough flexibility in there to beef the pgm up with some longer runs. If you meet your friend some place, you might make that a longer run by running to/from where you meet her. And you can certainly run on other days. (For me, I would definitely beef up the pgm with more runs in the intermediate range.) Long runs are important for marathon training, but they aren't everything. You have to have some volume to go with it. A very general guideline that I've noticed in my training is that my long runs might be over 50% of my weekly mileage, but if I'm only doing them every 2 wks, they're about 30% of my 2-wk mileage. Since I generally use a micro-cycle closer to 2 wk than 1 wk, the % of 2 wks (or 3 wks) is the more relevant number in my mind. But the bulk of my runs are in the 1-2-hr range, not 30 min. While he gives plenty of time to recover from the longer runs, he's not (IMHO) providing adequate training stimulus to really gain from them. Good luck!

Arla...you could make your own hybrid training plan using the Galloway method with a higdon running schedule. Higdon has a plan for novice marathoners that includes runs 4 days weekly with a mid-week medium run that goes up to 10 miles, 2 short runs, then the weekend long run. I think the long run mileage peaks at 20 for higdon. I have some folks on my team who swear by Higdon and some that love Galloway! As always, your mileage may vary http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00novice.htm I'll see you at Disney in 2009!

I've used Galloway for 7 years now. My fastest marathons have been using Galloway (3:51). My fastest marathon without walk breaks has been 4:04. For all my marathons (and occasional 50k) I use Galloway for training as well as the marathon itself. For me the walk breaks simply make a world of difference as to how I feel when I finish as well as remaining injury free. I'm currently training for the Breast Cancer Marathon in Jacksonville in February as well as the ING Georgia in March and the Oklahoma City Marathon in April. I will be doing all 3 at different paces because I have different objectives for each. Walk breaks greatly expand the number of long races - marathons and ultras that I can do in a year. As with any other program, experiment with it. If it doesn't help you accomplish your goals use a different training program or modify the one you are using to fit you. There are dozens of plans out there, all viable, depending upon individual needs and abilities.

Please play nice.

Galloway has some of the worst programs out there. They are a great formula for injury. Hal Higdon is a close second. Telling some one to run 3-4 mile 3 times a week and then run 26 miles for a long run is pure insanity. His programs have been widely criticized and let's just say his book is not really a best seller. (I do remember a large letsrun thread rightfully trashing the program, but the letsrun trashes pretty much everything.) To the poster that thinks Galloway programs are the best, good for you, but most people that run marathons regularly will strongly disagree with your perspective. And you just told a 2:28 or better marathoner that his opinion was crap. I guess you made the Olympic Trials? Will we see you in Beijing? Play nice? Bite me. (I just noticed that this ass was a gimmick account even. Nice.) To the OP. The only saving grace you 'friend' has is the fact that s/he walks 10 mi a day 5 days a week. That will count for something and will help with a plan of this nature, but in reality, they should run more that the plan suggests during the week. I would look for plans that offer a bit more diversity in mileage than this one. Galloway plans are there to sell books, not to keep one injury free. MTA-Gimmick account comment.

Furthermore, I called no one names. I said a certain training methodology was retarted, and I stand by that. If disagreeing with you isn't nice, I suggest you may need to develop a little thicker skin, otherwise you may be VERY offended when someone actually says something that isn't nice.

Like, say...using the term "retarded" (and misspelling it...hmmm...I could comment on that, but I won't--your skin might not be thick enough to handle it) so loosely? Let's try not to be so adolescent and offensive, OK?