Performance Advantage Coaching by Dr Will O'Connor

The run-walk method is nothing new to running, and a lot of its notoriety can be credited to legendary running coach Jeff Galloway. However, I struggled to find scientific reasoning behind the run-walk method as well as any data on runners going under 3 hours using this method. Personally, I have successfully used the run-walk method to run a 2:45 marathon and 8hr 38min 100km. What is Run-Walk? The method works as the name suggests, you run for a period then walk for a short period to recover and delay the onset of fatigue. The theory suggests that you’ll be able to run faster at the end of the race and thus have faster overall finishing time compared to if you had tried to run the whole time and were forced slow down at the end due to fatigue. The Science of Run-Walk The Brain Running requires the brain to send neurological impulses to the muscles that are needed to propel you forward in a running motion. Both these neurological signals and the muscles they activate can become...

Pacing in endurance sport is one of the most essential aspects of performance. Regardless of your ability, if you start the race beyond your level of fitness you will slow down at the end. The severity of how much you slow down (blow up) will depend on the race duration and how far beyond your ability you went at the start. Heat and Glycogen: Two Factors Slowing You Down In some cases, the amount you slow down may be so drastic you are forced to stop. Blowing up can occur for two reasons. Heat:. You can only handle small variations in core temperature (97 °F (36.1 °C) to 99 °F (37.2 °C)). If you accumulate heat at a rate faster than your body can cool itself, you'll be forced to slow down to avoid heat illness. Sugar: As humans, we can only store a few 100 grams of glycogen (sugar) in our muscles and liver. We use glycogen aerobically and anaerobically as a high octane fuel for situations where fat can’t be used to produce energy fast enough. Starting too fast can us...