Learning from Galloway

Saturday, June 9th I had the pleasure of attending Jeff Galloway's running school in Orlando, FL. In a nutshell: This is an experience you can't miss, no matter what your level. For more details, read on :-)

Friday had been a whirlwind of running, work, the drive up from Aventura, and I slept less than two hours that night. However, Saturday turned out to be so amazing I didn't feel it until much later when I was almost done with the drive back home.

When I arrived at the Church where the school would be held, Jeff was already there and chatting with a few of the students in his casual and laid-back manner. I was immediately included. This man is not only a pioneer in his sport, he is also one of the nicest, most polite, and patient people I have ever met. The Orlando group that organized the event was also great!

Jeff Galloway and me!

The event was structured like a class, where Jeff lectured and answered questions as they came up. I must have asked a million things and he patiently answered every one of them. I also prepared a few questions before class. Since I'm training for four consecutive Disney half marathons, and the training plans were all written by him, the questions were mostly related to that. They were:

1. How do I adapt the training plans for the short time between the Disneyland, Wine & Dine, Walt Disney World, and Princess half marathons?
• 1 day of recovery for every hard mile in the race.
• Don't do a complete layoff for more than 2 days. Rest but start with increased walking breaks. Then pick up wherever the next race's training plan is.
• You can keep the endurance of running a half marathon for about 2 weeks (if you run 30 minutes, 3 times a week), and 4 weeks for a marathon. After that you need to do long runs.
• You can go into a holding pattern for half marathon long runs alternating 14 miles, 3 miles, 14 miles, etc. throughout the weekends leading up to the next race.
2. Can I include races as part of the training plan? Like a 5K on a weekend when the prescribed run is a 3 miler? Do I need to rest any extra days?
• Only if it's an easy day or magic mile day. You can do it on the week after long runs (like a 3 mile day the week after my 11 mile long run). Don't go all out to avoid injuries or having to rest extra days. Remember that your main training at this moment is for those half marathons.
3. How do I incorporate speed work and hills into the training plans?
• Don't recommend speed work yet, unless you have a time goal (which I don't) until the second or third year of consistent running.
• When you can do speed work, do 1/2 mile (800 m) repeats about 15 seconds faster than goal pace, then 3 minute rest walk. Start with 4 repeats and add 2 per week until you reach 14. Stop speed work 2 weeks before the race.
• On hot days do 400 m repeats, but do twice as many and walk half the time to rest.
• Do hills on Tuesday and Thursday runs! Start with 2, build up to 8 if needed. For the downhill portion keep strides short and feet closer to the ground so you don't lose control...use gravity.
• Before using the overpasses and bridges (our "hills" in flat-as-a-pancake Miami), use the ramps in your parking garage. This made me laugh :-)
4. What is the best cross-training I can do with these plans? Also, what to avoid?
• Elliptical is good, spinning is good as long as you remain in the saddle.
• Avoid stair climbing machines and anything else that stresses your calves.
5. Should I run the day before each race?
• Only if you feel like it and it will help relax you, but it's not really necessary. If you do, take it super EASY!

My new interval timer, set to what Jeff calls "the healing ratio" of 30:30

After the school, Jeff was attending a Meet & Greet at a fantastic local running store, Track Shack. I couldn't get enough of this man's knowledge and positive attitude so I decided to attend as well. Boy, am I glad I went! It was a much more informal environment where we just sat and chatted with Jeff as he ate his fresco bean burrito from Taco Bell. Fun fact about Jeff: He eats hot sauce directly from the packet. Love it! The store itself was also fun to walk around in, they have a great selection of products and the nicest staff. I also ran into Andrew Leatherby there, whom I met during his Good Form Running Clinic at my local Runner's Depot, and thanked him for motivating me to get back on the running saddle. Before the clinic I had lost motivation and stopped running for almost a month. Immediately after that clinic I went for a run and haven't stopped since!

We also had the chance to meet Jon Hughes, owner of Track Shack, and chat for a while. We brainstormed to figure out the best gift for a running dad, talked about racing, and spoke about the store's incredible involvement in the Disney events, as well as the Orlando running community. Those amazing Disney running clinics that Jeff leads? You can thank the Track Shack. Jon mentioned he has known Jeff for a number of years, and you can definitely see similarities. Aside from their lean, runner look, they are both laid back, polite, and nice as can be. Full of knowledge and good humor as well. I feel fortunate to have met and learned from so many wonderful people in just one day. I'll be happily sporting my Track Shack tech shirt on some of my runs here in Miami!



Some of my random notes from the school are below, in no particular order. Some of these things I knew already, some I didn't, but it was great to hear them from Jeff along with his animated explanations. This doesn't even begin to cover everything I learned, just a few nice tidbits. It's one of those "you just have to be there" things! Check out his website to see when he's teaching by your area.

• Practice different ratios of the same proportion mile to mile during the same run. Sometimes 90:30 is better than 3:1!
• Race rehearsal - Run measured course at race pace while trying a variety of different ratios (one per mile) for 3 to 5 miles.
• I did this yesterday during my long run and loved it. The variety in ratios kept the run interesting, and I loved feeling my body's reaction to each set of intervals. No attention to race pace, though. I just ran :-)
• There is no concrete evidence linking stretching to less injuries or running improvement. In fact, distance who stretch have more injuries! Jeff is not a fan of yoga either for this same reason.
• There was a funny moment where he "absolved" us from the guilt of not stretching.
• Rehearsal plan
• Lay out all clothes and gear the night before
• Repeat a mantra while falling asleep (feet on the floor, alarm goes off, clothes are on)
• Magic words - Taking situations that used to shut you down and realizing you sometimes stuck through them and were successful. Associate words to these successes and use these words when you're struggling. His favorites:
• Relax
• Power
• Glide
• Eating simple sugars is best when running because they are instantly absorbed. Gels are more complex and could cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Either find simple gels, or eat sugar cubes, gummy bears, sugar packets, etc. 30-40 calories every 2 miles.
• Start eating only if the run is an hour and a half or longer.
• If eating simple sugars before a race, make sure it's within 30 min. of the start time.