Last night I had the chance to listen to and meet Jeff Galloway, the former Olympic marathoner and current running coach/entrepreneur, who was speaking at my local Road Runner Sports store. The session was a very informal Q&A in which Jeff answered general running questions as well as specific questions about his training programs. Unfortunately, I didn’t take notes, so the following won’t contain exact quotes from Jeff, but will (hopefully) capture the gist of his comments.
On Stretching
One of the audience members asked about stretching, and when they should be doing it. Galloway responded that he didn’t recommend stretching for runners, with the possible exception of an IT band (iliotibial band) stretch (explained here). He explained that there was no evidence that stretching was helpful to runners, and in fact, was often the source of injury. He also said that he believed the same was true of plyometrics and yoga – that there was no benefit to runners.
To me, this was the most radical statement that he made the entire night. I had previously heard and read from several sources that you shouldn’t stretch before running, but had never heard such a blanket statement that it was something to be avoided, and in fact, many if not most programs seem to recommended stretching after running.
On Weight Training
When I asked Jeff about what weight training he recommended for runners, he said that he didn’t recommend any type of leg weights, but he did recommend exercises to strengthen your shoulders and core.
One specific exercise he mentioned was what he called “arm running”, which he described as moving your arms in a running motion while holding weights and standing still. This exercise will strengthen your shoulders, back and arms, which should reduce the fatigue people sometimes get in those areas.
On Massage and Related Therapies
Jeff said that he was a proponent of deep tissue massage, and that he believed that it aided recovery. He also recommended using a foam roller as a home alternative to massage.
When I asked him about Active Release Therapy (ART), his opinion was mixed. He believed that it could be helpful for certain injuries, like plantar fasciitis, if you had a good therapist, but it could cause more harm than good if you put yourself in the wrong hands.
On Cross Training
Jeff said that the evidence showed that cross training would not help you improve your running, but that didn’t mean that he didn’t recommend it for other reasons. For example, he mentioned that studies showed that for every hour spent doing aerobic exercise, people gained two hours back in increased lifespan.
The only cross training exercise that he believed would actually help runners improve was pool running. For this, he recommended using either a ‘pool noodle’ or an AquaJogger belt
On Ice Baths
I believe the exact words he used for this therapy was ‘cruel and unusual’. However, this doesn’t mean that he didn’t see the benefit of cooling your legs after a hard run, he just felt that an ice bath was too extreme.
Jeff said that the studies showed a benefit from cooling your legs down within the first 15 minutes after running, but that you only needed to immerse yourself in water that was about 20 degrees cooler than the temperature your legs were at, for example, a pool or a cool bath.
This was welcome news to me, as I am really cold-adverse and the thought of an ice bath just makes me cringe.
On His Run/Walk/Run Methodology
Jeff believes, and said that the results from those that have followed his program show, that using his run/walk/run method both during long training runs and races will produce faster times, at least at the longer distances. When asked specifically about the 5K, he indicated that the results were less positive, although some people had shown good results.
He gave several examples of significant improvements by runners who used this method, ranging from those who had been 6 hour + marathoners to those whose times had been under 3 hours and were trying to qualify for Boston. His explanation for these results was that the walk breaks keep your legs fresher, allowing you to recover faster and not tire at the end of the race.
The length of the breaks he recommends vary from 30 seconds running/1 minute walking for those running at a slower pace (16 minutes/mile) to 4 minutes running/35 seconds walking for those running at a faster (8 minutes/mile) training pace. He also mentioned that during a race, if you feel strong, you can skip the walk breaks during the final few miles.
My Thoughts
Galloway’s opinions definitely gave me something to think about. I’m not ready to wholeheartedly embrace his ideas on not stretching, but I will make sure that I stretch even more cautiously than I have been, and that I don’t push myself beyond my current capabilities when doing yoga. For me, the benefits I get from yoga, including improved core strength and increased calm, are too important to me to make me stop, even if I am increasing my risk of injury.
Regarding walk breaks: this is something I never have done in the past, and I am considering trying it out. I know a lot of people are proponents of this method, and it was interesting to hear that even people who are much faster than I am have improved their times using the run/walk/run method.
Regarding cross training: I will continue to incorporate cross training into my fitness plans, for calorie-burning reasons, variety, and for sheer enjoyment. One adjustment I will make it to include occasional pool running into my training schedule.
If you have any opinions or personal experience on anything mentioned here, especially his more controversial ideas (e.g. not stretching and the run/walk/run methodology), I’d love to hear about them, so please leave a comment.
In the words of Michael B., a fellow blogger/runner and a huge proponent of Galloway’s run/walk/run method, gotta run!
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