Chi Discussion Forum

Being a little on the aged and heavy side, I sometimes use a run/walk approach instead of running the whole time, especially if I am feeling tired after work.  I try to resist seeing run/walk as a ‘failed’ run, as it provides a good and satisfying workout in its own way.  I usually run for 5 minutes and walk for one, and often find my average pace is the same as when I run all the way (presumably because I run the ‘run’ bits faster - and my average pace is only about 5mph, anyway).

What is your view on using run/walk at Chi Running?  I can’t find any mention of this strategy in the book.  Do you see run/walk as something I won’t need to do any more if I get proficient in Chi Running (I’ve only just read the book, so have hardly started yet).  Or is it a strategy that will always have a place for people like me?  And do you have any special advice for the ‘walk’ phase?

Thank you!

Hi Linda,
There is not reason to feel a sense of “failure” if you’re doing a walk/run during your workouts. I think that doing a walk/run is great for beginners and heavy runners when they are first learning the ChiRunning technique. But I encourage all runners to eventually wean themselves off of the walk run for a number of reasons. Here are two:
A. If you’re a beginning runner, you should only run as far as your body will comfortably allow…and then walk until you recover your breathing and heart rate. Once you’re recovered, start running again until your body says to stop. Do this back and forth and your aerobic capacity will slowly improve to the point where your body waits longer and longer before telling you to call it quits. Eventually, you should reduce the walk amounts and increase the run amounts until you are running continuously. The rule is: Run until you feel tired…walk until you feel guilty.
B. Doing a walk/run reeks havoc with someone trying to learn cadence. Every time you stop to walk, your cadence slows down and when you start to run it speeds up. So, it takes much longer to get a good sense of cadence if you’re constantly stopping and starting.

Thanks, Danny - this makes sense.

there are several well known running experts who strongly push the run/walk concept, such as Jeff Galloway.  He says this can be a great idea for experienced runners as well as beginners.  By switching to walking you give your running muscles a brief respite, greatly prolonging how far and fast you can go.  You will stay fresher for a longer distance than you could if you only ran.  Another way of looking at a run/walk is that you are training your body in it’s two basic modes of locomotion:  walking and running. Another benefit is that you can greatly vary the intensity of a workout, simply by varying the ratio of the walking to running.  If you are feeling a little tired you can still get outside in the fresh air and mostly walk, but still get in some running.  In my opinion you shouldn’t think of running as superior to walking, just the alternate mode of locomotion. Why not train in both?
  Danny, is there a way to follow this theory without ruining your chi-running cadence? Does chi-running make this concept invalid?

After reading a lot more of the book, I think I now understand Danny’s advice on maintaining a steady running cadence instead of frequently switching between runnning and walking.  It is lot easier to ‘get it” in chi-running by learning to relax and flow throughout an entire run, learning to effortlessly move whether going uphill, downhill, or flat. It is also easier to nail the idea pace (around 90rpm) when you keep running, rather than taking walking breaks.  Walking uses the muscles in a much different way and totally interrupts the ideal chi-running pace. When tired and tempted to walk, it is wiser to focus on relaxing the mind and body, and sticking to the ideal cadence.

Linda,

Hi wow you got your advice straight from Danny , that’s pretty cool.
I noticed that you asked about what to focus on while you walk. You’ll be using your walking for recovery, so primarily you want to do just that, but you can also review your ChiRunning focuses for your next running sequence.

If you are currently able to run for 5 minutes, then you might want to spent your first 5 focusing on posture, then review that while you’re walking, if you’re satisfied that it felt right go on to another focus, such as heel lift for the next 5, otherwise repeat your posture focus until you are happy with it.

That way you’ll be doing something Chi-related with your walking time.
It’s true that eventually you won’t need the walking breaks, your rest break might just be dropping into 1st gear for a few minutes, but you will have developed a habit of reviewing your ChiRunning focuses as you go.

Best wishes on your journey, Sandra

Eventually it is a good idea to not use the run walk method, because of the flow for your body, but it’s also FINE to use it as long as you’d like or for the rest of your life.  The point is to get out and MOVE, and move in the best way possible, with the best form possible.  For run/walk I simply change the cadence for the walking part, or turn the metronome off but try to keep a peppy walking cadence…don’t get too slow or bogged down.  When and if you get to the point where you can comfortably run 2-3 miles, we don’t think run/walk is necessary.