Overcoming the "Stopping Wish" in a Marathon
By Brendan Cournane.

Running a marathon is 90% mental. The other half is physical.

The original quote is from philosopher Yogi Berra on hitting a baseball, but a paraphrase is appropriate in running a marathon.  In every endurance event, just about all participants will encounter that little voice on his or her shoulder planting seeds of doubt whether they can finish the event.  But that little voice can be silenced with planning and training.

I am a runner. When I was forced to walk in training or in a race, it meant a bad day, failure and defeat. What possible benefits could I ever get from taking planned walking breaks during a marathon or training runs?

All tolled, from October 1995 through June 1998, I completed 12 marathons, including Boston three times. In each of those years, I logged enough training miles to run from downtown Chicago to Scottsdale, Arizona. But anyone who has participated in sports for a period of time understands that injuries are part of the game. In the spring of 1998, I started to develop pain in my left leg. The pain evolved into Achilles tendonitis in both legs. By early 1999, I stopped running completely. Run-walking was my ticket back to running.

During my recovery, I consulted Dr. Terry Nicola, Director of Sports Medicine Rehabilitation at UIC. He suggested easing back into running by taking walking breaks in my runs. I was at a loss, but desperate. Walking to me meant I was ‘less than a runner’; it meant I was ‘slower’ and ‘not really a runner because I walked along the way’.

Run-walking does not mean that I must run until I am forced to walk. The secret of ‘run-walking‘- planned walking breaks in the early stages of a run allowing recovery during the run. I was better able to maintain my pace than if I tried to merely slow my running pace. I was not as sore after running. Dr. Michael Chin, of Windy City Foot and Ankle Physicians agrees that the walking breaks result in less muscle and bone breakdown making for quicker recovery.

Over the next few years, I successfully ran many more marathons incorporating a walking break of one minute each mile. My marathon times dropped to from a 3:40 marathon in November 2001; to a 3:26 in February 2003. I qualified for Boston, walking a minute a mile for an entire marathon! Walking breaks became a reward for each mile of running, providing a psychological boost and a physical benefit.

And it works for runners of all levels. For those new to running, periodic walking breaks allow the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems to recover and build endurance while the body adapts to the stresses of a new regimen, reducing the risk of overtraining and injury.

To the injured runner run-walking reduces the risk of running too fast, too soon and alleviates the fear of injury recurrence. Run-walking helps during the build up to pre-injury levels according to Brendan Yorke, of Athletico Physical Therapists in downtown Chicago.

Even the most experienced runners can benefit from run-walking during training. For the experienced runner walking breaks allow him to save energy for that part of the training run or race where a fade occurs. At the end of a training run or race, the runner can push harder to break through that barrier.

Of course, the implementation of a run-walk program is different for each runner. For the experienced runner, periodic walking breaks of 30 seconds to 45 seconds every mile or two may be sufficient to achieve the training goal.

For the injured runner returning to training, a regimen of 5 minutes running, one minute walking is a good way to ease into the return to training. Gradually, the runner can increase the running time between walking intervals.

For the new runner, the duration of the running portions and walking portions will vary according to the fitness level of the person beginning training. For a completely sedentary person beginning a training program, it is recommended to start with longer walking intervals than running intervals. Running two minutes, walking three minutes may be what is needed for the first few weeks of training, with the increments slowly reversing until the new runner can comfortably run three to four minutes while walking one or two minutes. The goal for this runner is to build endurance and confidence while increasing performance.

Ultimately, run-walk is another arrow in the quiver of the training program of every runner, regardless of ability.