He says that its more enjoyable to run the least you can to finish a given distance than to train to run it as fast as you can.
Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?
Personally, I find slogging along rather boring and like the lung searing feeling you get finishing a workout all out.
obvious agenda to sell training plans to bucket list hobby joggers.
obv wrote:
obvious agenda to sell training plans to bucket list hobby joggers.
Thats the next thing I thought of. Is this just his marketing strategy? I can't imagine not enjoying training for the olympics, however hard that might be, knowing your at the top of the world fitness wise. Even if JG finds easy running more fun than real training, why wouldn't he say something along those lines though and try to target old folks as well as beginners? Can someone explain his marketing strategy to me? Is the beginner market just that lucrative?
yes, it is.
I think that he is speaking specifically to older people and hobby joggers. These are people that don't want to run but so it for ancillary benefits (friends/ weight loss/ bragging about completing a 5k).
This is who Galloway sells his stuff to so I would guess its a marketing strategy.
I don't know if I'd call it "fun", but the feeling I get when I crush a workout even more than I thought I could is immensely satisfying. Which is in my opinion a lot better feeling than not being tired because you're taking all your runs easy and slow.
"as fast as you can" has different meanings for different people.
By my interpretation is that it means to a certain extent sacrificing career/friends/parties/social life to train/sleep/eat well. While the highs are higher than training for "fun", the lows are lower from failures/injuries/realisation sacrifices have been for limited success. Of course that perspective won't get you very far if taken too far. The big names still being successful in to their 30s seem to have the formula right to go as fast as they can but keeping it fun: (eg Farrah, Willis, Rupp, Flanagan, Linden, Simpson)
Personally I prefer the middle ground given I don't have the ability to go to the olympics. But sacrificing after work beers, being in bed by midnight on the weekends, and skipping fast-food/sugar drinks in order to still be competitive / chasing PBs is the perfect middle ground for me. Again, not quite the highs of the pros, but lows not nearly as bad either.
Agreed. I wouldn't call the act of racing and doing hard workouts "fun" but I thoroughly enjoy both (particularly racing). I like pushing myself to see what my limits are. It's interesting to see your progress over time and how that correlates with the work you've put it.
Heve Starvey wrote:
I don't know if I'd call it "fun", but the feeling I get when I crush a workout even more than I thought I could is immensely satisfying. Which is in my opinion a lot better feeling than not being tired because you're taking all your runs easy and slow.
Next thing you know there will be something called "Gallowalking."
I have always felt my best on my PR run, not even close. When you are properly trained, flying along feels great, I suppose you could dial back final miles to relax but then why pay a fee for that?
It's not fun. It freaking hurts.
I love the feeling of being fit. I enjoy working hard. But no, it's not fun.
Running hard makes me feel alive, it burns my fire. I have to hold myself back most of the time to not break my legs down. If I could run hard workouts all day everyday I would. I love running.
Ladies and gentlemen, Jeff Galloway is old and things don't work as well as they used to. Ask 30 year old Jeff Galloway the same question and you'll probably get a different answer.
I was fortunate enough to both remember and to have seen Jeff run when he was in USA olympic team shape. Yeah, a different Galloway. The guy, for his time was fast.
He figured a way to make a living off running. Runners struggled with that back then because there were no "rich" shoe sponsorships and prize money.
His target market are middle of the pack runners. With the slide towards the participantion runner versus the serious "lets see how fast I can be" runner, he is more in tune with the current running population.
Older runners ( I am one ) can relate more to Jeff's approach than I ever could have three decades ago.
kvothe wrote:
Thoughts? Agree? Disagree?
.
Gallowwalker is a parasite
najo wrote:
Running hard makes me feel alive, it burns my fire. I have to hold myself back most of the time to not break my legs down. If I could run hard workouts all day everyday I would. I love running.
+10
I've never understood why there are so many runners who hate running. This always comes up when people discuss training plans for youth teams. Even on LR, the advice is always "make sure you mix in plenty of FUN activities like soccer and capture the flag." Umm...if my son though soccer was fun, he would be playing soccer. He signed up for track instead because he likes running.
If you don't like running, there are plenty of other sports out there for you to try.
His original book on training helped me get back into running, and the training was plenty fast. I ran 1:18 in my masters debut to win a road race outright my one and only time (20 years ago). Good dude, seems to be making a good living. If people want to run faster they will find other resources (I'm not sure what his current program endorses).
I run against 50-55 year olds that are faster than me in many races. I'm in 40s.
There's what works for racing, and there's what sells to the masses. I know the 50-55 year olds still want to run fast AND they train mega-miles.
IMO, The problem was when he said his training could be used for two hour marathoners.
His first book on running was good and balanced, but the second edition went FULL hobby jogger.
sub 3:00 marathoners should not use the run-walk approach. Ever. And miles are still king at any age. Ask the 70 year old record holder who did 3-hours of running per day.
Muscletoe wrote:
His original book on training helped me get back into running, and the training was plenty fast. I ran 1:18 in my masters debut to win a road race outright my one and only time (20 years ago). Good dude, seems to be making a good living. If people want to run faster they will find other resources (I'm not sure what his current program endorses).
Exactly!
which edition? I assume you mean original to be the first edition of the same name.
I found the second edition to be rubbish. That's just my opinion, however.
