Walking during a 5k as a strategy?

[safedba]

There's a local runner who's pretty fast who does this. He rabbits, then pauses, walks like five steps or so and then rabbits again.

Is there any conceivable benefit to this?

This guy ran close to 4 minutes for the mile in college, he's 54 now. His 5k's are in the 20:xx area, plus he's got a gut. He runs a lot of the local races. It's just annoying to me to have some guy w/a gut sprint by me. The last 10k I was in front of him until the last mile+ and he ended up finishing 2 minutes ahead of me.

[Golden God]

Let's run posters go home DEVASTATED!

Inside joke.

[Loco Coyote]

Speaking of which, wasn't this or something to its effect, just posted on letsrun?
I could see it as a training method, but 5 seconds isn't going to do much. A 1 minute walk and something like a mile or five minutes at anerobic threshold would make a good "cruise interval" workout. At 5K effort anything under 30 seconds every mile probably isn't doing a lot for you. 

[Loco Coyote]

ahh got it!

[safedba]

Speaking of which, wasn't this or something to its effect, just posted on letsrun?
I could see it as a training method, but 5 seconds isn't going to do much. A 1 minute walk and something like a mile or five minutes at anerobic threshold would make a good "cruise interval" workout. At 5K effort anything under 30 seconds every mile probably isn't doing a lot for you.

So why would he do it? He's no newbie runner. He runs 60 races a year. So why do it?

[Arrojo]

So why would he do it? He's no newbie runner. He runs 60 races a year. So why do it?

It seems odd to me. Why don’t you ask him?

[safedba]

It seems odd to me. Why don’t you ask him?

I plan on it. If he does it again Saturday I'll ask. I thought it was just a one-off, but after four races he keeps doing it.

[Loco Coyote]

I'll be interested to hear. I just can't see your heart rate dropping enough over 5 seconds to make much if any difference.

[safedba]

I'll be interested to hear. I just can't see your heart rate dropping enough over 5 seconds to make much if any difference.

I was wondering because sometimes when I'm out for a run and I have to use one of the porta-potties along my route, I notice my legs feel faster for just a quick stop.

[DrT(weekendwrAcur)]

I'll be interested to hear. I just can't see your heart rate dropping enough over 5 seconds to make much if any difference.

Heart rate, agree.

But maybe it’s enough of a mini-stretch or at least break for the muscles to feel ready to sprint again

[safedba]

OK, I asked him and he said "I'm just out of shape".

Still. I'm thinking. You're still faster and you're sporting a gut!

[Golden God]

OK, I asked him and he said "I'm just out of shape".

Still. I'm thinking. You're still faster and you're sporting a gut!

I remember my first ever 5k race. I had been running for about 4 months, but I was in my 20s. I ran 22:08 which is more than decent for a newbie, but in the last quarter mile, an old guy with a gut ran right by me. It angered me to no end.

That was the Bancroft 5k in Haddonfield, NJ. Many moons ago.

[Golden God]

I remember my first ever 5k race. I had been running for about 4 months, but I was in my 20s. I ran 22:08 which is more than decent for a newbie, but in the last quarter mile, an old guy with a gut ran right by me. It angered me to no end.

That was the Bancroft 5k in Haddonfield, NJ. Many moons ago.

BTW, I found Brutal, he's posting at Letsrun.

Dino be thy name.

[safedba]

BTW, I found Brutal, he's posting at Letsrun.

Dino be thy name.

Really? And yet that's odd. He never ran as far as I know. He was great on making lists of things in his head. I don't know whether he was autistic or what it was about him. He said he had a massive music collection. If I remember he was living in cheeseville - Bakersfield, CA.

[DrT(weekendwrAcur)]

So I was thinking during my run today (which is what I do during my runs) that I am curious enough about this that I want to try it as an experiment.

I ran my own PR 5k in December on a flat road course and had a near perfect power output of around 103% with very little variation between splits.

How long are this guy’s “rabbits“?

My “strides“ today were 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off and I was definitely feeling the recovery between them. But I was on tech trail and nothing like a lab environment as it were…

So maybe 50-55 seconds sprint with 5-10 seconds power walk recovery?

The other reason this might “work” as a strategy might be for a runner with an abundance of fast-twitch muscle (I.e. a sprinter) to do “ok” at an endurance distance.

He says he’s out of shape. But it might also be that he’s a natural sprinter (even when he’s in shape).

I’m NOT a sprinter but I still might try this in March after my target race in Feb.

Either at a race, or just as a workout to see how hard I have to go to “make up” for walking… then can I keep that up for 5-10 k?

[Golden God]

Really? And yet that's odd. He never ran as far as I know. He was great on making lists of things in his head. I don't know whether he was autistic or what it was about him. He said he had a massive music collection. If I remember he was living in cheeseville - Bakersfield, CA.

He seems to have mellowed. Plus no one seems to be paying attention to him over there.

[safedba]

So I was thinking during my run today (which is what I do during my runs) that I am curious enough about this that I want to try it as an experiment.

I ran my own PR 5k in December on a flat road course and had a near perfect power output of around 103% with very little variation between splits.

How long are this guy’s “rabbits“?

My “strides“ today were 30 seconds on and 30 seconds off and I was definitely feeling the recovery between them. But I was on tech trail and nothing like a lab environment as it were…

So maybe 50-55 seconds sprint with 5-10 seconds power walk recovery?

The other reason this might “work” as a strategy might be for a runner with an abundance of fast-twitch muscle (I.e. a sprinter) to do “ok” at an endurance distance.

He says he’s out of shape. But it might also be that he’s a natural sprinter (even when he’s in shape).

I’m NOT a sprinter but I still might try this in March after my target race in Feb.

Either at a race, or just as a workout to see how hard I have to go to “make up” for walking… then can I keep that up for 5-10 k?

He runs and then about say a mile before the end he'll stop, walk about five or ten seconds and then off again. But I'm just guessing because he's in front of me.