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The daunting task of completing a marathon -

Completing a marathon is a daunting prospect. Training for such an event involves adapting your body to the rigors and demands of 26.2 miles (42.2 km) of running. In 1908, one of the earliest Olympic dramas captured by the cameras was Dorando Pietri of Italy reaching the tape in the marathon at the Summer Games in London.

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An effort beyond the ability of most -

Pietri had already collapsed as he entered the stadium, and was helped to his feet by officials and guided to the finish line. He was, of course, disqualified for receiving assistance, but the event, watched by 90,000 people, had such impact that Britain's Queen Alexandra subsequently presented him with a cup to mark his courage and determination.

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Winning ways -

And courage and determination is what it takes to compete in a marathon. To get it right, you need to increase your cardiovascular fitness and endurance, as well as your ability to conserve and manage energy during the race—levels of fitness that awarded Sabastian Sawe of Team Kenya first place in the Men's 2025 TCS London Marathon on April 27 in England. 

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Punishing long-distance foot race -

For mere mortals, however, readying the mind and body for one of the most punishing long-distance foot races on the planet is no easy task. It's why Jeff Galloway developed a pace-shifting technique that's enabled him to run more than 230 marathons.

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Jeff Galloway -

Jeff Galloway is an American Olympian credited with devising the run-walk method known as "Jeffing." It's a process of training that can be practiced by beginners and experienced runners alike and involves running a bit then walking a bit.

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American Olympian -

Galloway was a 1972 US Olympic Team member in the 10,000 meters, and has been a running coach for over 50 years. He came up with the revolutionary concept of pace-shifting in 1973. Jeffing has since been celebrated as a way of reducing fatigue and preventing injuries, and making running more enjoyable.

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What is Jeffing? -

Jeffing is essentially another way of warming up before engaging in a run. Warming up prevents injuries by loosening your joints, and improving blood flow to your muscles. A top athlete will warm up with a light jog before speeding up to get the blood flowing.

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Adapting the pace-shifting template -

Galloway remembers encouraging beginners to run, but they ended up suffering all types of aches and pains. The Olympian took the pace-shifting template used by world-class runners and refined it so that novices would start off by walking, then jogging a little, before walking again.

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Running and walking -

The idea behind Jeffing is that by alternating between running and walking, runners can go farther, recover faster, and feel stronger during and after their workouts.

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Why walk? -

For some runners though, the very notion of walking is anathema. They feel that breaking up a continuous run with walk breaks interrupts their rhythm or makes them feel like they're not really running.

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The same bipedal movement -

But walking and running are not at odds with each other. Indeed, the two disciplines are part of the same spectrum of bipedal movement.

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Can Jeffing help you complete a marathon? -

So, can adopting the Jeffing technique really help you complete a marathon? Actually, yes, at least according to a study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, which found that the technique can get you to a marathon finish line in roughly the same time as continuous running.

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Feasibility study -

For the study, both male and female non-elite participants covered the standard marathon distance by either run-walking or just running.

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Near-perfect timing -

The run-walkers' times ranged from 4:14-4:34, while the runners times ranged from 4:07-4:34—meaning the difference is negligible.

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Less pain and strain -

Of the runners taking part in the study, those who used the run-walk method during the marathon reported less muscle pain and fatigue in the aftermath.

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Healthy approach to running -

The results of the study reinforced the physical benefits of adopting the Jeffing technique. But Jeffing can also boost mental health.

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Physical and psychological benefits of Jeffing -

Galloway describes the physical and psychological benefits associated with his technique as "circuits," of which there are three.

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"Good attitude" circuit -

Firstly, there's the "good attitude" circuit. This sees your stress levels considerably lowered and in many cases vanquished.

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"Vitality" circuit -

Secondly, the "vitality" circuit describes how runners initially lacking vigor at the start of their workout slowly become energized and remain so for the rest of the day.

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"Empowerment" circuit -

And thirdly, you have the "empowerment" circuit. Go Jeffing, its creator believes, and you'll often find a solution to your problems.

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Fartlek, another training approach -

Jeffing has been spoken of in the same breath as another oddly-named training approach: fartlek. Swedish for "speed play," fartlek is a term for a system of unstructured training for distance runners in which the terrain and pace are continually varied.

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Similar but different -

Fartlek takes on various forms. For instance, you might do three minutes of easy running, followed by two minutes of hard running.

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Taking Jeff on the road -

In order to add more variety and complexity, runners can add another speed into the run. This would change a normal fartlek by incorporating a jog, run, and a full-out sprint. Runners looking to "Jeff" in such a manner can, of course, do so, too

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Jeff Galloway's early years -

In his university years during the 1960s, Jeff Galloway developed as a competitive runner, earning All-American honors in cross-country and track.

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First in the Peachtree Road Race -

In 1970, Galloway became the first winner of the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, Georgia. The event (pictured) is still run today as a series of two 6.2-mile (10 km) runs held annually in the city, once during the first weekend of January and the other on Independence Day.

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US National Track and Field team member -

Galloway was a US National Track and Field team member in Europe, Russia, and Africa, and by the mid-1970s was altering his training program to emphasize more rest and less weekly footfall, coupled with a long run every other week—a model that has worked successfully for amateurs and first-time marathon runners ever since.

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Avon International Women's Marathon -

In 1978, Galloway co-founded the Avon International Women's Marathon. Held annually at various locations until 1984, the event helped promote the advent of the women's Olympic marathon.

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Dangers of over overexertion -

During training, strains, tears, and cramps of the muscles are commonly cited injuries that occur when marathon runners push themselves beyond their limits.

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Follow the "huff and puff" rule -

Galloway's advice to lessen the chances of injury is to follow what he calls the "huff and puff" rule: if you can hear yourself breathing hard, take more frequent walk breaks.

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How to use Jeffing in a race -

If you plan to Jeff during your next marathon, it's worth studying the course layout in advance and formulating a strategy so you can align your walk breaks with water stations and hilly sections, for example.

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Pre-planning is key -

Planning your run-walk doesn't necessarily mean losing out on speed. Instead, it's about reading the landscape and adjusting the pace-shifting strategy depending on the terrain and how you're feeling.

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Running for everybody -

And even if you start out with a set run-walk ratio, you can change it during a session if you're feeling stronger or weaker. That's why Jeffing appeals to people from different ages and abilities.

Sources: (Runners World) (The Guardian) (Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport)

See also: Simple exercise habits that help you live longer

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