To Jog Very Slowly, or to Run-Walk Combo: That is the Question

Which Pacing Strategy is Preferred Once the Body Begins to Shut Down?

Inevitably, I field questions related to the best strategy to implement in order to get to the finish line once the “wheels have come off”, when the legs start to experience intolerable fatigue or pain.  Typically this question is in relation to the fatigue athletes feel toward the end of a long-distance race, such as at-or-beyond the Half-marathon distance, or at-or-beyond the Olympic distance for triathlon.  Specifically, the question is phrased as to whether it’s better to resort to some type of shuffle/ penguin-jog to keep the legs moving and to keep some element of momentum, or if it’s better to take intentional walk breaks in order to let the legs recover with the intent of being able to resume a regular jogging pace, such as a run-walk combo?  Boy oh boy, is this ever a loaded potato! 

The answer depends on a few factors.  Where is the issue/ailment happening in the body?  Is it the feet, calves, knees, hamstring, quads, or hips?  Is it sharp, acute pain, or is it cramping, or is it just regular run-of-the-mill fatigue?  In any case, the next question is very individualized: How bad is it?  Meaning, on your own personal scale of pain tolerance and based on similar experiences, how long can you handle the pain/cramping/fatigue?  This answer goes hand-in-hand with: How close is the finish line?  Assuming the issue is in the legs, and not an issue of lightheadedness or extreme nausea, I'll give my 2 cents below.  In short, if it's the latter (i.e., nausea), then it’s probably a very hot and humid day, which means it's usually best to walk or (in extreme cases) stop completely and swallow your pride, as the old adage says: “He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.”

There are competing forces in the decision to jog slooooowly VS. to run-walk combo.  One consideration is that although walking can seem like the intelligent decision in-the-moment, walking or stopping can make cramps worse due to the sudden change in blood flow from the legs (i.e., the working muscles) back into the GI and urinary systems, especially in the final ~20% of a longer-distance race.  Stopping or walking could cause a temporary muscle seizure and/or it can re-trigger the urinary system and now you have the urge to use the bathroom (“#1 or #2”) that you wouldn’t have had otherwise.  So in this case, assuming you're not in excruciating pain, then yes, keep jogging, even if it’s a slower pace than which you’re accustomed. 

But how slow is too slow?  The main consideration here is whether your shuffle-jog pace is slow enough to cause a significant detrimental change to your mechanics.  In other words, are you able to maintain “normal” run mechanics, or is it truly a “penguin shuffle”?  In the case where your jog is essentially moving the same pace as a fast-walk, then you're actually putting extra stress on the body, as compared to simply walking.  I address this notion of “running too slowly” in Chapt 5 of my book.  In this instance, stop the penguin-jog style and just walk, knowing that you were barely running anyway at that point.  And again, a super slow pace (I’d say unofficially slower than a 12:00/mile) is potentially making the pain/injuries worse, even though that sounds counter-intuitive to the story of “The Tortoise and the Hare.”

Next, you’re likely familiar with the fact that physical activity causes increased blood flow to the brain, especially the longer-and-longer we go (hence the general premise behind the “runner's high”), and so walking or stopping would cause some of the blood in the brain to creep back down into the rest of the body, in turn, you could potentially "feel worse" for this reason.  This sudden stoppage is precisely why some people got dizzy/wobbly when they cross the finish line, even though they felt perfectly fine during the race…it's when they stop suddenly after the finish line when the light-headedness might occur.  Hence, the instructions from race volunteers to “keep walking, keep walking…” (and sure, as to also not crowd the finish line area ;) This general notion informs us as to why it's best to not walk at the aid stations.  Keep running and grab the cups on the fly, which becomes easier to do with more race experience.

Therefore, whether to shuffle-jog or use a run-walk combo is an individual decision based on the circumstances in that moment.  I trust you to trust your gut out there, but hopefully the factors above give you some insight.  Get to the finish line however you need to, knowing that sometimes it's better to walk for a bit (whether that's 30 seconds or 3 minutes), give your legs a break, reframe your mentality, and then start jogging at a near-normal pace again.  Personally, I can attest to the more empowering feeling of running at the end of a race, even if I had to walk a bit to enable that to happen.  The “wheels have come off” for every endurance athlete at least a dozen times in their training/racing career.  It happens to the best of us…we’ve all been there, especially on long, hot, humid summer training days, so no worries.  I don't ask the athletes I coach to write layers of shame and disappointment into their weekly recap when these tougher runs/races happen.  It happens.

Train Smarter, Not Harder!

Mike