Tapering Anyone? (Read 847 times)

With marathon season in full swing some of us are tapering. This is as much of a grey area for many of us as the "hard weeks". What works best for you?

I haven't run a marathon in over 2 years but what I would do is reduce the length of my last 2 long runs a bit and reduce the intensity of my last 2 mid-week workouts. That's about it. Tapering too much is probably one of the top three biggest mistakes made by the average marathoner. It is one of those areas of training where its a mistake for Joe and Jane marathoner to try and copy the training of elites and scale it down to their level. Most of the popular "average joe" marathon plans call for too much tapering, IMO. Everyone de-trains at different rates but *most* people (myself included) would be better off tapering less than is called for in many marathon training plans.

I hope this thread gets a lot of replies - because I could use the info. Tapering time is quickly approaching. I'm convinced my last marathon was so abysmal because I did everything wrong in the taper. I plan to fix that this time around. Here's a simple question: what's your opinion on the timing of the last long run or last speedwork? I've seen plans suggesting the last long run anywhere from 2-4 weeks, with most of the debate between the 2 and 3 week crowd. Your thoughts, por favor? Another question: the monkey run on 11/19 is extremely hilly - and most of my recent runs have been in the same hills. But it's punishing to the legs. As part of the taper, at what point do I lay off the hills? None in the last 2-3 weeks? One more specific question: diet. And carbo-loading. I have a much better idea what I'm doing in this aspect this time around (this is how I really screwed myself last time), but I'd still like to hear what's worked - or not worked - for some of you. Thanks, MarathonManLeto - perfect timing for a really good thread.

I don't think its a matter of last long run or last workout. I still do long runs and workouts during taper, they are just not as long and not as intense. So I might do an 18 or 20 miler (perhaps even a 30K or 20-mile race) about 3-weeks out, then a 16-17-miler 2 weeks out, then a 13-14 miler a week out from the race. Each of these would go in my log as a "long" run. Some are just longer than others. The same goes for workouts. I'm generally not doing much "speedwork" in prep for a marathon, but I'm doing marathon specific workouts--MP runs or MP intervals, or progression runs that go from just slower than MP and work down to tempo pace at the end. If a big mid-week workout was 13 with a 6 mile progression run at the end, I might do 10-12 with a 3 mile progression 10 days out, and then 9 with 2-3 miles progression 4 days out. The old addage that it takes 10-days to reap the benefits of a workout is simply false. The time it takes to recover from a workout (and therefore reap the benefits) is a matter of intesity, which is a combination of duration and pace. Very hard workouts take longer to recover from than easy workouts. As for hills, I think the week before the race I'd try to do most of my mileage on flat or gently rolling terrain. I don't make any changes to diet before a marathon. Carbo loading has more to do with the way your body will top off its glycogen stores as you taper training a bit. You really don't need to do much different if you've been eating well all along. The marathon is a different animal from most events because it is outside of most of our fuel windows and it will totally deplete our glycogen and electrolytes and beat us up pretty good. But the pricipals are the same for other race distances as well. I will apply the same ideas to my goal race this season which happens to be a half marathon. I will do a 1-week mini taper in which I reduce the intensity of my Sunday long run the week before (so instead of including 5 x 2 miles at HMP I might do 3 x 2 miles), and slightly reduce the intensity of my wednesday workout that week (so instead of 7 x 1000m at Tempo, I might do 4-5 x 1000m). Other than that, no real changes.

I had an AWESOME last taper run, this AM. I only went just under 3 miles, but I was going fast (for me) and it felt easy and GOOD! If that is a taste of how my HM will go on Sunday, then I am totally psyched!!! Today's run was a total morale boost and I have no doubt that my HM is going to be a very positive experience (assuming I don't throw all common sense to the wind and go out too fast, like I did for my 10 mile race 6 weeks ago--but I think that was a good learning experience in what NOT to do to have a great longer race). k

Does anyone have any tricks to keep themselves from going out too fast? I'd be eager to hear what works for others. I wear a watch to pace myself, but since they only provide markers at every MILE with most courses, I tend to do my first mile way too fast before I pull back to the proper pace. (I know, I know, rookie mistake..)

I'd love to know the answer to this, as well. I went out way too fast on my 10 mile race and miles 2-5 were positively awful. By the time I was feeling better I had lost a LOT of time and ended up doing sorta miserably. I have no doubt that if I had been more careful during those early miles that I would have ended up with a better time--both in terms of the clock and physically. k

When possible, I generally taper for 2 weeks. No more, unless I have a work schedule that forces a longer taper, or unless I have been running a lot of back-to-back marathons. Jake, for the Monkey? Just keep running. Maybe no hills two weeks before and fewer miles the week before.