Forums > Racing > Do I taper for 1/2 Mar Race during marathon training
mr train you are a pain, your words - they make me go insane
they strike my ever-thinking brain like little drops of acid rain
oh, to my life you are a bane; crazy, mixed up, mr train - r2e
lace 'em up!
I have a 1/2 marathon planned in 10 days which is 6 weeks out from my marathon. Im keen to run a good time but Im not sure how much i should taper if at all. I done a couple of good speed workouts this week (6x600s @5.20 pace on Monday and 12.25 last night @6.40 pace avg.) and was thinking of just logging some easy miles between now and the race and throw in a few strides, maybe a short tempo run about 5/6 days out. What do you think.
when I did this, I just treated the 1/2M as my hard workout for that weekend. I was following a program that consisted of two big workouts/week, and this was just one of the hard workouts. I did not taper for it.
I did take it easy for a full week afterwards though -- running a 1/2M hard is very draining...
mileage hound
2012 goals: Fastest race times since 2006.
Not that I know this personally, but willing to try it this fall, with a HM 5 weeks before a possible marathon
I was told by a very good runner that running a half marathon on no taper is a good way to find your marathon pace.
My marathon training plan has this week as a cutback week, and recommends this for the weekend...
Saturday: Eight miles at marathon pace. Let me suggest a little test for you. Cruise the first several miles right on race pace, then run the next mile slightly slower. Get back on pace for the next few miles, then run the next mile slightly faster. During the marathon itself, you won’t be able to achieve a "perfect" pace. For instance, walking through water stops may slow you in certain miles. You need to learn how to make subtle shifts in pace to achieve your time goal. Sunday: Run 13 miles. This is in place of the 19-miler you might have expected in a straight progression. If you want a test race, this might be a good weekend for it. A half marathon would fit perfectly into the training plan, particularly coming at the end of the fourth of our three-week cycles. If you choose this option, skip Saturday's planned workout and either rest or jog easily. You also have the leeway to juggle weeks to accommodate the local racing calendar. But do not overplay the racing card: Doing so can compromise your ability to do the necessary long runs in this program.
Saturday: Eight miles at marathon pace. Let me suggest a little test for you. Cruise the first several miles right on race pace, then run the next mile slightly slower. Get back on pace for the next few miles, then run the next mile slightly faster. During the marathon itself, you won’t be able to achieve a "perfect" pace. For instance, walking through water stops may slow you in certain miles. You need to learn how to make subtle shifts in pace to achieve your time goal.
Sunday: Run 13 miles. This is in place of the 19-miler you might have expected in a straight progression. If you want a test race, this might be a good weekend for it. A half marathon would fit perfectly into the training plan, particularly coming at the end of the fourth of our three-week cycles. If you choose this option, skip Saturday's planned workout and either rest or jog easily. You also have the leeway to juggle weeks to accommodate the local racing calendar. But do not overplay the racing card: Doing so can compromise your ability to do the necessary long runs in this program.
I'm planning to do: 5 miles on Friday, Rest Saturday, Race Sunday.
yes, i'm really that slow.
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