Slow and Steady
Hi all,
How do you taper if you're a LHRT runner? I would think that if you run mostly or exclusively at a low heart rate, there is less fatigue and you can continue to run more hours per week than if you were a "normal" runner.
I've got a marathon 3 weeks from today, and today was my last long run. I'm currently planning on running 4-5 days a week the next two weeks, including maybe a 3-hour long run next weekend and a 1- or 2-hour long run the week after (???). And then the final week maybe still run 2-3 days?
What do you all think? What's your experience?
Thanks!
Eric S.
Trail Mix ||| dailymile ||| RA log
Goals: 50km, 50-miler, 100km, 100-miler
I followed the Hansons Plan for my marathon. They don't have as big of a taper as a lot of plans do. My peak week was 70 miles and my taper was 58 miles 3 weeks before the marathon, then 57 miles 2 weeks before and the week of the marathon I ran 26 miles before the race and then of course 26 miles for the race.
I didn't do any long runs during that taper though, they just had back to back 10 milers the weekend 2 weeks out, then back to back 8 milers 1 week out. Last workout of any substance was a MP Tempo run that was 13 miles total with 10 at MP 10 days before the race. After that was all easy runs with the longest at 8 miles.
I thought their taper was really good, but it was my first and only marathon so take that for what it's worth. I think some plans have such a big taper that you actually lose a little fitness before the race, and some times you hear about people getting anxious and going out for a long run the weekend before the race and not being fully rested on race day. I think the Hansons Plan was a happy medium that left me feeling rested, but prepared for the race.
You can click on my log on check out my training plan if you want. It was for the Flying Pig Marathon.
Age: 50 Weight: 224 Height: 6'3" (Goal weight 195)
Current PR's: Mara 3:14:36* (2017); HM 1:36:13 (2017); 10K 43:59 (2014); 5K 21:12 (2016)
Hi all, How do you taper if you're a LHRT runner? I would think that if you run mostly or exclusively at a low heart rate, there is less fatigue and you can continue to run more hours per week than if you were a "normal" runner. I've got a marathon 3 weeks from today, and today was my last long run. I'm currently planning on running 4-5 days a week the next two weeks, including maybe a 3-hour long run next weekend and a 1- or 2-hour long run the week after (???). And then the final week maybe still run 2-3 days? What do you all think? What's your experience? Thanks!
if you don't need a taper you didn't train hard enough to improve all that much
My best marathons, and most of them, had 3-week tapers. Although looking at my best efforts, I actually took a recovery week before starting it. In 2005 I took a few cutback weeks surrounding a half marathon on the way there, because I felt I need the extra rest. Formationflier, one of the early heavy contributors to this forum rarely tapered, because he felt he didn't need them. And he kept improving greatly over the years despite not feeling like he needed one.
If you're interested, here's my training for 2005 Philadelphia marathon (3:28 BQ). I had an intense year of training going into this. After the half-marathon, I just needed a lot of extra rest. So I took it. Ran a solid marathon.
2006 Philly 3:22 (scroll down to August 6th and beyond).
sounds like he had exceptional recovery abilities then, way better than average
Well that's what I was trying to figure out. I'd been doing LHRT almost exclusively, and wasn't even really training for the marathon, just running a lot, so I wasn't sure how much of a taper would really be needed. Anyway, it's all in the past now so too late to do anything differently!
well if you always felt fresh and never needed much of recovery days that's what my statement applies to
but yeah.. in the past lol