Ultra Runners

1

How long do you taper for a 50M? (Read 545 times)

heather85


    Otherwise phrased as, how long do I have left to get some training in?

     

     

    Trial and error in marathons has shown me that 2 weeks works better for me than 3 weeks to avoid my legs feeling heavy, If that matters. BUT that lesson was 25 lb lighter.

    I have never done a 50 miler before.  I've not been training particularly hard despite my best intentions to do so.

     

    It is a paved, flat 50 miler.  Because I still have a couple brain cells left to rub together at this point. Wink 

     

    Any other advice you want to throw my way is appreciated as well. 

     

    Unless it's make sure you understand fueling. I hate fueling.  It's become the bane of my running existence and I'm already putting all my reserves I can handle in that direction. Smile  I've talked to a couple of good ultrarunners I've had the fortune of meeting and they just said they could always eat whatever they wanted. Which wasn't much help, unless their extreme calmness is the root of it and I need to work on that.

      I'd say that if 2 weeks works better, for the marathon, go with 2 for the ultra.

       

      Your training looks fine, don't freak out about it now.  When is the 50?

       

       

       

      Good luck with the fueling, I hope you find something that works.

      heather85


        2 months from today.

        runnerclay


        Consistently Slow

          2 months from today.

           My  last race is 11/ 26 MS Coast marathon.

          Run until the trail runs out.

           SCHEDULE 2016--

           The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

          unsolicited chatter

          http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

          jjameson


            Great question.  I've only done a handful of 50m/50k races and I have no idea how to taper.  It is a lot of voodoo to me.  I've had horrible races with a 3 week taper and great races with no taper at all except a few days of backing off on the miles.  There is no discernable pattern to me.  I'm prepping for a 50m race in 2 weeks, just coming off a big week of training/miles, feeling like a windup toy whose spring has been sprung.  Planning to run 40-50 miles next week and 20 the week of the race.

             

            j

             

             

            DoppleBock


              I have yet to taper more than 2 days ... I run 50 miles for fun.

              Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

               

               

              heather85


                I'd say that if 2 weeks works better, for the marathon, go with 2 for the ultra.

                 

                Your training looks fine, don't freak out about it now.  When is the 50?

                 

                 

                 

                Good luck with the fueling, I hope you find something that works.

                 

                Okay, so the longer distance doesn't need a longer taper?

                 

                 

                 

                Dopplebock, I'm not in your league! Just learning!

                xor


                  The length of the taper is somewhat informed/influenced by the training you did right before the taper... you are trying to get maximal training benefit, rest benefit, and minimize any de-training.  It also depends on "how much?"regarding the severity of the taper.  It's not the length of what you are about to do... it's about what you've recently been doing.

                   

                  So, net/net, in general you would not want to greatly lengthen taper just because your goal race is longer ("in general".... again, it depends on the training you were doing right before taper).  I wouldn't suggest longer than a 3 week taper for any event.  Longer than that, it isn't so much of a taper.

                   

                  Of course I don't taper in general... two weeks for a goal marathon, max... so there you go.  My "taper" for a 50 miler involves only running one marathon in each of the preceding two weekends.

                   

                  xor


                    Wait!

                     

                    Flat paved 50 miler.

                     

                    heather.

                     

                    I just figured out who you are.  Ha.

                     

                    DoppleBock


                      Ha - Ha - We are all in the same league - Un-paid to run ... running for the joy of it!

                       

                      I would taper the same as a marathon 

                       

                      Okay, so the longer distance doesn't need a longer taper?

                       

                       

                       

                      Dopplebock, I'm not in your league! Just learning!

                      Long dead ... But my stench lingers !

                       

                       

                      heather85


                        Wait!

                         

                        Flat paved 50 miler.

                         

                        heather.

                         

                        I just figured out who you are.  Ha.

                         

                        Oh! i thought you had already!  Protect my top-secret (except when its not) identity. Smile 

                        Roch


                          I typically have done a two week taper with the last LR being three weeks out. This past 50M, glacial trail, I did a three week taper due to some aches and pains. Raced well, so I wonder if it's not more of a mental issue for me.