3 weeks out is always tough because then you have the taper after, so you can't cut as much as you would if you did a tune up half 5-6 weeks out, which is why I like them more (you take the down week, then go back up for a couple more week, then taper). For those, I do 70% cutback. However, for the week prior to taper, you probably shouldn't more than 20% (so 80%)

 

If darkwave is around, she may be able to chime in more as I know she likes the tune up half 3 weeks out. She may have a different view.

Sorry - long hard week, so playing a bit of catch-up now.

Yes, I do the tune-up half marathon 3 weeks out - it's raced all out, not a long marathon pace workout.  I do the last long run four weeks out, and then taper fully for the half.  Then after the half, I recover, which blends into taper.  So you could see it as four weeks of taper with a half-marathon race stuck in there.

It takes a bit of faith to run low mileage for that long before the marathon, but it works for me.  Part of that might be that I get a big fitness boost from racing half-marathons all out.

I thought it was generally accepted that you need 1 day recovery for every mile of hard racing? Like Flavio, I need 2 light easy weeks after a half although after my last 2 I’ve felt recovered a bit quicker, I guess due to my increased mileage and resilience. I still wouldn’t try a hard workout for 2.5 weeks. I’m probably overly cautious after consistently getting injured in the 2 weeks after a race.

I think that's for beginners. I follow the rule of 1 day per 3-4K raced. That tends to line up with my experience. And again, that range is for getting back to workouts. 6 days for a 10K seems extreme to me. I can easily do my mid-week workout after a Saturday 10K.

And definitely on the mileage: even running 50 MPW, I'd have trouble walking the next day after a half. Once I was hitting 75+, it just feels like you did a hard workout the day before, not the "I can't walk down stairs right now" feeling I used to get. Or maybe it's just more years of running them? I don't know.

That's sort of what I was thinking without the taper in to the half.

What do you think about 62,65,50(Inc half) 40 and 30 then race week for the next 6 weeks?

 

My strong preference is to truly taper for the half, rather than train through it.  I don't think you get any gain from running a sub-par performance due to tired legs, and you could dig yourself into a hole or come away with an injury that won't clear in time for the marathon.  I think this is one example of where more is not always better.

Of course, there are probably others who have benefited from your approach (not tapering).

If you're NOT going to taper, I would do the half as a marathon pace workout.

Darkwave - Ian's suggest is almost a 25 percent cutback. Seems reasonable to me (I do 30 but that's splitting . How much do you cut off the week of the half?

Mark - Nice week of bringing the focus to the racing.  It will be great to see a few more races in here!

me - Biggest week ever and it went mostly without a hitch.  Wednesday was my first foray back into speed after keeping it easy for 2 weeks with a head cold.  I was working a bit on the last repeat.

Saturday is probably the second biggest long run workout I've ever done - I did a 36km with 3x7km @ MP last year.  The forecast was for severe gales so I ran at the park to reduce the length of time into the wind each time, but in the end it was actually quite calm.  Much warmer than it has been (about 15C, 60F) which I thought would make it a good test of nutrition and fitness.  That's the sort of weather I can expect on race day, hopefully no hotter.  I was going really well, including dodging a massive tree which came down over the path and on to the road and a parked car when I was a few hundred metres away.  It was a miracle no-one was hurt.  On my 2km of MP, towards the end, I had to go round the tree, winding through the emergency services and on grass and that's when I got a painful cramp on my inner left thigh, which has happened before.  I stretched for about 30 seconds and I could still vaguely feel it, but it calmed down enough to allow me to finish.  I took 3 gels, 2 electrolyte drinks and 1 bottle of water.  That's probably about half of what I'll have in the race.

The tree came down around where I normally park but there were no car parks available because of Saturday morning sport, luckily.  If I had been very unlucky my car would have been crushed, but more likely it would have been in the section of road that was closed all day which would have been a pain.  I heard a huge roar then the ground shook and before I saw the tree I thought we were having a reasonably big earthquake.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/300655606/a-large-tree-has-fallen-onto-parked-cars-by-christchurchs-hagley-park

Weekly for period: From: 01/08/2022 To 07/08/2022

Total distance: 105.19km (65.38 mi)

Steve-That's a belter of a long run,I find it hard increasing/decreasing pace so well done.

Flavio-Nice to see you're back over the 2 hour mark,good place to be.

I had a really good week,first 60+ week in 2 years with one of my most comfortable long runs also.Decided to run with my wife today as we don't usually get chance.

Weekly for period: From: 08/01/2022 To 08/07/2022

Total distance: 63.15mi

MMerkle - congrats on the race and the series.  I think you're in a good place going into the cycle.

Marky_Mark - safe travels!

Steve - that is absolutely terrifying about the tree coming down so close.  I am glad the timing was in your favor.

Flavio - the training is looking very good!

Ian - nice solid week for you.

***

My week:

59 miles running, 5 hours pool-running, and 1500 yards swimming.

M: 4.5 miles very easy on treadmill (9:51), followed by 60 minutes pool-running and upper body weights/core.
T: 12 miles, including a track workout of 2x(1600, 800) and then 400 and 2x200. Splits were 6:45, 3:18, 6:38, 3:12, 94, 47, and 47. Recoveries of 4:45 and 5:34 after the 1600s, 2:42 recovery after the first 800. Full recovery for the 400 and 200s. Followed with leg strengthwork and 500 yards recovery swimming.
W: Streaming yoga and 12 miles very easy (9:54) plus drills and four hill sprints.
Th: 2 hours pool-running and upper body weights/core.
F: 12.5 miles, including a tempo workout on the treadmill of 7 sets of 5 minutes at tempo effort (speed 8.2-8.3) with 1 minute jog in between. Followed with injury prevention work and 500 yards recovery swimming.
Sa: 18 miles (9:27), mostly easy but with a fartlek of 10x(1:30 at marathon effort/6:30 easy) starting in the second hour. Followed with injury prevention work and 500 yards recovery swimming, and then 30 minutes pool-running (keeping an injured friend company).
Su: Streaming yoga and 90 minutes pool-running.

Emotionally draining week - an old (non-running) friend passed away suddenly from a heart attack (early 50s, no previous cardiac issues that I'm aware of, worked really long hours at a tech start-up in the bay area of California).   Our circle of friends is devastated, as am I.

Unrelated, I accepted a new position and gave my two weeks (plus a few days) notice at work.  Running seems very secondary to all of that.  But I got the work in, and found some escape in it.

Mark, nice week.  Will you stalk Strava to see if there are any crowns to be had in Sydney?  Safe travels

Steve, I am so ready to see you just run this marathon already!  You've been crushing it!

Flavio, congrats on getting back up to 2 hrs.  Is it typical for runners focusing on 5000m to also run 15 mi runs?  I know speed and endurance are 2 different things but I don't see how that doesn't give you a huge boost.

Ian5, 60! very impressive

DW, so sorry to hear about your friend.  Congratulations on the new job, I assume you picked one that still gives you all the flexibility you had in terms of running.