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Does anyone "taper" before their really long runs?... (Read 724 times)


Half Fanatic #846

    During my long runs outside of 16-18 miles, I'm really gassed for the last few miles (I've been aerobic base building since December). My breathing is good, but my legs get beat. I always finish, but it's a pace that's about 3 min. slower than when I start - and I start out slow. I've taken 2 days off before my last several long runs and allowed 2 more days for recovery, but it's still a struggle after 12 miles or so. Now, the heat isn't helping, either. Will it take a few more months to get used to longer runs? Confused (I'm OK doing this on the treadmill, but I need road work ocaisionally to prep for races, right?). I'm considering tapering every 3rd week before my long run (which is getting to 20 miles now), just like I have for my recent half marathons - which is 2 days off, 6 miles easy, 2 days off, and race - that worked very well. I just wondered what "strategy" has helped you to do your long runs that I could try? Thanks for any ideas! Bill

    "I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk.         "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt".                  I ran half my last race on my left foot!                                  

      If you have to take 2 days off before a long run or more than a day after than you are running it either to long or to hard. Your long runs seem way out of proportion to the rest of your mileage.
        perhaps your long run doesn't have enough support miles under it. hence folks often say it should be < 50% of your weekly millage... the long 20 didn't seam so long when i ran a couple 12 mile runs mid week. what are you training for anyways? 1/2 marathon, full marathon? when is it? the thing that has made my long runs easier is just running more durring the week. see my log week of april 21... that long run was my easiest yet.. my long runs on april 19& 26 seamed easy compared to the one on march 29... 50%="" of="" your="" weekly="" millage...="" the="" long="" 20="" didn't="" seam="" so="" long="" when="" i="" ran="" a="" couple="" 12="" mile="" runs="" mid="" week.="" what="" are="" you="" training="" for="" anyways?="" 1/2="" marathon,="" full="" marathon?="" when="" is="" it?="" the="" thing="" that="" has="" made="" my="" long="" runs="" easier="" is="" just="" running="" more="" durring="" the="" week.="" see="" my="" log="" week="" of="" april="" 21...="" that="" long="" run="" was="" my="" easiest="" yet..="" my="" long="" runs="" on="" april="" 19&="" 26="" seamed="" easy="" compared="" to="" the="" one="" on="" march="" 29...=""></ 50% of your weekly millage... the long 20 didn't seam so long when i ran a couple 12 mile runs mid week. what are you training for anyways? 1/2 marathon, full marathon? when is it? the thing that has made my long runs easier is just running more durring the week. see my log week of april 21... that long run was my easiest yet.. my long runs on april 19& 26 seamed easy compared to the one on march 29... >
        Trent


        Good Bad & The Monkey


        Half Fanatic #846

          If you have to take 2 days off before a long run or more than a day after than you are running it either to long or to hard. Your long runs seem way out of proportion to the rest of your mileage.
          Mike, you may have nailed it - I haven't paid that much attention to percentages. John - I'm doing a 14.2 Aug. 31st, a HM in Oct., and I'd like to be ready for a 50K in Dec. Maybe I need to concentrate on building more consistant weekly miles for awhile, which will allow me to run longer later at the the right proportion. Thanks for the responses!

          "I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk.         "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt".                  I ran half my last race on my left foot!                                  


          Lazy idiot

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            Tick tock


            The Greatest of All Time

              This year I have taken the day off before most if not all of my long runs. Not sure if I did that on purpose or not but it's worked pretty well. I haven't had a bad long run.
              all you touch and all you see, is all your life will ever be

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              #artbydmcbride

                I just try to watch what I eat the day before. Embarrassed

                 

                Runners run

                  No, I don't do any sort of taper before long training runs.
                  JakeKnight


                    Seems to me tapering before a long run would sort of defeat the whole purpose. And suggest that you're probably 'racing' your long runs.

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                    Why is it sideways?

                      ...hence folks often say [the long run] should be < 50%="" of="" your="" weekly="" mileage...="" />
                      Bingo. And, since we're in the general running forum, and not the running 101 forum, you're better off, I'd argue, with the long run between 25-35% of weekly mileage.
                        ... My breathing is good, but my legs get beat. I always finish, but it's a pace that's about 3 min. slower than when I start - and I start out slow...
                        You already got lots of good advice, but yeah, it looks like your mpw is not high enough to support long runs over 12 - 14 miles right now and you're just "hitting the wall" in longer ones. The good news is that doing this will help to extend out that point at which you hit the wall a bit. The real solution though is to build up a bigger aerobic base with more mpw over time. A weekly long run over 33% - 35% of your mpw is probably pushing it a little too far. If you must do it, throw in periodic walking breaks and be sure to take it easy. The time on your feet will help build up the endurance (fat burning) metabolism. Good luck.
                          I'm considering tapering every 3rd week before my long run (which is getting to 20 miles now), just like I have for my recent half marathons - which is 2 days off, 6 miles easy, 2 days off, and race - that worked very well. l
                          Agree with the others. You shouldn't have to take that much time off for a long run. That only leaves you 2 other days in the week that you're running. I may generally take the day before the long run off, but if things conspire that I end up running it (rather than taking 2 days off in a row), it's not too big a deal. I'll almost always at least hike the day after long run. Active recovery works better for me than doing nothing. At least at this point - there was a time with far fewer miles when it didn't.
                          "So many people get stuck in the routine of life that their dreams waste away. This is about living the dream." - Cave Dog
                          sdewan


                          2010 Goofy Trainee

                            Not quite tapering, but I like the strategy of marathontraining.com: two hard weeks followed by one easy week. And the easy week comes just before the 20+ miler. I've never had difficulty completing a long run, but I have noticed better performance when the week leading up to it was a lighter week.

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                              Well, my long run right now is only 10 miles (Doing 12 this weekend) I usually do a few miles the day before a long run and take the day after off. It works fine for me.

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