Hi All -
I’m in the first stages of my (ugh) taper for a marathon at the end of the month. My first ever marathon. My goal is to run around a 3:40. From my training so far this seems like a decent goal for a first marathon, given my pace in practice runs.
I’ve been biking and swimming as I train, partly to keep myself healthy (I get beat down when I’m just running) and partly because I’m trying to get ready for a 1/2IM in May. The marathon is the more important race.
So, over the next 2.5 weeks - how much to I have to cut down on biking and running? It doesn’t beat me up like running does, so it seems possible that I can keep those levels as they are, at least up until the last 5 days, as far as getting myself healthy. But then, am I getting rid of a lot of the benefits of a taper?
I’m sure plenty of people have gone through this same issue, and I’m curious to know how they tried to handle it and what levels of success they had.
I’ll give it a shot, though I admit all my “A” triathlons and marathons have been separated by 3 months or more …
"at least up until the last 5 days, as far as getting myself healthy. But then, am I getting rid of a lot of the benefits of a taper? "
I bet you will be OK … This assumes you are now decent “half iron shape”
Two weekends before the race, your last long run is still very important. I suppose a 3-hour ride wouldn’t be a bad thing, so long as it does not compromise your final 12-15-mile run AT ALL.
In the last 7-12 days, 90 min. is the max for running, but a 2+ hour bike ride shouldn’t be a problem, as long as that is no problem for you and doesn’t affect your running.
In the last 6-7 days, 60 min. should be max for running and biking too … Personally, I would do nothing more than 30-40 minutes and nothing more intense than a few ‘strides’ W-Th-Fri. before the race.
As fast as swimming, I wouldn’t really worry about it, as long as you do very little the last few days before the marathon.
The title of your post made me smile. Little fishie that I am, on my own and making it up as I went along, I figured that tapering for running just left me more time to swim…
From the Things I Probably Should Not Have Done file:
swam a 10.5k workout two days out from my first marathon
swam an 8k workout the day before my (second) half-turned-full marathon
the first marathon went fine. The second didn’t but it had nothing to do with the swim workout the day before.
I sort of did the same thing but a little different. First off I think im already in great HIM shape(im doing the FL HIM in may, im guessing youre doing that ws well?). I had a great, long, intense week of training including 4k in the pool two days before and over 80mi on the bike the day before the marathon. I wasnt really planning on doing it, i decided on friday(race on sunday) that it would be a good long run and i wanted to see how long my legs would hold up at a 6:00ish pace. They lasted 10 miles at that pace and then said adios. I finished…but the last 16 were rough, a good amount of walking because my legs were absolutely done. I also was on my feet for a good portion of saturday, id recommend not doing that as well. Id say no swimming 3-4 days out, and the same for biking. Save the last 3-4 days for a short jog/run or two
I remember the post about your impromptu marathon…
this is a bit different.
sounds like the swimming isn’t somethign I have to worry about that much. I’ve never swam 8k in one session, so I’m not about to start now! i can’t imagine that! it’s the biking that tempst me.
but different strokes for different folks, i guess. well, except that i only really swim the one stroke, but that’s another story.
Yes - I know - you’ve trained for this marathon! And are planning to do it!
Seriously, though, my first marathon was planned and trained for. I just figured that swimming wouldn’t hurt my legs at all, so I upped my swim volume in the few weeks before the race. If nothing else it kept me from going taper crazy.
I’m near the end of a marathon taper - Rome on March 18th. I’m now doing more biking than running. Running makes my legs sore and biking helps them feel better. I’m just doing a few hours per week of swimming drills at this point.
nothing nearly that exciting on my part, although it will go along the jersey shore.
i’m like you- the biking makes my legs less sore. i just wonder if there isn’t something about a rest-based recovery that i’d be giving up if i don’t taper down the biking as well.