OK, here I am in the second week of a three week taper for Jersey Shore Marathon on 4/26. Although this week was a taper week I still had a 15 mile run on wednesday and a 20 miler yesterday ( my longest run; 24 miles was a week ago). This week I’ll have a 3 mile run, a 5 and a 10 on saturday. I’ll do a hard 30 mile group bike ride on wednesday and I’ll be using a pull bouy at the pool for the next two weeks to take it easy on my legs. This coming week week is taken care of. When I was a runner I would just do 5,4,3,2,1 miles and two days rest the week before a marathon and I never did a three week taper except for Boston three years ago when I ended up sluggish and tired before I even got to the start and ran my worst marathon. This race is very important to me. It ends in Long Branch New Jersey. My daughter was born in Long Branch and she died this past Decenber at 32 years old. I want to have a good run. Not so much for the time, but to run with the pain and be able to push it off in her honor. I don’t want to mess it up now after I’ve done the work all winter. What would you do with that last week before the race?
there was a ton of research coming out of East Carolina univ in the early to mid 90’s regarding tapering. You may look up articles by Houmard, Scott and Johns. Friel references many of these articles in his books. I’d go dig up the articles but they are boxed somewhere from the move. Basically decrease volume, maintain intensity and frequency. The fitter you are the longer the taper you will need.
my taper for ironman last year was 2 trips to the bar @ 4lbs of wings + 4-5 pints of beer each time, + 2 drunken cabin parties. I then had wine the night before…and a big meal.
Don’t know what the perfect taper is…but DON’T do what i did!!!
I don’t know what a perfect taper is, but for a long runnning race I usually decrease volume for a couple of weeks then on the last week only run about six mile 4-5 days before. the training plan I use says that is it, but I also always JOG 2-3 miles day before a race, loosens me up and calms the nerves.
I’m running Boston on Monday, and this is my standard taper:
Last long run (20 - 24) miles - 3 weeks out, then a 15 and 10 miler 2 & 1 week out, respectively.
Gradually decrease from a total of 50 miles/week 3 weeks out to 15-20 miles the week of the race (that’s weeks total will then be 15-20 + 26.2).
Last speed workout (yasso 880’s for me- confidence booster to hit or better goal marathon time) between 1 and 2 weeks prior.
Last week before race - two 5 milers, a 4 miler, a 3 miler, a day off, and the day prior to the race, an easy 2 - 3 mile jog to stay loose and relaxed.
I’m just spinning easy on the bike a few times this week, and doing 1 masters class and some easy swims.
This taper has left me in good marathon shape again and again. Good luck!!
The perfect taper is the one that individually taylored for you. So there isn’t a universal taper that works, but general guidelines that should be applied to each athlete individually. Some of the guidelines I use for marathon taper are:
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2 weeks before do a long run which includes 40-60min of marathon pace
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The week before do a workout with efforts faster than marathon pace with full recoveries, 4-5 days out.
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Always run in the eve of the race, 20-30min. Take a full rest day 2 days before the race.