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Thread: Tapering for a Marathon

  1. #1
    Senior Member FREDDIE's Avatar
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    Tapering for a Marathon

    How much is to much ? how much is to less ?, i dont know but i seem to be shattered all the time !!!

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    Master jodg's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    The whole tapering thing was new to me last year as well when I was preparing for Snowdonia.

    I did my last "long" run, some 20miles, 2 weeks before the M-day. Then I did a few short runs of no more than 30-40mins in the following week.

    The weekend before M-day I did a 1 hour run on the Sat then 20mins on the Sun. Ran for 20mins on the Tue and Wed as well and then had the rest of the week off. Seemed to do the trick though as I got round on the big day in in 3h 30m, quite happy with that for a first effort on a hilly course.

    Tapering does feel strange though; you've got to keep telling yourself when you're only out for a 30 minute run that this is all you need. The temptation is to want to do more!

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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Not a particularly helpful answer to your question Freddie but, thinking about it, I don't think I taper much, if at all. I appreciate that your training specifically for the London Marathon and are aiming for a fast time too but what I tend to do is run as much as I can fit in week in week out whether I'm entered for a race or not. That way if I do have a long race coming up I just turn up and do it - makes for far less tension but admittedly probably lower expectations of a super fast time too.

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    Senior Member SteveS's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    I think feeling tired when you start to taper is normal, I can't remember why physiologically but becoming less active all of a sudden has that effect. Towards the end of the taper you should start perking up again, but often when it comes to the big day you can still feel awful at the start yet somehow it all works out in the end.

    There's loads of theories about how much to taper, some recommend more than others, and to some extent it depends how much you have been doing. If I'd not been ill at the start of the year and playing catchup with training, I'd go for the last 20+ mile run 3 weeks before the race, the following week an easy 16-18 miles, and 10-13 miles very very easy the last weekend. In terms of mileage, hit the peak weekly mileage 4 weeks out, drop to about 75% for 3 weeks out, 50% of the peak for 2 weeks out, then in the final week I'd do maybe 3 easy 5 mile runs before the big day.

    To keep fresh, you can actually up the intensity of a couple of runs in the last 2 weeks, but make any efforts shorter than usual. 200m efforts will remind your legs how to move without taking too much out of you.

    It usually takes 2 weeks for any training benefit to take effect, so you aren't going to get any faster in the last 2 weeks, but can do too much and leave you tired, or too little and some of the body's systems will stop working as efficiently as they could. The short fast efforts should boost you mentally too.

    As I said, there's loads of varieties of taper, you only learn what really works for you with experience.

  5. #5
    Senior Member FREDDIE's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Quote Originally Posted by Stolly View Post
    Not a particularly helpful answer to your question Freddie but, thinking about it, I don't think I taper much, if at all. I appreciate that your training specifically for the London Marathon and are aiming for a fast time too but what I tend to do is run as much as I can fit in week in week out whether I'm entered for a race or not. That way if I do have a long race coming up I just turn up and do it - makes for far less tension but admittedly probably lower expectations of a super fast time too.

    No i know what you mean Stolly, that makes sense

  6. #6
    Senior Member FREDDIE's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveS View Post
    I think feeling tired when you start to taper is normal, I can't remember why physiologically but becoming less active all of a sudden has that effect. Towards the end of the taper you should start perking up again, but often when it comes to the big day you can still feel awful at the start yet somehow it all works out in the end.

    There's loads of theories about how much to taper, some recommend more than others, and to some extent it depends how much you have been doing. If I'd not been ill at the start of the year and playing catchup with training, I'd go for the last 20+ mile run 3 weeks before the race, the following week an easy 16-18 miles, and 10-13 miles very very easy the last weekend. In terms of mileage, hit the peak weekly mileage 4 weeks out, drop to about 75% for 3 weeks out, 50% of the peak for 2 weeks out, then in the final week I'd do maybe 3 easy 5 mile runs before the big day.

    To keep fresh, you can actually up the intensity of a couple of runs in the last 2 weeks, but make any efforts shorter than usual. 200m efforts will remind your legs how to move without taking too much out of you.

    It usually takes 2 weeks for any training benefit to take effect, so you aren't going to get any faster in the last 2 weeks, but can do too much and leave you tired, or too little and some of the body's systems will stop working as efficiently as they could. The short fast efforts should boost you mentally too.

    As I said, there's loads of varieties of taper, you only learn what really works for you with experience.
    Steve, i think the Half Marathon race at the weekend has taken quite a bit out of me !

  7. #7
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Quote Originally Posted by FREDDIE View Post
    How much is to much ? how much is to less ?, i dont know but i seem to be shattered all the time !!!
    Freddie the advice Jodg gave you isn't bad.I ran the Snowdonia Marathon as well.

    My longest run was 18 miles one month before.After that I started to feel really tired all the time, and did very little training.With a week to go I wasn't going to run, but suddenly I started to feel better.I ran on the Tuesday and Wednesday and took 2 days off.

    I finished 7th in 2.56.At 22miles I was on for 2.45, but I turned right and saw a steep hill in front of me, that went up into the sky Took me 20 minutes to run the next two miles.

    It wasn't a lack of fitness, I just ran out of energy.

    The moral of the story is taking a break will do you the world of good.

  8. #8
    Senior Member FREDDIE's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Quote Originally Posted by christopher leigh View Post
    Freddie the advice Jodg gave you isn't bad.I ran the Snowdonia Marathon as well.

    My longest run was 18 miles one month before.After that I started to feel really tired all the time, and did very little training.With a week to go I wasn't going to run, but suddenly I started to feel better.I ran on the Tuesday and Wednesday and took 2 days off.

    I finished 7th in 2.56.At 22miles I was on for 2.45, but I turned right and saw a steep hill in front of me, that went up into the sky Took me 20 minutes to run the next two miles.

    It wasn't a lack of fitness, I just ran out of energy.

    The moral of the story is taking a break will do you the world of good.
    Christopher, thanks that has made me feel better

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    Senior Member SteveS's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Quote Originally Posted by FREDDIE View Post
    Steve, i think the Half Marathon race at the weekend has taken quite a bit out of me !
    A fortnight is enough to recover, just! Don't do anything silly in the meantime.

  10. #10
    Master jodg's Avatar
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    Re: Tapering for a Marathon

    Quote Originally Posted by christopher leigh View Post
    I finished 7th in 2.56.At 22miles I was on for 2.45, but I turned right and saw a steep hill in front of me, that went up into the sky Took me 20 minutes to run the next two miles.
    Wow! I'm impressed Christopher Leigh (I take it you're the Christopher Leigh from Trafford AC then?).

    I've entered Snowdon race again as I really enjoyed it. My personal time was 7 seconds over the 3 1/2 hour mark so I've got to find an extra 8 seconds for this year! I'll also be in the IOM for the Manx marathon in August so will see what sort of time I can get on a flat course.

    Just one question - how'd you get so quick?

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