Question About Last 2 Wks of Training for Half

[deleckidesign]

I did a long run (/walk) of 8 miles on Friday. I hear a lot of people talking about a taper. But I'm at least a mile or 2 behind on my long runs. Do I do a 9 mile this weekend and a 10 mile the weekend before...of should I do a long run of 9 and taper? I don't want to increase from 8 to 10 miles and skip 9 just to say I did a 10 miler and risk pushing too much too soon. But I don't want to feel unprepared by beginning a taper now.

Help!

 

[wtpclc]

If you *must* do more, do teh 9. SOme plans stop at tha tanyway. You want to have some taper, though. That's what gets your legs all healed and itching to run come race day. JMO.

 

[paxsarah]

I would definitely do a long run at a distance you're comfortable with this weekend. My longest run for the half will be this weekend (Sunday) as well. I think a two week taper for a half-marathon seems to be typical of many training plans, though the taper for a marathon is often longer.

 

[FFigawi]

I think a two-week taper is plenty for a half, so I'd recommend doing your long run this weekend and then starting your taper. There won't be much of a difference in your fitness level at this point between 9 miles and 10 miles for your long run, so do whichever one feels right. If you get to 9, feel great, and want the mental victory of running 10, then add the last mile. If you get to 9 and feel like that's enough, then stop. Either way, your mileage and fitness over the past several months is what will get you through Disney. A mile difference on your last long run won't really matter.

 

[cewait]

As an alternative viewpoint, I am not a taper fan for the half at all. But I say that because the half is square in the middle of needing a taper and not needing one.

Here is what I would suggest. You need to have your head wrapped around making 13.1 more that you need to worry about tapering. I am not sure of your recent 4-6 week long run distances so this may or may not be the best; regardless it is workable.

I would can the 9 and run the 10 since you seem a little concerned in your post about not getting to 10. Adding an extra mile should not overly stress the legs and would give you a late season feel for adding more than one mile a week (assuming that has been your training schedule). So adding 2 miles over the weekend followed by a7-9 mile run and then the successful finish of the half.

Hope this helps you out. No mater what path you take you will do fine.

 

[fashionista311]

i would say listen to your body more than anything. my first half that i had actually trained for/ran, i did not plan on a taper and followed a basic plan that had me doing 9, then 10, then race day. well by the time i did my 9, i could tell my body had about had it - i feeling little aches and pains that weren't necessarily a problem then, but if i overdid it could turn into one. the last week i cut back my mileage significantly, did a "long" run of 5, and ended up smashing my expected finish time by 12 minutes.

no matter if you go for 9 or for 10....you'll be hurting those last 3 miles. be confident in your training and that you built your mental toughness and you will power through those just fine!