Two week or three week taper?

Did a tough run in the snow today. It's a good ankle workout.

Plan your taper even further out for race day.

Follow your respective plan with some suggested amends:

28 Days Out: do a hard long sessions (e.g. 30k progression or surge long run incl. warm up and cool down but hitting race pace or ideally faster for a good chunk of the total run).

3 weeks Out: train as normal but Lower workout volume and/or intensity by feel to ensure recovery from the above session

2 weeks Out (80% of your average weekly volume): Tempo 85% standard volume , 25k Hard Long session

Last week (60% of average weekly volume): Workout & Tempo 50-66% volume, 90min easy long run

Race Week: take it easy, maximum 60mins for any run, do strides once or twice.

1 week taper.

Day 10 + 7: Last medium hard workouts

Day 6: 70-80 min w/ easy fartlek: 15 x 1 min fast, 1.5 min easy

Day 5: 60 easy + 10x100m max sprint up hill

Day 4: 60 easy

Day 3: 50 easy

Day 2: 40 easy (10 min uptempo)

Day 1: 30 easy

RACE DAY

Two weeks. Why are your long runs so short?

If your plan is to run 3:20, you should have a couple runs of 3:20+ done before the race.

Two weeks or you will drive yourself crazy trying to figure out if you are doing the right thing.

Jeff Albertson wrote:

Two weeks. Why are your long runs so short?

If your plan is to run 3:20, you should have a couple runs of 3:20+ done before the race.

Interesting, I've heard some people say you should run your long run as long as your goal time. But I'll do that for the next cycle.

10 days seemed to work best for me. I was a 60-70mpw marathoner. Last long run or hard workout 10 days before race day then recover.

Jeff Albertson wrote:

Two weeks. Why are your long runs so short?

If your plan is to run 3:20, you should have a couple runs of 3:20+ done before the race.

I don’t think this makes sense OP. If only running 50 mpw, doing this is unnecessary and putting you at risk of injury. As it is, your 21-miler was 42% of your weekly volume. That’s already well over what is recommended (though, yes, I know lots of people do 20ish milers on your volume)

This is actually very sound advice and a strong recommendation.

The volumes are maybe a bit off given OPs post, but the basic premise is correct imho based on latest research and wisdom of the great coaches.

spaxious wrote:

Jeff Albertson wrote:

Two weeks. Why are your long runs so short?

If your plan is to run 3:20, you should have a couple runs of 3:20+ done before the race.

I don’t think this makes sense OP. If only running 50 mpw, doing this is unnecessary and putting you at risk of injury. As it is, your 21-miler was 42% of your weekly volume. That’s already well over what is recommended (though, yes, I know lots of people do 20ish milers on your volume)

Yeah, I only did that 21-miler once, and am tapering on that. I have enough of a base but was trying to maintain my summer base to take another crack at the marathon. I thought about running Indy on 11/6 but that was 3 weeks after Cbus and I wouldn't have been ready.