Ok I am doing Pfitz 70mpw or less for Boston and doing a half marathon at the end of Feb. and I want to try and do well, but also run my best at Boston of course. What do you think of doing some sort of mimi taper that week before the half, and if so what would it look like?
also, how much of an improvement time wise would you expect to see with a bit of a taper vs. no taper?
just cut your mileage and go easy the 2 days preceding the race. that's all.
yeah, you should be cutting your mileage by 20% every 3rd or 4th week anyway, so just make sure you have one of those low weeks the week before you race. Beyond that 20% cut, it's also ok to take it even easier in the last 2 days before the race.
Well, if the race is scheduled as the same day as a planned long run, then cut back mileage and intensity quite a bit for the 2 or 3 days before the race. You will go into the race fairly well charged, and put in a good time. After the race you can put in the missing miles from your planned long run.
How much improvement? No idea, other than you will definitely be faster with the taper. You'd be a bit faster still if the HM was the goal race in your schedule.
9 or 10 days before your half, run 10x800 at slightly faster than your half marathon race pace, with only 1:20 rest in-between. This should feel pretty easy to you, but it will get you accustomed to running your race pace.
Make sure to vary your pace the week before the race. Don't just run slow every day. For example, 3 days before your race, run a 2 mile warmup and then a 5k at race pace. You gotta keep the rust off.
roboto wrote:
3 days before your race, run a 2 mile warmup and then a 5k at race pace.
This should have said "run a 2 mile warmup and then a 5k at your half marathon race pace"
Are you training for a good marathon or half marathon? If Boston is really important to you, then don't taper at all.
well I want it ALL of course! But good point.
And good answers here, thanks.
Looking at sched its a bit of a back off week anyway, and the run the day of the half is only 15 miles, so I think I will cut back the 11 mile on Friday and the 8 sat with striders and run faster paces earlier in the week. I dont think I am losing too much that way or taking too much out of the schedule.
2 days before: Very easy run + strides
1 day before: Normal paced run + strides
Half-Marathon
1 day after: Very easy run
2 days after: Resume normal training
I followed this before, and PR'd (against an existing week PR) for the half.