I’ve read/heard a few articles/interviews that state that Tinman’s philosophy involves “keeping the ball rolling” with consistent mileage as opposed to up and down weeks. This includes not tapering before races. What does this look like? Would the day before a race be the same as a day before a workout?
I'm not sure, but isn't generally excepted to do easy jogging with some strides and drills the day before a race?
There's definitely a taper with Tinman Training, but the taper looks different from a plan that simply has you running easy for 2-3 weeks. Based on memory (not exact) here's what a Tinman taper might look like for the marathon:
22 days out: complete your last big long run. (For me it's a 22 mile long run w/ the last 10 miles @ race pace.)
3 weeks out: continue workouts with same intensity but lower reps and increase rest. Continue w/ full tempos. (For example, if your CV workout is 7x1k w/ a 60 sec rest, do 5-6 reps w/ a 2 min rest)
2 weeks out: lower the reps (3-4) and increase rest (3 mins)
10 days out: complete final big tempo and continue workouts w/ fewer reps (2-3) and more rest.
race week: 2 CV reps w/ a few strides. Tempo workout might have 2-3 miles @ race pace. lots of easy running otherwise
On race day, you'll feel great without feeling like you've lost your mojo from a few weeks of easy running. Keep the ball rolling doesn't mean continue w/ the same volume and intensity. It means never stop touching on the different intensities Tinman prescribes, which you can still do in the taper at a much lower volume.
A different approach from the "Keep the ball rolling" concept might include a 6-week phase of speedwork, followed by a 6-week phase of aerobic work, followed by a 6-week phase of threshold work, etc. By the end of the training you might have gone 2-3 months without touching on certain paces. Hope this helps.
Not sure about marathons but he advises slow twitch runners to keep their volume up, that cutting back too much takes away from the aerobic base (their strength). But a fast twitch athlete needs a cutback in volume while maintaining, if not hitting the speed work a little harder.
From his article "Marathon Peaking"
Failing to do well in a marathon typically has one of two reasons. The first is due to tapering too early and not having sufficient endurance to last the event duration. The second is due to sore legs. If you have sore legs in the first 10 miles or your legs are stiff and you are laboring, it probably due to excessive training: too much, too hard, too long, for too many weeks. If you do fail to perform well, ask yourself which one of the two is the cause, and learn from your mistakes so that next time you will conquer the beast!
I suggest that you pick one of three peaking plans: short, medium or long duration. Choose the one that fits your situation and needs. The short peak phase lasts 4-5 days only. The medium one lasts 8- 10 days. The long one last 15-21 days. If in doubt, pick the middle one.
Long runs are a critical element of marathon training, but it is important to back off the duration so that your legs won,t be too sore on race day. If you having been really pushing the mileage high and your long runs long, then start tapering the long runs about 4-5 weeks before race day. If you have been reasonable and not overextending yourself, your last long run can be 22 days before your race. I suggest cutting your long run by 20-25% on day 15 before your race and 30-35% on day 8 before your race. For example, if you have been running 20 milers regularly for a long run, then two weekends before your race run 15 miles only at an easy to moderate speed. Then, one weekend before your event run 13 miles at a Slow pace.
Key workouts are an important consideration too. In the last three weeks, I suggest you do one mid- week workout that is a bit more speedy than your long run. The three key workouts I recommend in order of succession are as follows:
1) warmup, run 5,4,3,2,1 mile at Marathon Pace (be realistic), rest 2-3 minutes between each, cool- down; (if in doubt, skip the 5 mile rep)
2) warmup, run 5-6 x 1 mile at Lactate Threshold Pace, jog 1-2 minutes between each, cool-down;
3) warmup, run 2 x 1 mile at 10k pace, jog 2 minutes between, cool-down.
Good Luck! Tinman
Medium Length Peaking Plan
Listed below is a medium length peaking plan. The sample runner has been running 70 miles per week for 3 months.
Day 22 – Long Run, 20 miles Easy, including 6 x 100 at 5k speed
Day 21 – 4 mile Slow
Day 20 – 2 runs, each 4 miles Slow, including 3 x 100m at 5k speed, in each run
Day 19 – 10 miles Easy
Day 18 – 1 miles Easy, 5,4,3,2,1 mile at Marathon Pace, rest 2 minutes between each, 1 mile Easy Day 17 – 4 mile Slow
Day 16 – 7 miles Slow, including 3 x 100 at 5k speed
.... 70 miles total for the week
Day 15 – Long Run, 15 miles Easy, including 6 x 100 at 5k speed
Day 14 – 4 miles Slow
Day 13 – 2 runs, each 4 miles Slow, including 3 x 100 at 5k speed, in each run
Day 12 – 10 miles Slow
Day 11 – 1 mile Easy, 4 x 30 second striders, then 5-6 x 1 mile at LT (about 10-12 mile race pace, no faster), jog 2 minutes between each, then 1 mile Easy
Day 10 – 4 miles Slow
Day 09 – 4 miles Slow
.... 52-55 miles total for the week
Day 08 – Long Run, 13-14 miles Slow, including 6 x 100 at 5k speed
Day 07 – 4 miles Slow
Day 06 – 1 mile Easy, 4 x 30 second striders, 2 x 1 mile at 10k pace, jog 2-3 minutes, 1 mile Easy Day 05 – 4 miles Easy
Day 04 – 4 miles Easy, including 4 x 100 at 5k speed
Day 03 – Rest
Day 02 – jog 3 miles
Day 01 – jog 2 miles, including 4 x 100 at 5k speed
..... 34- 35 miles total for the week
Day 00 – Marathon Race
My mistake, I should have clarified, this is for fall XC and track season. Not a marathon.
1) he has his own message board therunzone.com
2) before low key races, you skip the 2nd workout of the week and do 30minute easy with 800m pace strides the day before the race. You never drop the long run until maybe the week before the big race.
3) you then don't have really any break after your big race.
On my schedule on day 22, I've got 20 miles (first 10 moderate, last 10 marathon pace). Do you think that intensity could wreck me 22 days later? Seems like there would be enough time to recover from that before race day.
I don't plan down weeks for my athletes (unless they might be overextending themselves), rather I just let them naturally occur due to the athlete's other priorities in life, weather, etc., which are bound to happen (otherwise I try to be conservative on training volume/intensity). Except for the fast twitch athlete, I'm also not a fan of a big taper, maybe drop mileage by 20% 10 days leading into a peak race and cut the workouts in half. The mantra of "Keeping the ball rolling" is good for both long term development and keeping the edge for the runner through competition season.