Taper Madness!!!!

I know that most have you have already had your fall goal race, but after my 20 miler this morning, I am now heading into my taper. With that, begins the Taper Madness. You know...the am I overtrained? Undertrained? The time when you become a hypochondriac. When someone coughs or sneezes and you head for the hand sanitizer. Zicam, Zpacs, and EmergenC become your new best friend...Oh Taper Madness how I dislike you

So, with all that being said. If you have already had your goal race, how did your taper go? If you still are yet to get to taper time in your training, are you looking forward to it?

I actually love the taper. The coach I was working with threw some hard short fast stuff at us the last 2 weeks that kept things interesting.

My running was so decreased with physical therapy and injury healing it wasn't really a difference.

I'm as paranoid as you with taper. I'm never sure whether to do 2 weeks or 3. How much volume to cut down. I start taper in two weeks so I will be right behind you in this.

JohnP wrote:I'm as paranoid as you with taper. I'm never sure whether to do 2 weeks or 3. How much volume to cut down. I start taper in two weeks so I will be right behind you in this.

I have done both 2 and 3 week tapers. I don't think that it really matters which one you do, as long as you keep the intensity of the run up as the mileage goes down. The final week is the rest up week.

Taper? What's taper? I'm barely back to running anyway.

I'm heading into taper too. I always get sick during taper almost as though it is brought on by the taper. Hopefully I can avoid it this time around with some extra vitamins and rest. My plan it to start shortening the runs this week and follow it up with a 22 miler next weekend.

Day 1 - So far so good

Nick Morris wrote:Day 1 - So far so good

Time to get a hobby, Nick. Or read Born to Run. Over and over and over.

Mike MacLellan wrote:

Nick Morris wrote:Day 1 - So far so good

Time to get a hobby, Nick. Or read Born to Run. Over and over and over.

As long as it's a new book. A book from the library might have germs on it!

Stay calm my friend. (said in voice of the Dos Equis guy)

Tapered twice this year, plus had the non-taper-taper in the two weeks between the last two marathons. All went well, no problems, no worries. Well, not many. I do tend to look at the course map and elevation chart 120,000 times or so, and then review splits from my last run, or the last time I ran this upcoming race, and I do read reviews of the course, and re-read my blog from the start, and worry about the weather, and worry that I am going to fall down the stairs and bust my ankle the day before, and, and, and...

Well, you get it, don't you?!

Michael Enright wrote:Tapered twice this year, plus had the non-taper-taper in the two weeks between the last two marathons. All went well, no problems, no worries. Well, not many. I do tend to look at the course map and elevation chart 120,000 times or so, and then review splits from my last run, or the last time I ran this upcoming race, and I do read reviews of the course, and re-read my blog from the start, and worry about the weather, and worry that I am going to fall down the stairs and bust my ankle the day before, and, and, and...

Well, you get it, don't you?!

That sounds about right

So far, so good...Less than two weeks to go now and I think the madness is going to really sink in this week as my mileage really starts to get trimmed this week. When is it too early to look at race day weather??

Nick Morris wrote:So far, so good...Less than two weeks to go now and I think the madness is going to really sink in this week as my mileage really starts to get trimmed this week. When is it too early to look at race day weather??

It's never too early to look, just don't take it seriously till one week out.

JohnP wrote:

Mike MacLellan wrote:

Nick Morris wrote:Day 1 - So far so good

Time to get a hobby, Nick. Or read Born to Run. Over and over and over.

As long as it's a new book. A book from the library might have germs on it!

Hahahahahaha! You got that right...an e-book maybe?

E Greenie

Is the race this weekend or next?? Weather is supposed to be warm around here until Friday and then cold, cold, cold all next week into next weekend. I'm actually looking forward to the fact that NY might be cold.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Is the race this weekend or next?? Weather is supposed to be warm around here until Friday and then cold, cold, cold all next week into next weekend. I'm actually looking forward to the fact that NY might be cold.

Next weekend, November 4th...I have lots of time to sit and worry

Same day as NY - I'll send whatever I can north as I won't be needing it.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Same day as NY - I'll send whatever I can north as I won't be needing it.

Thank you for your kindness

My taper for the Indy Monumental Half Marathon on 11/3 is the Knobstone Trail Mini at Morgan Monroe Forest on Low Gap Trail. At least I cannot get lost this week - I will be last, but there WILL be lots of markers.

I started looking at the extended weather forecast, and as of right now, race day is looking like partly cloudy skies with a high of 47 and a morning low of 37. I'll take that or even colder

The ten day forecast for the Monumental marathon is currently showing 39 low and 50 high. I'll take it.

T Miller wrote:The ten day forecast for the Monumental marathon is currently showing 39 low and 50 high. I'll take it.

+1

New York is showing a low of 39F and a high of 47F. Despite my undertrained body at least I won't suffer from heat stroke!