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Advice please

AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55
โ€ข14 Replies

Well, with just over 6 weeks to go to the York marathon I have a question re-tapering. Having read of people getting twitchy about doing too little during taper time, I'm wondering if My ASICS has it in for me ๐Ÿ˜ฎ as it doesnโ€™t seem to taper that much - but it may just be me. My last week fits in 4 runs, including the marathon, when Iโ€™ve only been doing 3 a week on the plan. Also not sure if the longest run of 32k is too near The Day.

Long run this week is 28k

8/9 28k

15/9 12k

22/9 32k

29/9 16k

6/10 12k

14/9 Marathon

My other runs are all 5k and then either 8 or 12k.

I was wondering whether to leave as is or swap the first 12k with the 32k so that run is 4 weeks before the marathon?

Hope that makes sense. Would value any thoughts.

Thanks

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AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55
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14 Replies
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misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathon

I would do the 32 k a month before the marathon! I did my long run 3 weeks before, hurt myself, so was sweating on the top line as I couldn't run after that!

Your taper week should be modest and slow I would do three runs on taper week and nothing more than an 8k, then say a 5k, and on the day before, or two days before, just a jog round the block

AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55โ€ข in reply tomisswobble

Thanks MW. That was my thinking but wondered if I was being a bit too cautious.

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathon

The first 12k is there to give you a rest between those two long runs, I'd have thought. I did this same plan before the Brighton Mara 2017 and was fine, but it wasn't my first marathon. What Wobble is saying sounds fine though, if that's what you prefer ๐Ÿ˜Š

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonโ€ข in reply toroseabi

We are more mature ladees so we have to be cautious.

AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55โ€ข in reply tomisswobble

๐Ÿ˜ฎ๐Ÿ˜‚ sad but true. Doing my first marathon at 63yrs 9months

misswobble profile image
misswobbleMarathonโ€ข in reply toAnnieW55

I Jeffed mine cos of the hip thing but it worked a treat. I finished strongly ๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿƒโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿ‘. I think I will do it again in November ๐Ÿ™‚

AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55โ€ข in reply tomisswobble

good ole Jeff ๐Ÿ˜„. Itโ€™s an option Iโ€™m sure I will be using.

AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55โ€ข in reply toroseabi

Thanks Abi. Think Iโ€™ll stick with my idea for now and see how it goes nearer the time. As MW says we older girls need to be careful ๐Ÿ˜„

roseabi profile image
roseabiUltramarathonโ€ข in reply toAnnieW55

Oh absolutely! I was just thinking actually that for my first marathon I did my own plan, and although I think my longest run was 3 weeks before the race (I must have read somewhere that this was a thing), I took the last week completely off!! ๐Ÿ˜Š

Lordi profile image
LordiMarathon

My marathon is on Sept 9th and I did my longest run last Thurs Aug 23rd at 31km. I don't plan on doing anything too long now, just a few 5k looseners and maybe a 10k. My main aim is to have a fresh pair of legs with no niggles when I get to the starting line. I don't think I will lose much fitness over those 2+ weeks. I'm not exactly planning to "run" my marathon though, just a joggy attempt to simply get round/finish and hopefully try to get as close as I can to 5hrs as a first pb. If I manage to finish it will be exactly a year since starting C25K!

AnnieW55 profile image
AnnieW55โ€ข in reply toLordi

You decided against the full distance in training then? I think that was a wise decision (says she with zero marathon experience โ˜บ๏ธ). I think Iโ€™ll go with my gut feeling nearer those weeks when deciding to swap them around or not - at the moment I am.

Iโ€™m doing mine the same as you. I keep saying Iโ€™ll be happy to finish on the same day๐Ÿ˜‰ but secretly would like to be around the 5hr mark. This came as a bit of a shock to Mr Annie, who will be spending a lot more time in York than he expected! He thought I would be round the course in about 3 1/2 - 4hrs as โ€œI have been training long enoughโ€ ๐Ÿ˜‚. Needless to say he doesnโ€™t run, but is very supportive ๐Ÿ˜.

Good Luck with your marathon.

Look forward to hearing about it.

Lordi profile image
LordiMarathon

Yep. The 42k idea faded once I'd done 31k and 42k was more easily in sight from that distance. I asked myself at 31k "Could you carry on for 11km now?" and I knew I could, so there was no need risking a full 42k.

I feel I could run the first 21k easily in about 2hrs at (6:00) would then suffer to get the next 21k run faster than about 7:30...so overall I plan to just jog the whole way at about 7:00 at get a first marathon pb I can have a crack at next year.

benwill profile image
benwillMarathon

Yes looks about right, as others have said and done the same plan. I did the plan for my first marathon and done a couple since without a plan and still not been able to beat that time. Stick with the plan have faith in the plan. I normally taper two weeks, and then half the distances and do slow less as the day becomes near.

ju-ju- profile image
ju-ju-Marathon

We are all different and it depends on how much you are used to doing etc.... I took my mileage right back from the week before to barely anything so that I would have fresh legs....

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