Tapering advice for my first HM please

I am running my first HM 2 weeks tomorrow and I am looking for tapering advice please. I ran my last long run (13.1 miles) today, and my typical week to date has been as below :-

Mon 5 miles 9.30 mile pace

Tue 4 mile interval incl 4 miles hill training

Wed 6 miles 9.30 mile pace

Thu 4 miles interval incl 5K at 4:45/km pace

Fri Rest

Sat Long Run (up to full distance this week)

Sun Rest

I know I need to taper but wonder when is best bearing in mind this is my first HM

Thanks

 

John

Comments

  • Hi John

    Personally I would run 8 miles as my long run the week before the HM

    Tapering is important in marathon training, not so important for half marathon training. In a marathon there is a danger you can run out of muscle fuel (glucose) and hit the dreaded wall and tapering counter acts this 2-3 weeks before the race. In a HM the danger of hitting the wall is non-existent so tapering isn't necessary. Having said that having a lighter week before a HM race works for me, I feel fresh and ready.

    Just don't fret over tapering as a beginner or experienced runner. If you get the mileage under your belt (which it looks like you have) then have a rest week doing lighter mileage the week before you'll be fine.

    Good Luck with your race!

    Andy from

    www.myrunningtips.com

  • well i'm no expert as i'm coming up to my own first HM, but from chatting with the guys in the "spring half marathon" thread, and looking at various plans (as i've been wondering about my own tapering), i'd advice the following (and let the pro's correct me image).

    If Mon and Weds are you "easy" paced runs (no knowing your pacing, i'm assuming so), then keep those as they are, maybe take a mile off each. Tuesday Thursday, concentrate on HMP runs. Drop the mileage, and drop the 5k pacing particularly. Leave friday and sat as your rest days before the race. Oh and make sure the sat before you've dropped down your last long run, maybe to 15-16km? 

    So nothing drastic, just,. well,.. less image, and focus on HMP for the quality sessions.

  • Hi Peter & Andy

    Thanks for the good advice, much appreciated. I ran my final Long Run on Saturday. I had intended to run 12 miles, but the sun was out and I felt great, so I went the full 13.1 miles. I tried to keep at 10.00min mile pace but ended up at 9:24 min/mile and felt very relaxed. I feel I could achieve an average 8:24 pace in the HM and would love to get a time under 1:50. My only concern is slight soreness in my left ankle joint that I feel mostly after my long runs. I can feel it during the run on prolonged downhill stretches and I am assuming it is caused by the extra miles I am doing, and hope it eases off soon. The tapering advice you have both given sounds spot on and will fit in perfectly with my planned training.

     

    Thanks again

  • Yeah those long runs start to tell on the knees and ankles for me, in little niggles, which go after a rest day. Suppose its all part of the building your body up for the race, where you'll force it to take even higher impact over the distance.

     

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