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September 10, 2006

The final four weeks: A preview of what's to come

You may remember in an earlier installment of the Breakers Marathon ``Get Out There!'' training program when Danny Gough suggested that runners try to conceptualize the marathon training cycle as being ``divided into thirds with seamless transition periods between each part of the training. The first third consisting of building a mileage base which will increase strength and conditioning and prevent injury during the latter stages of the training cycle. The second third combining task-oriented strength workouts and extended long runs while maintaining your increased weekly mileage. And the last third of the training schedule involving increased recovery between workouts and tapering your weekly mileage before your target marathon.''

Here, Gough gives a preview of those final four weeks - that is, weeks 17 through 20 - a stage of the training which many refer to as tapering:

``Tapering is what every marathoner tries to do in the last three or four weeks leading up to the marathon. The goal of tapering is to get you to the starting line in both the best fitness and the most rested state possible.

It requires careful planning to achieve this delicate balance of being very fit and rested at the same time, and you can ruin months of training by not reducing your training enough or by reducing your training too much.

Total mileage comes down in the last three to four weeks, mostly in the distance runs and long runs. It is important to continue to do interval and tempo workouts during the taper, but at a slightly reduced volume.

During the taper period, you will typically find yourself feeling more energetic and faster, created by the increased recovery between runs as your mileage drops.

Also during the taper, almost all marathoners do one final extended long run approximately three weeks out from the target race. This is done to simulate the race and build confidence in the marathon distance, as you should feel strong and swift during this final extended long run since it occurs just inside the tapering period.

Recovery from this final extended long run is also relatively quick and easy because your mileage continues to decrease for another few weeks after the run.''

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 11:31 PM | Permalink

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