Nope! This
week’s blog is not about swiping right on an ex and immediately blocking or
drinking if you get a match (you can read about those rules here http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/02/unwritten-rules-tinder_n_3689441.html
) but instead it is about preparing yourself in those last two (maybe three)
weeks of training to get your marathon game on.
And thank God / Allah / Zeus / Good Ol’ Saint Nick that
there is going to be a marathon!
It was touch-and-go for a while on Tuesday night and Wednesday as news
source after news source began reporting that the Marine Corps Marathon was in
jeopardy of being canceled due to the government shutdown.
However, on Thursday I received the below e-mail from the
Marine Corps Marathon titled:
MCM: Mission Ready. And I couldn’t agree more with the MCM
Staff – “We are SO on!”
As I breath a sigh of relief after my marathon was on the
operating table being shocked by a defibrillator, I also let out an audible,
yoga exhale that I have finally made it to the taper – the last few weeks where
I can back off my mileage and rest up for race day! The tough work has been done, the die has been cast, and my
preparation is-what-it-is at this point.
There is very little, if anything, I can do to train my body any more
now, but – if I choose to not taper properly – there is a lot I can do to ruin
all that I have accomplished.
To me, the most frustrating thing about a taper is that
there are no clear, standard rules or best practices. The taper is often referred to as “an art and not a
science.” Coaches and athletes
will argue over a two-week taper or a three-week taper and just how much one
should cut back on both mileage and intensity.
So, I have a compiled a list of Taper Rules according to
Paula to provide some structure to the taper masterpiece.
Rule #1: Any
way you slice it, rule # 1 is to taper!
If you want your performance to peak on race day, then you absolutely
need to taper. The same
hard-headedness, stubborn, perhaps egotistical thinking that makes people try
to run through injuries also makes them do stupid things like run 20 miles the
weekend before a marathon. Unless
you are Dean Karnazes or Scott Jurek (which let’s face it –most of us aren’t),
then you need to seriously cut back on the mileage before race day.
Rule #2: Cut
back on mileage, but keep some intensity.
Just because you may only be running half of the miles that you ran
during your most strenuous training weeks, doesn’t mean that all the miles you
are currently running need to be easy.
Instead, continue to incorporate some faster running – especially some
running at race pace. However, do
cut back on the miles or minutes you spend running at a quicker pace. For example, if you did a
ten-mile run in the prior week with six miles at marathon pace, then perhaps
you may want to do and eight-mile run with two by two miles at marathon pace
with a five-minute active recovery (jogging/easy running).
Rule #3: Stay
off the hills. Normally, I love
and encourage hill work. Coaches
like to say that hills are speed work in disguise. However, the time for breaking down your muscles to build
them back stronger has passed.
Instead, the final weeks leading up to the marathon are for recovering
from all the hard training.
Rule #4: Don’t
try anything new. New foods, new
workouts, new shoes – leave these things for after the marathon. You don’t want to be sore on race day
because you tried out a barre class for the first time a few days before.
Rule #5: When
in doubt, come in undertrained rather than over-trained. My belief is that there is a lot more
that you can screw up rather than you can gain. When in doubt, cut a workout short or even cut it
completely. Again, this rule can
be argued but as I mentioned above – these are taper rules according to Paula.
Rule #6: Find
new projects! The taper can
sometimes be the most challenging part of training for some people. Runners will find comfort in logging
high mileage week-after-week, and thus the shorter runs and more free time can
cause some people to feel antsy.
Use this time to catch up on other things in life or perhaps complete a
non-running (and non-physically demanding) project. For example, I spent hours this Saturday sorting through
papers in my office and compiling items for my 2013 taxes. Personally, it made me feel like I had organized
my life and gave me a sense of calmness and order.
Rule #7:
Prepare for race day.
Instead of sitting around worrying that you will get fat from cutting
your mileage, use the extra time to go through your marathon checklist. Do you have everything you need? Have you made all your massage
appointments, dinner reservations, etc.?
One of the last things I typically do is buy some throwaway
clothes. Because I know it will be
in the 40s on the morning of the MCM and I should be arriving at the starting
line around two hours before the gun goes off, I made a quick trip to Walmart
to buy a cheap pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt that I can leave at the
starting line where it will hopefully be collected and donated (Most big
marathons will donate all discarded clothing.) Combining rule # 6 (find a new project) and rule #7, I also started
a little art project on my racing singlet that I will wear during the marathon
that almost didn’t happen.
Lastly, Rule #8:
Smile – because you made it!
The hard work is behind you and all you need to do is coast safely to
the starting line.
MCM Training Week
Nineteen: 54 Miles
The longest run this
week was only 14 miles with the last three miles ran at a moderate pace (The
first 11 were easy.) I also had a nine-mile
fartlek run with a couple minutes of running at half-marathon pace about every
mile or so. Lastly, other than
some easy additional miles, I had a twelve-mile run with two by four miles ran
at marathon pace.
This Week’s Beer
Choice: While you shouldn’t drink and Tinder, you can drink (in moderation) and
Taper! During my trip to Walmart,
I picked up a twelve pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, an old favorite, for less than $14!
 |
| Sierra Nevada Pale Ale in one of my favorite beer glasses - a prize from the 2013 NoDa 5K |
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