Taper taper taper time! This is the first time I’ve done my longest run just 2 weeks out from the race and tried a 2 week taper. The taper itself cuts back on mileage more than I am used to but it also includes a decent amount of intensity to keep my legs fresh. So far, I think that it has gone well and it has left me feeling a lot more fresh and less sluggish than I have in past taper periods. I also think I’m just more fit and trained than I ever have been before which is helping my sluggishness and confidence level.
I’m still in week 18 of training but there isn’t much left to do, so I figured I’d post the recap now. Ironically, I spent $400 in the last 2 weeks of my marathon buying a new Garmin watch (I got a good deal through a friend but it was still expensive!) and new shoes. Ouch!!! But, the good news is that my new Garmin Forerunner 235 is pretty incredible, so much so that I wish I had purchased it even earlier.
I plan to get on tomorrow to do a quick race plan post so stay tuned!
Week 17: May 15-21
Monday: 6 miles with 1 mile @ half marathon pace, 1 mile at goal marathon pace. This was my last run with my friend Kelly – I’m so thankful to have her as an early morning running buddy. It’s always nice to get the workout done early. The paces felt easy which was a good sign after the tough 20 miler from the previous Saturday.
Tuesday: 70 minute easy run with my friend Ashley. This was the maiden voyage for the Garmin! Later that day I did Beachbody Yoga Studio’s Muscle Recovery Yoga (30 min). This is my favorite!
Wednesday: 9.1 mile speed workout and 5 min of corework. Last big group speed workout and I felt great. The workout was:
- 2.25 mile warm-up & strides (including a big hill, as usual)
- 4 x 1,200 with 400 recovery, first at MGP (actual: 7:58) , second at 1/2 pace (actual: 7:41), third at 10k pace (actual: 7:15), last at 5k pace (actual: 6:56)
- 4 x 400 with 400 recovery, first at MGP (actual: 8:00) , second at 1/2 pace (actual: 7:48), third at 10k pace (Actual: 7:20), last at 5k pace (actual: 6:28).
- 6 x 200 fast (all in the low 6s).
Thursday: 4 mile stroller recovery run. 
Friday: 32 min easy run + 5 min Core on the Floor (from Core De Force).
Saturday: 6.9 miles easy. This was a dramatic decrease in mileage, given I ran 21 miles the weekend before, but I trusted my coach when he said to go run 70 min easy (and of course he threw in a big hill int he middle).
Sunday: Rest. Planned to do yoga but we had a busy day and that took priority. I got in a solid 2 hour nap after our wine tasting event in the afternoon which was wonderful!
Weekly Totals:
- Miles Run: 33
- Yoga/Core: 50 min
Week 18: May 22-28
During this week I made a goal to do at least 10 minutes of foam rolling or stretching a day and I’ve focused on resting as much as possible. My new watch tracks my steps and my goal is to go LESS than 10,000 steps a day, or close to it anyway. So far I’ve been on track with my goals!
Monday: 3.5 miles with 1/2 mile @ marathon goal pace – 10 sec. Mike and I headed down to the coast and did this run with the stroller after he got off work. This run felt really good. I really wanted to run faster but didn’t! I did the 1/2 mile piece at 7:55 (goal pace is 8:05) and felt like I was holding back a lot.
Tuesday: 35 minutes easy with my friend Ashley. We both pushed the strollers and it felt very odd to turn around after such a short period of time! We took the girls to the park afterward to play. When I got home I did Beachbody Yoga Studio’s Yoga For Runners. 
Wednesday: Last group run! 4 miles with a few pickups. It’s been so fun training with this group!
Thursday: Planned: 22-24 min easy walk. This as an optional walk or run and I’m going to walk with Mike tonight during our date night instead of running.
Friday: Planned: 20 min easy run.
Saturday: Planned: Rest day.
Sunday: RACE DAY! 26.2 miles!
Weekly Totals (Excluding Marathon)
- Miles Run: ~12.5
- Yoga/Core: 50 min
The hay is in the barn, as they say! Time to race!
What is your favorite part of the taper? What is your least favorite part?
Good luck on Sunday! I hope you have a great day and enjoy the race! You are so prepared and I hope you get your PR!