Taper Time and Triage Tips

Taper Time

The past 3 weeks have gone remarkably well.

Mike and I knew that after a few key checkpoint workouts didn’t go as planned in May, there was the reality that I may run out of time before the June 21st race date to reach peak fitness.

However, with Mike’s methodical training, a hardened body from years of consistency, a real (and challenging!) focus on managing my diet and strength exercises, and great Eastern Sierra spring weather, things have come together nicely.

Following final 13 mile tempo on Green Church. (Gear; Brooks Elite Racing Kit, Green Silence, PowerBar Lemon Lime drink mix and Double Latte Gel)

Mike has always told me it’s better to go into a marathon 10% under trained than even 1% over trained.  If you find yourself struggling to toe the line healthy or have overshot an appropriate taper, you are in for a very challenging 26.2 miles.

Part of me wishes Grandma’s was another 2 weeks out so that we could continue to develop fitness.  However, I am very happy with a healthy body that continues to get stronger each week and realize that I’m rounding into form when it really counts.

Triage Tips

But let’s be real.  The past 7 weeks haven’t always been full of successes of an indestructible body.   There have been episodes of minor quad and piriformis strains, shin pain, posterior tibial tendonitis, foot aches, etc.

Typically with some self-rehab, regular rolling, ice bathing, not training in minimal shoes ;), and detailed attention to symptoms, all these minor pains subside.

It’s important to learn how to triage these “pains” into different levels of severity.  The system I use to decide if to continue training or rest and recover is as follows:

• Mild pain that eases as you run
• Pain subsides with change in speed, surface or with stretching
• Pain is constant but subsides after the run
• Compensatory patterns to reduce pain
• Swelling or unstable joint
• Severe pain or parasthesia

Routinely I will run through the green and orange stages with caution to note how long the symptoms last.  If things are unresponsive to self-treatment for greater than 1 week, don’t improve with time off or rest, or pain is constant even when not exercising it’s likely in your best interest to get checked out.

I’ve always joked with people that if I took a day off every time something “hurt” I would probably only run a handful of times a year!

13 Days To Go

It is now time to back off the mileage, hammer out a few more key workouts and get excited for another opportunity to try my body over the 26.2 mile distance.

Our main goal for this race is to hit the Olympic Trials Qualifying standard of 2:18:00.  So I will likely adopt a conservative race plan.  As much as I’d love to have a huge breakthrough in the marathon, I am more concerned with consistently improving myself and learning from each race.  I have many more years for that breakthrough to happen!

Thanks for reading and I think it’s about time for Grandma to get run over by this freight train! 😉

Rise above your run. 875 miles on my Transcends and they still have life!

Brooks Transcend 

4 Weeks Out	AM	PM	Mileage
Monday	10	4	14
Tuesday	Mammoth Track: 4×200, 2x(4×400), 4×200, 30” after 200s, 1’ after 400s. 32’s and 69’s	5	17
Wednesday	10	0	10
Thursday	Shady Rest Interval/tempo: 8x1k with 600m float: 42:00 total time, 1k intervals 255avg.	0	14
Friday	11	4	15
Saturday	10	4	14
Sunday	21 miles; American River Trail; 10 easy, 10 at 5:17avg, 1 easy	0	21
Total			105
3 Weeks Out	AM	PM	Mileage
Monday	8	0	8
Tuesday	Mammoth Track: 16×200 w/30 sec rest. All 32s	4	16
Wednesday	10	4	14
Thursday	Green Church Tempo: 5 miles; 25:37	4	15
Friday	13	0	13
Saturday	10	5	15
Sunday	Green Church; 22 miles, 6:02 avg, 12 at 5:34 avg	0	22
Total			103
2 Weeks Out	AM	PM	Mileage
Monday	10	4	14
Tuesday	Mammoth Track; 2x(5×300) 30” rest, 50-51’s.	5	14
Wednesday	10	0	10
Thursday	Green Church Tempo: 13miles; 1:09:13; 522, 522, 522, 509, 521, 519, 523, 519, 527, 514, 518, 518, 515	0	18
Friday	10	4	14
Saturday	10	4	14
Sunday	Owens River Rd LR; Easy 10, 6 progressive (615-525), easy 2.	0	18
Total			102