Typical training for a marathon consists of slowly building up your weekly mileage and weekly long run over about a 12 week period. Then for the last 2 weeks taper your training down to something fairly minimal. The reason for this taper is to rest your muscles after all the hard miles in training, let any injuries or niggles heal so that on race day you are both trained and fresh for the marathon.
As the 10 in 10 challenge is much bigger the training has been greater than I would do for a marathon and much longer. I have been training for almost a year for this event but now with only 2 weeks left the training is finally over. I have done everything I planned but still wonder whether it is enough. Now only by taking part in the event itself will I find out. It is now time for me to taper.
In the past when I have been preparing for a marathon I have found the last few weeks of heavy training very hard going, especially the long runs. At times I have been desperate for the taper weeks to come and finally have the hard training behind me. Also in training I don’t normal run a marathon.
For the 10 in 10 I’ve run a higher average weekly mileage than I have ever run, with a marathon thrown in every 2 to 3 weeks. I find it exciting running marathon events and I think this is what has got me through the training and made it so enjoyable too. Marathons are always a challenge and a lot more fun than just going out on your own for a 20 mile training run.
Now that it is taper time, I’m not really looking forward to it. I’m missing what has become the usual schedule of heavy training. I have decided I will go mad if I don’t run (some people say I’m already mad) so for my taper I plan to run most days but much shorter runs.
I feel like I’m wasting a couple of weeks, nothing is planned and no races are entered.
I can’t wait for the 10 in 10 to start.
Come on Friday 13th of May!
