Tapering Down and Planning for the Wheels Off Half-Marathon

Date: 9/9/14
Current Weight: 183 lbs
Total Miles Last Week: 54
Long Run This Past Weekend: 8 Miles at Highland Park (Hills Workout, Tapering)

This past week was a good training week. Although I started the week out with a bit of a cold, I still managed to get some decent training in. 

The final week before what I'd consider to be my most focused effort of the fall is here. I've started to taper down my mileage, and this week I will likely clock less than 15 miles pre race. My taper style of choice is mostly short easy runs, with one good solid tempo effort mixed in at least 3 days out from the race. This week is about staying loose, keeping my confidence in my expected pace, and getting my body ready for a good push this Saturday at the Wheels Off Half-Marathon in Duluth, MN. Here is a little bit about my plan on race day to give it an A-effort. 

Goal Time: < 1:42 (to beat my current half-marathon PR) 

My Shoe of Choice

Pacing Strategy: If I set my goal at 1:40, I need to hit 7:37/mile overall. Here is how I will break it down (roughly)

• First 6 miles: ~7:45/mile
• Mile 6-13.1: ~7:35/mile 

Fueling: I will do most of my fueling pre-race. I'll start the day with a Clif Bar about 2 hours before, and a banana an hour before. During the race I will take 1-2 gels (GU Gel) at 4-6 miles in. 

Shoes: Hoka One One Clifton (love these shoes!) 

Music: For a short effort like a half-marathon, I have a good experience listening to music for the entire race. I will put together a playlist of mostly uptempo music. 

It is nice to have some of these items planned out, but the biggest factor in the race is what kind of day you're having. Everyone has good days and bad days, and that plays a huge role in how well you perform. I trust in my training, and I know I can get it done. If I have a good day, I will be able to beat these goals. 

As I stated in an earlier blog, much of the later part of my summer training has been focused on shorter efforts and on speed. I'm looking forward to that coming to a head this Saturday, and then switching my focus back to ultra distance running, which will be the focus throughout the winter. My next event is Icebox 480, an 8-hour timed race, which will be my last bigger event of the year. After that it is back to base training for the winter. I'm hoping to try out a few new things this winter including cross country skiing and snowshoeing. As I'm sure most of you know, training in the middle of an MN winter can be challenging as a runner. Since winter training is more about building your aerobic base anyway, different modes of training can be very beneficial. Many of the best ultra-runners in the world have a true off-season where they cross-train and do very little actual running. I'm looking forward to trying a few new things and having some fun this winter!