Advice please...

reggie2run

As my MFP friends know I am running a half marathon on this Sunday - Sept 23rd - my first half. I am both nervous and excited.

This is my taper week which calls for a 3-4 mile run on Tues, a 2-3 mile run on Wed and a 2 mile run on Thurs, followed by two rest days on Fri and Sat. (as per my Hal Higdon training schedule).

My question is: in prepping for a half and in the taper week, has anyone done the indicated running miles and also did some cross-training like biking (i.e.: biking in addition to the running)?. Or did you just do the specified running and that was it for exercise for the week?

I plan to take Sat as a total rest day but I'm not sure on taking Fri off as well.....has anyone run and/or biked on the Friday before your Sunday half? Or am I best to take Friday off as well from working out?

I am trying to decide if the biking will help or hinder my performance at my half on Sunday. Should I just stick with the specified running for my exercise this week or can I incorporate some biking as well? Should I even think about adding anything in during my taper week??

Thoughts anyone?

BrianSharpe

When I was tapering for my half in May I kept on biking as cross training but cut down on both the intensity and distances and did virtually no strength training. It's a bit of a balancing act, you want to recover from the accumulated fatigue you've built up training for the event but you also want to stay loose and (the hardest part for me anyway) you seem to have an incredible amount of nervous energy.

Culley34

I just did the running, but it's only a half. If you throw in some light cross training - it should be fine.

I always tried to follow Hal's plan to a T.

The nervous energy, after you've been cranking out heavy mileage, and then suddenly decrease it, is known in the running community as "taper madness". :-)

When I was tapering for my half in May I kept on biking as cross training but cut down on both the intensity and distances and did virtually no strength training. It's a bit of a balancing act, you want to recover from the accumulated fatigue you've built up training for the event but you also want to stay loose and (the hardest part for me anyway) you seem to have an incredible amount of nervous energy.