Can anyone recommend a good taper?

docsallen

I ran a 1/2 marathon on April 7 and am running a 10 mile race on May 5. I followed a training plan for the 1/2. After the half I just filled in the 4 weeks before the 10 mile with a schedule that looks like my original training plan. Here is what my overall plan has looked like for the past month:

Sun: off
Mon: Y x 0.5 miles at 7:35 min/mile pace (I started with Y=6 and then decreased that to 5 last week); includes 1 mile warm-up and 0.15 mile recovery between
Tues: 4 miles, easy
Wed: 6.5 mile Tempo run
Thurs: 4 miles, easy
Fri: alternate between 5K race and long run (last long run was almost 2 weeks ago)
Sat: off

So far this week I have decreased Y to Y=4 for the Mon. intervals and I ran 3 miles today (Tuesday). I have never really tapered before, but I have been reading about the benefits and think I should try a little bit of a taper for the rest of the week. The articles I have read recommend cutting my distances down by 50% the week of the race. I feel like 4 miles is easy already. Should I cut the distance per run (instead of running 4 miles, running 2 miles) or should I cut the number of days I run this week? My weekly mileage was 22-30 miles/week so it's not like I was running a lot of miles/week, so I wonder if I need such a big taper. Can anyone recommend a good taper for the rest of this week? I was thinking 4 miles on Wed. and then 2-3 miles on Thurs.

Thanks!

-Shannon

ATT949

I'm using a training plan from Runner's World (I'm going to a running camp in a few weeks so I may have a completely different schedule soon) for a race on August 18. In the week before the race

Tue Aug 6/Easy Run/ Dist: 6 Mi @10:39
Wed Aug 7/Easy Run/Dist: 5 Mi @10:39
Thu Aug 8 /Speedwork/Dist: 6 Mi, inc Warm; 3x1600 in 8:33 w/800 jogs; Cool
Fri Aug 9/Easy Run/Dist: 5 Mi @10:39
Sun Aug 11/Long Run/Dist: 14 Mi @10:39

But the last week looks like this:
Tue Aug 13/Easy Run/ Dist: 3 Mi @10:37
Wed Aug 14/Easy Run/Dist: 3 Mi @10:37
Thu Aug 15 /Speedwork/Dist: 4 Mi, inc Warm; 2x1600 in 8:31 w/800 jogs; Cool
Sun Aug 18/Race Day

The intensity is a little higher in the last week but the duration is way down.

Other training plans that I've looked at take a similar approach.

Good luck with your race!

docsallen

Thanks! i posted my question a little late for the BSR this weekend, but I am planning on doing a half-marathon in the fall so I will keep your schedule.