Almost all training programs provide for a final long run about three weeks before the race, which is nearly upon ys. You then begin to train less each week, or “taper.” The final week usually calls for a few jogs of moderate speed and distance, with several days off.
If I’m not nursing an injury, I tend to run a little further than most plans suggest; two weeks before the race, I do a final 13 mile run, and a week before, I do a 10 mile run, both at roughly the pace I plan to run on race day. I've run as far as 6 miles 4 days before the race, but only because I wasn't sore at all; for most races, my longest run in the final week was about 4 miles, with the last two exactly 2.622 miles, at race pace; I then stop the treadmill and imagine doing that 9 more times, and it seems easy enough.
If you are nursing an injury, it’s all the more important to limit your activity. I’ve known many runners who rested due to injury the full final three weeks, and did well on race day, and I’ve also known some runners who tried to train through an injury and missed the race.
While the prospect of taking it easy after months of hard training sounds great, when the time comes, it will be maddening. You’ll think you are ruining all your training by easing off these last few weeks. Heavy training puts you in a relaxed state, and as you cut back, you come down off this high. You want to run the race today, to prove to yourself you’re still fit and get back that high.
Relax, continue to recover, and know that the race will come soon enough, and your legs will be ready.
I have tapered too much, and I have tapered too little. Tapering too much meant that I didn’t feel quite as sharp as I’d like. Tapering too little meant my legs were sore and tired much earlier in the race than expected, and was far more difficult to deal with.
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