UKH

Hi all

I've not been following a plan, or rather I made my own one up based on previous training for marathons and 50Ks and one other 50 miler, which was more or less based on what I could realistically fit in.

Anyway, I've had quite a few weeks of consistent training up to about 60 miles per week, a lovely marathon 2 weeks ago, a 50K mud bath horror show in January and a 50K in December so I feel like I'm pretty well prepared. I've done weekend double long runs, hill reps etc.

So now, how do I taper effectively? I'm 3 weeks out so was going to start dropping the mileage to 75%, then 50%, then 25% in the last week. Does that sound reasonable? One plan I looked at had me doing just one 10 minute jog in the final week!

Any other tips? Sports massage? Stuff my face? Loads of sleep?

Edit to add question about pacing. 10 min/mile is fairly steady on the same terrain/elevation for a marathon/50K (i.e. not all out), so how much slower would you take the 50 miler?

Many thanks!

MB

For the few 50 miles ish ultras I've done I did a heavy training week 3 weeks out (in effect 100% or close), but then that was my last hard week. The final fortnight I really cut back, so penultimate week would be maybe 40% or even less, then the last week I do no running at all. The no running at all in the last week feels a bit odd but for me I find it's best to be on the start line as fresh as possible. 

Compared to many on here, I'm not that experienced at ultras so others may well have differing or better advice for the taper but the above has worked for me.

As for other things in last week... I do some gentle walks and lots of foam rolling (I use one of the vibrating ones) just to try to keep loose. Yes, sports massage won't do you any harm. Yes obviously lots of sleep. Yes, you can fuel up a bit but I wouldn't go TOO heavy on the 'stuff my face' side in the last day or two. I remember one race where I had overeaten pretty badly just the day before and I had horrible heartburn from about mile 10 onwards! 

As for pace it's hard to say because it's so dependent on the route itself (ascent, terrain etc) and conditions both underfoot and weather on the day itself. 

Good luck and enjoy. 

Be really careful with carb loading and only increase your normal intake moderately as it can have severe digestive issues pre race.

Is carb loading not a lot of bollocks anyway? Most long distance runners I know, myself included just eat sensibly in the run up to a long race.

I am two weeks out (rank amateur) and had a bad chest infection in Feb with no running for 3 weeks, so not feeling at all confident, but it's too late now. My thoughts are below, but everyone's different!

• If you get a sports massage - don't get it too near the race, unless you are used to them. You might be sore for a couple of days.
• I often get 'taper tantrums' and get various mystery aches - be prepared for this. If the physio is doing a sports massage they can be quite helpful in reassuring you that you are not broken.
• I would do lots of stretching - I usually do 10 minutes on the bike before this
• Try to sleep really well the few days before the race as the night before is often not so good.
• I think carb loading is overrated!
• I will reduce my mileage to about 50% this week and then just do short runs a couple of days the week of the Saturday race

A few things that have helped me with tapering:

I do my last long run 3 weeks out then a gentle taper, including a 3 hour run 2 weeks before, a 90 min run 2 weeks before and lots of 1 hour or 40 min runs in between.  The thing that really helped me was to run the same amount of times I.e. 5 or 6 days per week, but for shorter durations and low intensity (no hill sessions or pace sessions)

For me, A steeper taper 3 weeks out causes the taper tantrums (I like this new phrase!) And I often  come down with a cold

Sports massage is v helpful as is self massage but strictly light pressure only in the week before 

Carb or any other food loading does not work for me, it is more important to have practiced food intake during training runs

Swapping runs for walks with friends during tapering is a great way of reducing intensity and catching up with friends who you have neglected during training

Low intensity runs in the last few weeks are a great chance to test kit, practice kit faff etc I have practised mid run foot taping, torch battery changing, re finding the route after being lost, jogging while carrying cups of tea, walking while eating a bacon roll and all sorts of other random things, very helpful when I have needed to do these things on a race

Pacing : not sure on this one as has previously been mentioned, so much depends on terrain, weather etc. If there are cut offs, be aware of what average speed you should be going, and how each section may be re speed. For long ultras I make myself a laminated card with increasingly slow average times per section and an overall average with a best case, most likely case and will just pass cut-offs speed. V helpful to refer to when knackered 15 hours in.

Good luck; what race are you doing?

I’ve always liked the drop volume, but don’t drop intensity taper. For marathon, that is a couple of short runs at marathon pace. I guess for ultras it just means do something.

This completely sums up my experience - keep going out as regularly as you have been, but just for say a 5k at ultra pace. I think it's better than no running for the last week, which can leave you feeling sluggish / mystery aches and pains as your body adjusts to a drastic change in training.

Edit: messed up the quote function

Thanks for the reply, very useful. I'm doing the South Downs Way 50. Many years ago I was walking on the downs with my girlfriend (now wife) and saw some people running with numbers attached, so I looked it up and saw it was that race. I thought wow, I'd love to do that! It's been a long journey (like over 10 years or something) including a couple of kids etc. but finally I'm actually doing it!!!

Thanks. That's what I've done for marathons and it's worked for me too. I was going to do the same but saw a plan where they had you doing practically nothing in the last week so wondered whether others had done this or just generally whether what's best for marathons doesn't necessarily translate to longer distances.

Carb loading will get you a bit more time, up to 2 hours or so of higher intensity, but it won't be any use beyond that , and the messing about with the diet beforehand to make it work might well be counterproductive, so I'd skip it.

The golden rule of tapering is to remember you're not going to get fitter in the last week so don't screw it up and do too much

It is so easy to go for a bit of a blast. You feel fresh and relaxed and it is just fun, but not at all useful.

If you feel fresh and relaxed, I’d say it is very useful.

Fab! Enjoy it, fingers crossed for decent weather

I did it once before a race and almost shat myself, never again, just eat a few more snacks the day before and avoid massive meals.

Thanks everyone, I tapered roughly according to get to the punchline's advice. I've got 3 days or so to go and I'm very excited!

Of course, I've had all sorts of mysterious aches and pains plus a cold or Covid or whatever my brain has conjured up but it's definitely happening!

Apparently, we will have live GPS tracking just like the Spine Race or other things I've dot watched before and now I get to be a dot which is probably the most exciting thing of all!!

good luck!

Thanks!

I finished it, but it was much harder than I expected! I didn't feel great all week but thought that was just race nerves, but on the day I felt pretty rubbish very early on. I definitely didn't go off too fast based on training paces and previous 50K performances. I also still have issues with feeling nauseous after about 20 miles or so. I reckon I'm just not cut out for the longer stuff.

But it's fine, I'm pleased I did it, the weather was glorious and I definitely had to dig deep to get it done (which is kind of the point - it's meant to be hard and it's good to go to the edge mentally and physically).

Well done. Thanks for the update