LET THE MARATHON TAPER BEGIN... (ROAD TO VALENCIA EP.7) - Ben Is Running
Intro
This is a quick summary of LET THE MARATHON TAPER BEGIN… (ROAD TO VALENCIA EP.7) from Ben Is Running. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the taper workout today. Be sure to check out the full video for all the details.
Key Points
- Gradual vs. aggressive taper: Ben outlines two taper styles – a gradual taper (hold peak mileage then reduce over 2‑3 weeks) and an aggressive taper (sharp drop after peak, then race a week later). He prefers the gradual approach for fresher race‑day legs, even though a tiny bit of fitness may be lost.
- Taper volume plan: Peak mileage was ~180 km/week for three weeks; week 1 of taper is 160 km, dropping to ~90 km the week before the marathon.
- Keep intensity high: Even while cutting volume, it’s crucial to keep key sessions to maintain fitness. While marathon-pace runs are the focus here, the principle of maintaining intensity is similar to the high-effort bursts found in other workouts. You can learn more about the science behind this in our guide to Mastering Interval Training: Science-Backed Workouts and How a Smart App Can Personalize Them.
- Practical tip: Move key marathon‑pace workouts to Fridays to allow two recovery days before the next key session.
Workout Example
- Week 1 of taper (example from the vlog):
- Monday: Easy run, 18 km (easy effort).
- Friday: 15 km at marathon race‑pace (the key marathon‑pace session). This sustained effort is crucial for the 26.2, a different beast entirely from the sharp, fast repeats needed for shorter distances, like those covered in our guide to Mastering 5K Speed: Proven Interval Strategies to Cut Minutes off Your Time.
- Sunday: 35 km long run at an easy pace.
- Adjust the distances to match your own weekly mileage; keep the marathon‑pace run at your target race pace (kilometers). Use the Pacing app to customize the paces for your fitness level.
Closing Note
Give this taper approach a try and tweak the mileage and paces to suit your own training. You’ll lose a little fitness but gain fresh legs for race day. While this plan is tailored for the marathon, the core principles of tapering can be adapted for any race. For a look at how to prepare for a different challenge, check out our guide to Mastering the 10K: Proven Training Plans, Pace Strategies, and How a Smart App Can Elevate Your Performance. So lace up, hit the road, and keep it fresh! 🚀
References
- LET THE MARATHON TAPER BEGIN… (ROAD TO VALENCIA EP.7) - YouTube (YouTube Video)
Workout - Taper Race-Pace Sharpener
- 12min @ 10'00''/km
- 15.0km @ 5'30''/km
- 12min @ 12'00''/km
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