Advice please: tapering for a marathon but target race may move back 3-6 weeks

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DiscoSteve Mar 2013 12:53pm, 4 Mar 2013 471 posts	0 DiscoSteve So. Am starting week 17 of 18 week training plan for Rome Marathon, this is my second week of tapering. There is a chance I won't be able to run on the 17 March as depending on when the new Pope gets crowned or whatever the race might be moved from am to pm and I am flying back that evening. If I can't do it I will (places permitting) enter another race, Blackpool on 7 April or Manchester 28 April looking favourite (I know, they're not quite Rome..) My question is, am I ok to go back up to the pre-taper level of training (40-45 mpw, up to 22 mile LSR) straight away, would I be better off doing it gradually, or should I just have a longer taper period? Go. (please??)
Mrs Winkle Mar 2013 12:58pm, 4 Mar 2013 6,953 posts	0 Mrs Winkle From bitter experience, I wouldn't have a longer taper - I had an enforced 5 week taper for a race in November and had a terrible time. So, I would perhaps not bother with 22 mile runs but chuck in a 14, 16, 18 and then taper (if you go for 28 April)
DeeGee Mar 2013 1:08pm, 4 Mar 2013 13,790 posts	0 DeeGee When will you know if the race is on? Are you going to have to travel out to Rome, prepare as if running, and clear off home if white smoke starts pouring out of the chimney?
Bru-Bru Mar 2013 1:15pm, 4 Mar 2013 2,054 posts	0 Bru-Bru I had a similar dilemma last year when I tapered for a marathon, ran it, then felt so overexcited I entered another one about 4 weeks later and was not sure what to do in the meantime. I opted to train, rather than rest, and threw in 3 shorter runs per week and a couple of longish (but not 20m+) runs between the two and this seemed to work OK. On the day I felt a bit under- rather than over- trained, though. I would now try to go straight back up to pre-taper levels and then "re-taper" for the last 10 days-2 weeks only.
DiscoSteve Mar 2013 1:21pm, 4 Mar 2013 472 posts	0 DiscoSteve Cheers Mrs W & Bru DG - not sure when I'll find out. From my limited knowledge of the process, which is basically based on the sequel to the Da Vinci Code, then they lock themselves away until they decide, and then Ewan McGregor explodes a bomb in a helicopter. So I guess it could be much closer to the day before I find out, which makes it trickier to decide what to do if I need to go to plan B.
DeeGee Mar 2013 1:34pm, 4 Mar 2013 13,791 posts	0 DeeGee For running and running again, this is useful: halhigdon.com I always have a "spare" marathon 3-4 weeks after my target race, I rebuild for two weeks and have a two week taper. However, this assumes that you actually run on marathon day. If you don't, then I'd try to get the last long run of your previous plan in, and then re-taper.
Nelly Mar 2013 1:48pm, 4 Mar 2013 771 posts	0 Nelly I'd suggest that Blackpool will be too soon after Rome to do any meaningful training, and as others have said I wouldn't want to arrive at the marathon start line having essentially tapered for 6 weeks. So Manchester makes most sense from a training perspective, plus you'll know 90% of the route and it's walking distance for your family to support in Timperley village. Assuming you find out in the days before you have to travel to Rome, and so can do a LSR on "race day", if it was me I'd do 14-16-18-20 then normal three week taper.
DiscoSteve Mar 2013 4:06pm, 4 Mar 2013 473 posts	0 DiscoSteve Thanks DG & Nelly. Nelly think you're right, Manchester does make more sense, plus no worry about travel arrangements!
Nelly Mar 2013 4:56pm, 4 Mar 2013 772 posts	0 Nelly Ten minutes on a tram to OT or driving to Blackpool and searching for parking... I know where I'd go. Although obviously, I hope it doesn't come to that... unless of course you decide to do Rome AND Manchester
DiscoSteve Mar 2013 11:14pm, 4 Mar 2013 475 posts	0 DiscoSteve Ha ha Rome and Manchester, now there's a thought..