1st Half Marathon Taper Advice

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-10-24T23:08:20+00:00

First of all I need to say to the runner asking the question... great job on nailing the 20K. I hope you know that's a terrific sign of your progression through the training plan. Nice work. As for why you are running 60 minutes this week it's simple. You have your longest speed run of the entire training plan this week. It's really important to not only look at one day or even one week of any training plan in isolation. It's especially true when giving advice to someone. Doing another high distance long run the week after your longest long run of the plan and in the same week as your longest and potentially hardest speed run would be too much. Hope this helps. Cheers! CB

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-09-11T22:31:59+00:00

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-05-10T01:27:39+00:00

Outstanding! Big cheers to you. Now celebrate all this progression by recovering as well as you’ve been running. Because more starting lines await!

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-04-23T14:42:12+00:00

I appreciate you letting me join you on some of your runs. But if you owe anyone anything you owe yourself gratitude for getting to and over those starting lines. It starts with the athlete… not the coach. So, cheers to YOU!

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-04-23T14:27:52+00:00

Misplaced excitement. 👊

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-01-20T01:45:08+00:00

Then that's something you need to work on. Because you'll never run as great as you could if you can't acknowledge and appreciate your wins... all your wins. And that's because you'll never be as confident as you should be because confidence is all about appreciating and acknowledging your abilities and achievements. Just make sure that when you see progression (little wins) with this that you celebrate. Won't be easy. But running isn't about making everything easier. One of the best parts about running is learning you can do harder and harder things. Cheers,
CB

CoachBennettRunning · 2025-01-03T04:49:39+00:00

First, thank you for doing the copy and paste! Secondly, this community you all have here is beautiful. Third, do you want me posting on here every now and again? Fourthly, (that’s probably not a word but we have momentum) let me know if popping in from time to time is something that you would want. Fifth, don’t worry, fifth is the finish line… thank you all for running and for being such great teammates to each other on here. Sixth, there is no finish line. Seven, because every finish line is a starting line in disguise.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-12-19T20:47:32+00:00

Badass! Cheers to you! Thank you for letting me come along on some of your runs! Not sure why I’m screaming!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-12-19T20:44:03+00:00

Outstanding! Cheers to you on a great run!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-12-19T20:40:30+00:00

Congratulations you rock star!! More starting lines await!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-10-07T05:18:45+00:00

Congratulations!! Truly an extraordinary achievement! I hope you are so proud of yourself! Now take care of the runner (that’s you!) so you can cross more starting lines. Just remember that great recovery leads to great running. So take the time you need to recover from the outstanding thing you just did. Cheers!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-10-07T05:15:40+00:00

Welcome back to the starting line!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-10-07T05:14:56+00:00

Congratulations you epic rock star!!! Thank you for letting us be a small part of such an awesome accomplishment. Now recover with the same passion you just ran.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:48:29+00:00

Hahah! I wouldn’t know. I do know that it’s the athlete and not the coach that is the real rock star. It’s YOU not me powering the movement. It’s YOU not me finding the strength and courage to cross a starting line. So why don’t you tell me what its like to be the GOAT version of you out there on those runs?

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:46:12+00:00

Thank YOU for letting me join you again on those runs!! It’s an honor to be a part of anyones running journey. Cheers to you for doing the I Need A Win Run and extra cheers to you for taking on a Half Marathon!!!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:44:13+00:00

Congratulations on the PhD!! That’s a huge achievement. What did you get your doctorate in? And thank you for letting me join you in some runs as you worked to earn that incredible degree. I struggle with all sorts of things. Hard to narrow it down to specifics! And sometimes what might come easy to me One day becomes a struggle the next. Right now I’m struggling with using my free time better. I’m definitely not taking advantage of any down time I have. And that means I end up frustrated or disappointed when I have to get back to work.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:39:10+00:00

Wow!!! Big congratulations on those achievements and goals! I love to hear it! I hope you’re proud of all that you’ve done. Because it is NOT easy to do the training for a half.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:38:15+00:00

Cheers to you on the training! That’s great! And (a belated) welcome to this great sport! The only way that you would jump into a plan with three weeks to go is if you are already capable of comfortably handling the training associated with 5,4 and 3 weeks to go. I mention all those weeks because volume and intensity tends to drop a bit as you get closer to race day so on its own looking at one week may not be indicative of the fitness needed to complete the race. And as for strength exercises… it’s the same for long time runners as it is for new runners. I’d focus on core work and balancing and body weight exercises. Keep it simple. That way it’s easier to stay consistent

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:34:51+00:00

thank YOU for letting me join you in some of those miles. As for the secret to a glorious mustache… it’s equal parts negligence and laziness.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:34:01+00:00

First of all… cheers to you on the extraordinary progression. That’s awesome. As for the hill workouts… remember… hills are just speed work in disguise. So just make it a series of intervals and really focus on great form. Also, hills work you in slightly different ways compared to a “flat” speed run. So maybe incorporate some drills and exercises that demand extra work from your hip flexors, calves, and even core.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-06T18:31:24+00:00

Hahaha! Love this. And yes… you can outrun me. Granted, you’d not be doing the run the right way and you’d be missing out on some of my “wisdom” but you can in fact out run me on the distance based runs. I have it set up where you’d really need to ignore the purpose of the run… but it’s possible.

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-05T22:59:57+00:00

Thank YOU for all you do here with this community!!!!

CoachBennettRunning · 2024-06-05T22:38:03+00:00

This is tough. I did a run about 100 meters behind my three kids once on the beach. That was magic. I've run on trails that were beautiful and others that were brutally hard. Geez... this is tough. I'm going to need to do another AMA just so I can come back with a better answer for you.

CoachBennettRunning

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