I've got a half marathon coming up in 3 weeks and I'm starting to taper. I've been doing 40-50 miles a week and I'm planning to cut back to 20-30. Is that too aggressive? Should I aim for a more gradual reduction in mileage? Anyone have any experience with tapering?
I tapered for my first marathon by cutting back 20% each week. Went from 35 miles to 28 to 22. Felt fresh on race day. 20-30 miles might be a bit too aggressive, but it depends on your body. Listen to it and adjust. You can always take extra rest days if needed.
Yeah, I'd say 20-30 miles is a pretty big drop. I did a similar taper for my last half and ended up feeling a bit sluggish on race day. Maybe try reducing by 10-15% each week and see how your body responds. Better to err on the side of caution, right?
I think you're being overly cautious. I've always done a 30-40% reduction in mileage 2-3 weeks out from a race and it's worked fine for me. You've got this. Your body needs the rest, not a gradual reduction. You've earned it.
20-30 miles is still a lot, I'd aim for 10-15 to let my body recover, been there done that, don't want to risk injury
I've had success with a more gradual taper, dropping by 10-15% each week. Cutting back too much too fast can be just as detrimental as not tapering enough. You gotta find that sweet spot.