T20MR Episode 23: Tapering--beneficial or bust? Life is (a) fair

With one more week left before my first 1/2 marathon, I am in tapering mode as we run together in Episode 23. But is tapering really beneficial? Or is tapering simply a cop-out? We discuss the pros--and few cons--of the issue in this episode. If you are preparing for a fall race, you'll want to hear what I've discovered about tapering; it just might help you PR at your target race.

The episode, however, begins with an update on the week's running. It's been a good one as we close in on the 1/2 marathon. Not only was it a good one running, but we are looking forward to the N. Carolina football game next weekend. Go Heels! But, that's later. We begin with a trip to the Dixie Classic Fair in Winston-Salem, complete with chickens, racing pigs and state-record pumpkins. Grab a sausage-dog and listen in. Life is about keeping perspective--and balance. The proper mix of both keeps us young. How young do you feel? Running plays a big part of that mix as well.

The second half is all about tapering. While I won't give the details here, you go along with me on a challenging 10 miler, all the while discussing the benefits of tapering. We include a list of "Who's Who," and how they benefited from tapering: Carlos Lopes (1984 Olympic Marathon champion), John Benoit Samuelson (1984 Women's Marathon Olympic champion and American Record Holder at the time), Emil Zatopek (1950 European champion in both the 5,000 and 10,000) and Sir Roger Bannister (need I tell you what he accomplished?).

Thanks to Scott at Off'nRunning for his help in promoting the podcast. They get a shout-out for the work they do at timing so many area races, including the Cannonball half we will run on the 17th.

Finally, be sure to vote for your favorite podcast(s) at the link above, whether it happens to be T20MR or some other show. Regardless, vote!

I feel good about the 1/2 and have trained properly for distance and speed. Stay tuned to see how it all turns out. And as always,

Thanks for sharing some of the road with me,
The 20 Minute Runner

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The music heard in the body of the podcast is entitled “Forever Young," by Ghosts on the Radio. Check it out at Music Alley.

The opening and closing music heard in each podcast is entitled “Point of No Return” by Roger Subirana and is the title cut of the album. Check it out at Jamendo.

The article on tapering by Abhinabha Tangerman can be found here.