Here's the dailymile entry I really wanted to find. It was actually on my dailymile profile not comments I had made on someone elses .... York Minster Out-&-Back + 5.72 mi 00:45 07:46 pace mixed in 6x75 second bursts @ 5:45 5:57 6:06 6:07 5:55 6:02 Kicked it up a notch today. No, I didn't break any land speed records I just got into the workout mentally rather than just rolling up ... read more 3 years ago Comment Edit Ange Do you ever take a day off? Sounds like you know what you're doing but doesn't your body ever need a rest? over 2 years ago • Like delete Cynthia P. Nice running today!! over 2 years ago • Like delete Cory B. I do take at least 1 day off each week. I've found there are many training reasons to run 6 days a week. There are also infinite excuses not to run on any particular day. But there aren't may good reasons not to run. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. A day without running results in: -Loss of blood volume -Loss of V02Max -Loss of efficiency -Diminished motor-neural and sensory awareness. You don’t realize you are pushing too hard when you return (all stocked full of glycogen). -You think you can push harder when you come back from resting, but this is not a good idea. -All this can make people more prone to injury over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. From a wise runner and coach: “Frequency of running is directly linked to efficiency. If you run more often, you improve your efficiency. You run along using less energy. You extend your stamina. You simply don’t get tired like you used to!” As interpreted by a US Olympic marathon trials runner: "To put it another way, in order to race faster, you must run more. If you take days off, you will not reach your true potential. It’s a personal choice, but when it comes down to it, it’s that simple!" over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. Thanks for the nod, Cynthia. over 2 years ago edit delete Ange That's very interesting Cory -- it almost seems to go against conventional wisdom. So if you were running a race Saturday (say a1/2 marathon) how much would you run the week before? And would you run the day before? If so how much? over 2 years ago • Like delete Ariana H. +1 Cory!!! over 2 years ago • Like delete Cory B. Tapering, of course, is different than training. The only way to realize the benefits of tapering is to train properly for weeks in advance. Were it not so, we would all just spend our time tapering. :-) Most of the concepts mentioned earlier, I have validated by my own experience. For example, I, like many runners, spent years over-tapering for races. Then I would wonder why I was sluggish on race day. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. I believe many training programs (conventional wisdom?) prescribe running too easy and resting too much during the taper. I knew this school of thought existed which suggested a more aggressive approach but didn't subscribe to it until I just trained right through - no taper - a few races. The result, I run better and felt better. I'm still fine tuning my approach but hope to have it dialed in at some point in the future. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. Sample last week taper for half marathon (your mileage may vary!) Day 6 - Rest Day 5 - 5 mi. moderate pace & form drills Day 4 - mixed intervals (1 mi. WU; 2k@HMP; 1mi.@10kP; 1k@5kP each w/2 min.active recovery;1 mi. CD) Day 3 - 2 mi. easy pace Day 2 - 1 mi. WU; 2 mi.@HMP; 1 mi. CD Day 1 - Rest Day 0 - 1 mi. WU; HALF MARATHON!; 1 mi. CD over 2 years ago edit delete Ange Thanks for taking the time to write all that Cory - it's very interesting. I'm a total beginner and am not anywhere near ready for a 1/2 marathon. I'm doing a little 5K Saturday and haven't been feeling great when I'm running all week and haven't been pushing it. I know I'll finish the run but am not optimistic to beat my time last week on the Turkey Trot. Now that I've read what you have to say I think I should have tackled this week differently. No matter, there will be other times. over 2 years ago • Like delete Ange Do you have articles or websites that you read that are in line with what you've come to understand how your body responds or is all of your thinking experiential? Maybe you should write something on it and submit it somewhere? over 2 years ago • Like delete Cory B. My approach generally isn't my own. I'm a fan of Jack Daniels, Pete Pfitzinger, Greg McMillan, Ed Eyestone, and Tom Schwartz among others. I try to read and understand their concepts then apply them to my running. It's quite interesting and enjoyable when a concept clicks - an "ah ha" moment. I've considered coaching and have been asked to work with beginner and intermediate groups. Other time demands (why I ran at 5 AM) have precluded this so far. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. Ange - Good luck at Saturday's 5K. If you like a challenge, try to Go Zone pacing strategy I describe at http://todayirun.blogspot.com/2009/03/inadvertent-taper-results-in-big-5k-pr.html (disregard all the other nonsense on that entry). over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. One of the benefits of a 5K is that the recovery time is short so we can run them often. This allows us to experiment with different approaches. Another thought: As a beginner, I wish someone would have suggested to me that two 2-mile runs on consecutive days are better than a 4-mile run followed by a 1-day rest. As runners, we know the incredible adaptive qualities of the human body. Train it and it will adapt ... usually much faster than we might imagine. It just takes persistence. over 2 years ago edit delete Cory B. I enjoy Runners' World. It seems to be a good magazine especially for beginners and recreational runners. over 2 years ago edit delete Ange I'll check that out Cory -- I'm trying to get to 5 miles right now... done 4 miles once last week and it went well. The rest of this week I've been doing shorter runs mainly because I just haven't been feeling it - like I said. Suggestions on my goal to get to a 10K this time next year? (keep in mind I'm no spring chicken anymore!). I appreciate your words of advice! Looks like the snow is gone!