I had a place in the London Marathon in 2003 but unfortunately had to pull out after doing all of the training, as I had a chest infection during the taper.  It was particulary sad because Dad was dying in hospital and was really looking forward

maintaining almost constant stiffness compared to the Graal.A tapered headset with 1 1/8 “and 1 1⁄4” bearings, which gives a perfect compromise between handling and aerodyna- mic performances.Asymmetric chainstays, now part of Pinarello’s DNA, oppose

devoted to sharpening your legs with some speedwork, and finally as the race draws close, a perfectly timed taper to ensure you're full of energy and raring to go.Each mesocycle should be between four and eight weeks long. If you need to build up your

cocktail in the other: check. Now, this is what I call a taper.This is not the kind of pre-race wind-down I'm used to - even as a staff member on the good ship Runner's World. But this is Negril, on Jamaica's west coast, home to the Reggae Marathon and Half

How To Run Your Best Half-MarathonEssential Half-Marathon Q+AsTaperingTwo weeks out from the big day, you should be thinking about easing up your training, allowing your mind and body time to recover from months of hard work. Cast your eyes over our half

two or three intervals with five-minute recoveries), or do a continuous 25-minute tempo run at a pace that’s 12-15 seconds per mile slower than your usual 10K race pace. TaperIt’s tempting to think that extra time spent training in the last weeks

did a 1-2 mile jog cool down, but then I was stuck in a car for hours due to a breakdown so my knees were flexed for ages).This is supposed to be my last big training week before the three week taper. I took Monday and Tuesday off. I felt fine

you need is two to three weeks of recovery, two weeks of normal marathon training and two weeks to taper again. Here's the kind of timetable you should try to work to:Week 1 No running for three days. Walk if you feel like it. Then try jogging for 30

buzzing all the way home."There is another four weeks of training to go before the taper for the big race, and Jellybabe is still smiling. "Apart from coming off my bike once on the ice I've loved every minute of it," she says of her training. "I like

when you should be easing off: a three-week taper will leave you in the best possible shape to run the race you want, and enjoy it.Marathon strides: Five next stepsSchedules and more; your complete training partner – our Big Marathon Index