Cutting back on volume and intensity for a race seven days away may seem obvious, but many runners still get it wrong. So, for the perfect taper, just do this:Sat/Sun 75 per cent of your long run (if it’s usually 10 miles, run 7)Mon 20-30 minutes

No, but you seriously think it’s your dayYou get to 10 miles and decide it’s just not your dayYou get runner’s trotsYou twist your ankle on a discarded water bottle You get a stitchYou want to stopYou’re in painYou feel great at mile 13You hit the wall at mile

training shoe). It’s moderately stable, too, with a decent heel counter and a midfoot support strap built into the lacing (though if you need much stability, look to Adidas’s 275g Taper RC, which has a full-length medial post but a flatter feel

, though its cushioning means it’s best on grass.Try it on if you liked Asics Gel DS Lyte (£70); Adidas Taper RC (£65); New Balance 730 (£50)

Getty ImagesIf you’re one of the 50,000 runners gearing up to pound the streets of Newcastle on September 20 then this page is just for you! From the perfect two-week taper to nipping race-morning nerves in the bud, trouble-free transport

of the schedule. The training reaches a peak in terms of volume and mileage. But once you’ve reached week 13, you have the stimulus of knowing that the worst is over and you can start tapering for the big day.As ever, the most important parts of the schedule

Standfirst: The focus of weeks 13-15 of your 15-week scheduleAuthor:Pics:Issue date: Feb-May01 / xref Ultimate schedsKeywords:uan126--In weeks 13-15... you taper… and race!You’ve done nearly all the hard work now – after your final long run in Week

-dominating 2000-series. Cost-conscious runners, or simply those who want a responsive, low to the ground feel with a moderate amount of added stability, have long appreciated it.Now the 1070 is the best the 1000-series has ever been. Partly that’s because

with our quicker weartesters. The Prevail keeps the same midsole and outsole as that shoe (it was called the Preside), and twins it with a narrower, more tapered upper, which gave a glove-like fit for some runners and ruined it for others. As before

of Saucony’s GTO cushioning material, and the fully-looped lacing system and tapered shape made for a slightly pinched forefoot fit on some testers. But on the positive side, the Jazz GTO was smooth, light and flexible and the lugged grip was good both