Taper Time for NYC Marathon

One year ago today I ran a negative split at the Hartford Marathon, good for a 3:01. Today marks three weeks to the day of the New York City Marathon. During this blog, I am sharing photos from my last NYC Marathon race in 2015 (2015 recap). In 2015, I ran 3:12 on a warm day, better than the 3:26 from 2010, my first time racing NYC. Now that I think about it, all three of my entries have come in a different way: 2010 was the old "get rejected three times and get in the fourth," 2015 I raised money for a charity in 2012 but that race was canceled due to Hurricane Sandy so I took the guaranteed entry offered for 2015, and 2018 I qualified with my half marathon time.

View of Central Park - the finish line is down there somewhere

It is officially taper time! I've written about the anxiety of the taper before, and with fewer miles to run I have to be judicious about deploying them. I will try to replicate my taper from before the Rock N Roll Marathon where I ran a strong race. Based on how I tapered and adjusting for my tolerance for increased mileage, I'm going to try to stick to the following plan:

Bib and packet pickup at the expo

Week 1 = not to exceed 80 miles, fartlek midweek, and long run with 3,2,1 MP tempo
Week 2 = not to exceed 55 miles, fartlek midweek, and long run with a 20 minute MP tempo
Week 3 = not to exceed 25 miles, 5 x 4 minutes at MP midweek, then Sunday race day!

Pre race waiting to board the bus from Brooklyn to the start at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island

This week started as a rough one for me. Last weekend on Friday night, I came down with a fever and body aches. I've heard the rule for running when sick is if it is above the head (sniffling, congestion, runny nose) it is okay to run and below the head (body aches) then to skip the run. I ended up canceling Saturday and Sunday's run and on Saturday night decided I would also give myself Monday off (Columbus Day) as well. I thought I was feeling better so I ran on Tuesday, but by Tuesday night my fever had returned and I had a nasty headache. Dayquil got me through the weekend so we could go to activities with my son like attending the pumpkin festival, but I relied on Advil Sinus to make it through my workday (it was pretty effective).

Waiting at the start line

I was able to run again on Friday and on Saturday I ran my son to the National Zoo and back. And earlier today, I ran during Miles' nap - 17.4 miles in 2 hours and 4 minutes with the middle 11 miles at marathon pace (6:45-50). The first four were a struggle but then I found my comfortable pace.

Running mile 17

The Red Sox playoff run is a threat to my taper. In 2013, their last time in the ALCS, their clinching game was the night before the Detroit Marathon. I did okay with a 3:09, but late games are not good for my rest. It is hard to be disciplined when your favorite team makes a deep playoff run.

Snot rocket?

I also have been helping my brother raise money towards his goal of $10K for his charity Dreamfar High School Marathon to get his bib for the Boston Marathon. I solicited 50 of my past donors with the email at the end of this post.

Post race celebration

Dear Friend,

As you may know, this will be my seventh Boston Marathon and while each time I’ve qualified is a truly special accomplishment, this year has added significance. My younger brother Matthew joins me on April 15, 2019, in the Athlete's Village in Hopkinton for his first Boston Marathon!

Not only am I coaching Matthew, we are also working together to raise funds for the charity called Dreamfar High School Marathon (DHSM), an organization that challenges high school students to reach their full potential—physically, socially, emotionally, and academically—through a mentor-supported marathon-training program. Over the years they have served students struggling due to gender identity issues; autism, learning disabilities, and social phobias; severe depression; homelessness, as well as the overwhelming stress to achieve success in the classroom.

We are deeply moved by Dreamfar's mission and want to help them with their goal of reaching every student in New England. If you are able, would you consider making a donation to support our team, please?

You can donate at: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/dhsm2019/matthewames2

Thank you for your support!

Kenny Ames

Running with my brother and our sons in the Bob's Ironman Double Stroller at the National Zoo

Link to Kenny's Running Blog

Video Updates on Matthew’s training:

October 10, 2018 Training and Fundraising Update: Part 1

October 10, 2018 Training and Fundraising Update: Part 2