How to Taper for the Marathon: Build to Mesa 90 Miles per Week

About This Episode

The final phase of Mesa Marathon build is here: A hilly 20 miler Long Run, the famous “Lumberjack” workout, and the classic Champagne run. First up: 20-mile long run (2 weeks out) •  Long Run Session: 7 mile warmup, 3x (2 mile uphill at steady pace (6:35-6:40/mi), 2 miles downhill at goal MP (6:00-6:04/mi) •  Practicing downhill running at goal pace to simulate the first half of the Mesa Marathon. Next: Wednesday workout, The Lumberjack (10 days out) •  Popularized by legendary coach Ron Mann (former NAU and Louisville coach & current coach of John Korir - winner of Boston 2025) •  Classic sharpening session to spin the legs in one last hard effort before race day. •  Broke down the reps and why I decided to absolutely torch this workout. Finally: The taper wrap-up & “Champagne Run” (1 week out) •  Easy run miles with the crew turned into pacing Gustavo to a 15k PR at the very prestigious Frostbite Series in Saint Louis. •  Post-run celebration at the coffee shop: lattes, good vibes, and final race-week chats Follow my Build on Strava: strava.com/athletes/23504210 Check out the Podcast Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3hAyALRNhRA7UfKPVpX2IU Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/life-in-stride/id1724120477 #MarathonTaper #MesaMarathon #LumberjackWorkout #ChampagneRun #RunningVlog #TaperPhase #MarathonTraining #BostonQualifier #SharpeningWorkout #Marathon #running