What to Do the Last Weeks Before a Half Marathon

Last year I tore my meniscus in January, had surgery to remove the tear a little less than a year ago and didn't start running again until two months after. I re-started speedwork 4 weeks ago (5-800s) on the track. I planned to do 2 long runs of 13 miles or so in a row, then back down to 9-10 for a week. With my illness and vacation, I only have 3 weekends left. I run 5 days a week and average 31-36 miles a week. I don't really follow a training plan because I do long runs in the 13 mile range all the time. I usually back off my mileage every fourth week. I'm 41 years old and seem prone to injuries. I did 13 last weekend at a moderate pace (9 minute pace). I am debating between easy tomorrow (9-10) and long (13-14) next weekend versus squeezing in my 14-15 tomorrow, then 13 next week and easy the weekend before. My goal for this one is to be under 2 hours, finish strong, and not be hurt. I want to end faster than I start. – Kim

Hi Kim,

You sound absolutely ready for this race — and honestly, the fact that you're agonising over whether to run 14 miles or 15 miles this weekend tells me your preparation has been thorough.

Here's what we'll cover:

1. Long run strategy for the final three weeks
2. Why it matters less than you think — and more than you realise
3. Keeping your taper sharp, not stale
4. What injury-prone runners should do differently next time

1. Long Run Strategy for the Final Three Weeks

You have two sensible options on the table. Option A keeps this weekend easy (9-10 miles), goes long next weekend (13-14 miles), then easy before race day. Option B pushes the longer run to this weekend (14-15 miles), runs 13 next weekend, then eases off the final weekend. My preference is Option B — if you feel well and the illness has fully cleared.

Here's the reasoning. You have been running 13 miles consistently for four to five months. That distance lives in your legs — it is not a stretch for you any more. A couple of weeks of disruption from illness and travel don't erase months of accumulated fitness. You can return to your previous level immediately, provided you feel genuinely recovered and not just impatient to train.

If you feel even a hint of residual illness — any fatigue that isn't normal training tiredness, any chest tightness, any unusual heaviness in the legs — default to Option A without guilt. A 9-10 mile easy run this weekend still leaves you in excellent shape. One long run does not make or break a well-trained runner.

There is a third path worth mentioning: run 13 miles this weekend, push to 14-15 next weekend, then 10 miles the weekend before the race. This gives you an extra week of recovery from the longer effort before race day. If you have any residual doubt about your illness recovery, this is probably the safest route — and it still gets the long run done.

2. Why It Matters Less Than You Think

Here's the thing about the long run debate: when your race performance comes down to the 660-plus miles you've already run, whether one long run turns out to be 10 miles or 14 miles is genuinely a rounding error. You have a base that most half marathon runners would envy. That base is what gets you to the finish line strongly — not this one session.

What matters far more now is how you feel going into race day. Arriving fresh, confident, and with healthy legs is worth far more than squeezing in one extra long run on tired legs. The trick is arriving at the start line having done enough — and you have clearly done enough. The question is whether you arrive rested or not.

So take the approach that makes you feel best. Not the approach that looks best on paper, not the approach that sounds most impressive — the one that has you standing at the start line with energy in your legs and confidence in your head. That might be Option A, Option B, or the middle path. Only you know how your body feels right now.

3. Keeping Your Taper Sharp, Not Stale

One mistake injury-prone runners sometimes make in the taper is eliminating all intensity — dropping everything down to easy jogging for two weeks and arriving at the start line feeling flat and slow. Don't do this. Your legs need to know what faster running feels like.

In the final two weeks, keep one short quality effort per week. Not a hard track session — just 20 minutes at tempo running pace, or 3 x 1 mile at your goal half marathon pace with a few minutes easy between each. This keeps your neuromuscular system sharp and stops you feeling leaden on race day. Do it early in the week — Monday or Tuesday — so you have several easy days before any long effort.

Race week itself should be light: three or four easy runs of 20-40 minutes, one of which includes a few short strides at race pace just to wake the legs up. Eat well, sleep well, and stay off your feet as much as you can the day before. Your fitness is locked in — the only thing left to manage is freshness.

For the race itself: start slightly slower than goal pace for the first two miles. Not dramatically slower — ten seconds per mile is enough. You want to feel controlled and comfortable while the adrenaline is running high. Then settle into goal pace and hold it. Your goal of finishing faster than you start is exactly right — a slight negative split is the most reliable way to run a strong sub-2 half marathon.

4. What Injury-Prone Runners Should Do Differently Next Time

You mentioned being prone to injuries, and you've had a significant one this past year. For the next training cycle, there are two additions that will make a real difference — neither of them involves running more.

The first is strength training. Get into the weight room once or twice a week and build strength — particularly in the hips, glutes, and single-leg stability. Runners who strength train get injured less. It is not complicated and the evidence behind it is very strong. Hip abductors, glute medius, single-leg squats, Romanian deadlifts — these exercises are unglamorous and enormously effective. Many injury-prone runners find that two months of consistent strength work changes their relationship with training completely.

The second is a slightly longer long run. You have been running 13 miles consistently — that is fantastic. Next time, build your long run to 15-16 miles over the course of the cycle. Compared to 18-20 miles, runs of that length sit in a sweet spot: you get all the endurance benefits without the extended recovery period that longer efforts demand. And for an injury-prone runner, recovery is everything.

Your sub-2 goal is well within reach, Kim. You have done the work, your body knows the distance, and your race plan — finish faster than you start — is exactly the right approach. Trust the 660 miles, take the option that feels right, and go race well.

Kind regards,

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