Should we try this again? Running Aug. 1-?

[Bike Chick]

Congratulations, Jolt! Great job. I know that must be a relief to have that behind you.

3 mile hill work out this morning. I'm trying to get faster and pushed myself to run faster when I felt like slowing down.

[Crankin]

I haven't run in weeks. The hip is happy. I have been doing some fast walking (4-4.3 mph) a couple of times a week. Today I had the urge to go out on the trails. It's been so dry, I figured it wouldn't be too wet or buggy. The trail from my neighborhood was the least wet I have seen it ever, but it was overgrown and there were several trees down (ones with trail markers). Even though the trail abuts my street, it can be a little disorienting when you get in the woods. But, I had a nice surprise when I reached the main trail that is part of the town network. The town has obviously done some trail maintenance. It was wide and cleared! Not an obstacle in sight. I walked up to where it meets a trail in the next town, which is in a field next to some horse properties. The field was full of wildflowers, totally different scenery than the woods. On the way back, instead of taking the main trail back to a street and walking on the street or going back the way I came, I took the "ski slope" trail, which climbs a ridge with a 20% or more grade up to the houses across the street from me. That trail was cleared and nice. I haven't been in these woods since I snow shoed in March.
It was about 4 miles and I got a good workout. I am itching to take my mountain bike out on the town trail, as it's in shape for wimps like me.

[OakLeaf]

I did a little over seven. Man, was it hot. I was really glad I brought a lot of water.

I did the shortest loop I can do from home. I think maybe I'd never done that loop before, or if I had, I sure didn't remember Mount F****** Everest in the middle of it. I knew it wasn't just me (or the heat) when a car went by and I heard its engine straining to get up the steep grade.

Anyway, this is me, trying to find some discipline again.

[limewave]

I've really let my running go this summer
But that's also meant I've done ALOT more biking this season

There's a 1/2 Mary in the fall that I was kind of wanting to do, but we couldn't fit it in our schedules. Our plans just changed and now I can do it!

BUT, I only have 6 weeks to train.
AND I have a big mountain bike race in 2 weeks.

Is it smart to start ramping up my running training while I'm tapering for a long mountain bike race?

[OakLeaf]

Somebody else can tell you better than I can, since I know zero about training to race for both disciplines.

But I will say that taper is taper, and if you're serious about your MTB race, then you don't want to be ramping up or even doing much running during your taper.

On the other hand, cardio fitness is also cardio fitness, and I've found that regular cycling allows me to run much longer distances on much less weekly mileage than most running-only sites recommend.

I'm a little bit in the same position with having let myself go earlier in the summer, and now training for a mid-October marathon. What I've done is to jump back in and see how it feels (so far, okay). I think that if you do a test long run today or tomorrow morning, at an easy pace, just to see where your fitness level is now, if it were me it would be far enough out that it wouldn't hurt my taper too much. That would hopefully give you some feedback on where you are now and what it will take to ramp it back up. Then just incorporate a very little bit of running into your taper for the next week - none in the days leading up to your race - just to keep it in muscle memory. Then start ramping up the mileage after your race.

But if I were you, I also would not take advice from someone who has a hypothetical magic 8-ball for her own coach.