My marathon is just over three weeks away which means I am closing in on my taper. I prefer a short taper as long as I am continuing to see improvements in my running.

That being said, I want to get a few more long runs in. I do my long runs on Saturday and am more concerned about time running than distance. Today I have 1:45 (probably 15ish miles) at a brisk pace, next week I will go just north of 2 hours and finally 8 days prior I will do 90 minutes at a relaxed pace.

Some people will say that I should not be doing a 18-20 miler two weeks out from your goal marathon. I understand that argument and have used that orthodoxy in past marathon buildups. However, I never thought it was the best way for me to train and left me feeling uncertain at the starting line. You never know if the training methods you choose are correct, but you have to trust in them so that you have confidence come race day. For me, this is what will give me the most confidence.

When do you start cutting back on your long runs? How far out do you start your taper?