Trust the Taper

You have been training for months with your goal race on the horizon.  You followed your training plan to the letter and scrutinized every workout.  Now, with just a few weeks left until race day you are very near peak fitness.  You must resist the urge to hit the panic button and try to cram in some extra mileage or speedwork. You want to maintain your fitness and rid your body of the accumulated fatigue that has been living deep inside your muscles. You cannot make any meaningful improvements in these last two weeks but you can do plenty of damage.Trust the taper.

Depending on your experience and health the recommended length of a proper taper for a marathon is 14 - 20 days. Individual athletes respond differently to training and recovery so listen to your body.

Tapering does not mean "stop training". It does not mean we are done with our plan. Tapering is a vital part of the overall training cycle. Basically you should keep running at the same intensity but start cutting your mileage. Cut back by 20 - 25% the first week and an additional 20% the next week. This allows you to maintain your peak fitness while allowing your muscles to rest and recover. It is crucial to listen to your body. It usually speaks very clearly.

Symptoms of tapering: 

• Feelings of losing fitness. 

• Sluggishness. 

• Panic that the race is approaching. 

These are all normal. Your body has been pushed to its limits for months and now it does not want to stop. That is your mind telling you that you are going to be out of shape in a week. Trust me... and the taper. By the middle of race week most of your nagging aches and pains will be minimized, your legs will be screaming to go for a long run and your workouts will feel extremely easy. You will be ready to race.