Marathon runners, veterans, and newcomers can attest to the intricate dance of preparation leading to race day. Training demands perseverance, dedication, and hours of sweat. But, as the big day approaches, there’s a counterintuitive strategy that seasoned runners swear by – tapering. This training method reduces drill volume and intensity as you approach race day. Instead of continually pushing harder and running longer, tapering involves pulling back, allowing your body to recover and store energy for the marathon.
Benefits of Tapering
- Physical Recovery: The body undergoes immense stress throughout the marathon training cycle. Muscles get micro-tears, glycogen stores deplete, and there’s overall wear and tear. Tapering allows the body to heal, ensuring you approach the starting line in peak conditions.
- Mental Refreshment: Training for a marathon is a physical and mental challenge. The tapering period allows for mental relaxation, decreasing anxiety, and building up excitement and anticipation for race day.
- Glycogen Storage: Glycogen is the primary fuel for endurance athletes. As you decrease the mileage and intensity during the taper, your body becomes more efficient in storing glycogen. This ensures you have enough energy reserves come marathon day.
Areas of Focus
- Reduce Mileage, Not Intensity: Begin tapering 2-3 weeks before race day. A common approach is to reduce weekly mileage by 20-25% each week. However, maintain some intensity to keep the body accustomed to the rigors of running.
- Prioritize Nutrition and Hydration: Focus on carbohydrate-rich foods, stay hydrated and consider reducing or eliminating alcohol and caffeine.
- Sleep: Your body recovers the most during sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of fulfilling rest each night.
- Stay Loose with Active Recovery: Incorporate stretching, yoga, or light cycling activities. These can keep you active without straining your muscles.
- Mentally Prepare: Use the extra time from reduced training to visualize the race. Go over the course in your mind, anticipate challenges, and strategize.
- Trust the Process: It’s common for runners to feel jittery, doubting if they’ve trained enough or fearing losing their conditioning. Trust in your training and the science of tapering.
Caveats
Some runners increase their training intensity or volume when feeling the extra energy, thinking it might offer an extra edge. Resist this urge. Overtraining during the tapering phase can lead to fatigue, injuries, or burnout, known as taper tantrum. During the tapering phase, heightened body awareness can be a game changer. Now is not the time to try a new strenuous workout or activity. Stick to familiar routines to minimize the risk of further injuries. It’s essential to differentiate between usual post-workout soreness and an injury brewing. If a specific area of discomfort persists, becomes sharp, or interferes with your typical gait, it’s worth consulting a physical therapist or sports doctor.
Watch Michael Capiraso’s video on this topic here!