How to Taper for a Marathon
Many runners consider the marathon taper to be one of the most difficult parts of a training plan. Read on to learn how to taper for a marathon.
Many runners consider the marathon taper to be one of the most difficult parts of a training plan. Read on to learn how to taper for a marathon.
You’ve made it through weeks of grueling marathon training, and it’s finally time to rest with a taper period. A marathon taper period is a time of structured recovery, a decrease in training volume and an emphasis on rest, nutrition and mental preparation so you can toe the starting line feeling like a running rock star.
The hard work is over, right? Actually, many runners consider the marathon taper to be one of the most difficult parts of a marathon training plan. Although the higher-intensity sessions and long runs are in the rearview mirror, an athlete’s brain and body experience a different kind of stress as you shift attention away from training and set sights on your goal race.
Rattling around in your head are thoughts like “am I prepared enough?” or, “how do I properly carb load?” and, “why am I so anxious?” As the big day approaches, your main focus should be on rest, nutrition and mental preparation. Read on to learn how to taper for a marathon.
The main purpose of a taper leading up to a race is to allow your body to recover from the chronic stress of training. Resting will decrease general inflammation and allow your muscles, tendons and joints to heal from all the tough workouts so they can be at full strength for race day. You should obviously be running less… but exactly how much should you dial it back?
Structuring your training load during a taper will look different for each runner. Some start their taper three weeks before the marathon, while others choose a two-week block of time. Some athletes sprinkle marathon pace runs into the taper, while others run all their miles at an easy pace. No matter which strategy you go with, here are some general guidelines you should follow:
Pro tip: Make the most of your Garmin watch by tracking your REM sleep.
Just as you dialed in your nutrition during your hard weeks of training, keep fueling your body during the taper. Some runners make the mistake of eating less because they’re training less, but you should give your body the nutrients it needs to recover and rebuild. Not only that, but you should forecast what you’ll need for the race. Dialing in your nutrition during your taper will give you an extra advantage on race day!
Now is also a good time to cut back on alcohol consumption, as it will counteractyour hydration strategy and affect your sleep quality. Even if you find yourself sweating less, try to drink just as much as you would have before tapering.
While your body will feel rested, recovered and, dare we say, tingling with anticipation for your race, your brain is another matter entirely. As you reduce your physical workload, feelings of stress, anxiousness and even boredom will start to creep in.
You may start to overanalyze every aspect of your training, overthink your race goals and wonder if you’re ready to race at all. This can undermine even the best of physical preparation. However, all hope is not lost! There are many ways to tame the brain during this time of nervousness and anxious anticipation.
By implementing these strategies into your taper routine, not only will you be rested and recovered from training, you’ll have the mental fortitude to tackle whatever may happen on race day.