Let's discuss the taper, what it is and why we do it. The marathon you have chosen is in three weeks. You have completed your last 20 miler. So what's next? The taper! Besides tapering off my running, what else can I do in the last weeks to assure I have a good marathon?
We taper to rest the body. People often forget that the body assimilates work and gets stronger when we rest.
Rest is tricky. It has to be used properly and timed well. Resting is a part of the training program. It isn't just blowing off workouts and pulling back. A taper uses rest optimally, so that you can get the maximum amount from the training you've done. If you just reduce mileage without concern to where you are in the process, you can lose some fitness in the weeks leading up to the marathon. We keep that from happenning by carefully planning our speed work.
I break the taper down into two to three weeks, depending on the experience of the marathoner. But for most people, three weeks is best. You come off your last long run and we begin to reduce the weekly long run signficantly. The first week, the long run will be between 14 and 16. The second week between 8 and 10. Then the following week is the marathon.
Also, it's important that as we reduce overall mileage in these weeks, we change the kind of intensity we are doing. For example, you may have been doing longer intervals, like mile repeats and 800s or tempo runs once or twice a week. We now move that speed into shorter intervals. We reduce that overall volume and start working the top end of the cardiovascular equation. Shorter, harder speed (sharpening work) and shorter recovery. Shorter overall workouts.
The first week of taper, I may have a client doing some mid-distance fartlek. Six to 8 repeats of 2 minutes on, two minutes jog (8 x 2 x 20). The next week I may have them at the track. After a good warm up, 4 x 400 (200 rest) and 2 x 200. We may also have some short fartlek in the week as well. Again overall the distances they are running are reduced exponentially as the race approaches, and yet we leave in quality to keep the system getting fitter, but still resting.
Race week the quality is very short; one session of 6 x 30 x 30 or three all out 400s. Again, short work. Quick recovery. Top end only. We work that top end but still allow for rest, recovery and assimilation.
Taper is also a time we need to begin to organize ourselves for race day. Make sure you have the stuff you need for your carb load on hand. Make sure you have body glide. Check to make sure your shoes don't have too many miles on them, and if they do, replace them in time to wear them on runs and check the fit.
Keep stress to a minimum. I know that one can be hard. But especially the week of the race, try to avoid stressful people and situations as it's our goal to not spend an ounce of energy anywhere it doesn't serve us. That phone call or meeting can wait until the week after the race.
Stay off your feet that last week. Don't spend hours wandering the expo or site seeing. You can cruise the expo, still have a benefit of seeing what it has to offer, without standing or walking around for 7 hours straight. Be smart and know you are trying to give your legs the maximum amount of rest you can before you ask them to run 26.2 miles.
If you have to travel to your marathon and are flying, take your shoes and the clothes you plan to race in, on to the plane with you in a backpack or carry on. It isn't worth it to have to scramble the day before to find your favorite shoes and the clothes that work for you. It's an avoidable stress so try to avoid it.
Finally, take a few minutes to plan out your race nutrition. If you use gels or other replacement, make sure you have the ones you want before you head to your race. Again, try not to leave things til the last minute or to chance.
The best marathons happen when the stars are aligned and everything goes properly. There are many variables involved and there are those we control and those we can't. So why not be prepared and take control of the ones that are indeed in our hands so we don't leave them to chance? Cover our bases and do what we can do to assure we have tapered properly and taken the time to have our race plan in place.
Best of luck to all the marathoners out there.
