The gradual decrease of training prior to a marathon is extremely important, though it can be difficult to properly do. Runners are usually anxious about reducing the intensity of their workout, thinking that too much of a break in training before an important race will nullify all the progress they have made.
It is essential to reduce mileage for both complete recovery prior to your event and maximum performance.
It’s often challenging for athletes to build their tapering period into their program, despite its total duration and distance being significantly shorter than anything else.
According to Pete Pfitzinger, two-time Olympic marathoner and co-author of “Advanced Marathoning,” research has indicated that when tapering is done correctly, it can result in increased running efficiency, as well as major boosts in muscle strength and power.
It is quite evident that how competently you reduce something can decide if you reach, surpass, or be below your achievement aims.
Determining the most effective way to prepare for a marathon can vary based on one’s capacity of adjustment, past competition history, rate of training intensification, and individual anatomy.
Most marathon programs usually incorporate a three-week decrease in intensity, meaning you will be running fewer miles and taking more time to rest during the last 21 days before the marathon actually begins.
And for some runners, that sounds counterintuitive. If you don’t scale back your training before the race, you could have some issues during the race and with your recovery afterwards.
This gives you all the information necessary for reducing your miles for a marathon and the purpose for doing it.
Marathon Taper
A marathon taper is a reduction in the number of miles run leading up to the race, providing the athlete with time to restore, heal, and let the body absorb the last stage of their training plan (usually a 20-22 mile long run).
In the weeks leading up to a marathon, training should begin to dial down and taper off so that athletes are in the best condition for the race.
It has been demonstrated by research that the utilization of a taper can result in an increase of performance that ranges from three to five percent. This can mean the disparity between a personal best timing or attaining a qualification to a Boston Marathon run for plenty of athletes! In this stage, your instruction is not directed towards developing physical fitness.
It is very unlikely that one can achieve substantial improvement in their fitness levels close to a race. Allow your body to keep up with itself.
Essentially, you will reduce your running distance to support the development of lean muscle and to balance the chemicals, hormones, and the immune system for a successful race.
When a taper starts, your body is somewhat depleted. You have invested a lot of effort leading up to this point. Remember: the taper is meant to re-energize you.
The Benefits of Tapering Before a Marathon
Patti Finke, who coaches 250 marathoners a year as part of the Portland (Oregon) Marathon Clinic, shares that many runners keep up with intense training until the day of the marathon due to fear of losing their stamina if they don’t.
People do not comprehend that it is the period of rest in the final weeks that allows one to become tough, not the labor. You will not suffer a decrease in your physical fitness level even if you take a break of three weeks. Research has demonstrated that your aerobic capacity, the most accurate measure of fitness, remains steady.
Research supports the tapering aspect of these training plans.
A 2003 review of 50 studies which were published in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise demonstrated that tapering will lead to levels of muscle glycogen, enzymes, antioxidants and hormones being returned to their optimal levels, which were reduced by high mileage.
Decreasing the intensity of workouts can help heal the harm done to muscles during long-term exercise routines.
If that weren’t enough of a benefit, your immune system and the strength of your muscles will both benefit, which will lower the chance that you’ll have to deal with a cold or an injury in the days leading up to the event.
In these experiments, the people that began to reduce their dosage saw an average improvement of 3%. That comes to around five to ten minutes during a marathon.
The review’s main conclusion? The main focus while tapering should be to stop excessive tiredness from occurring, not to gain more physical improvements or increase fitness. Put simply, it’s time to relax.
How long should you taper before a marathon
Most marathon plans tend to follow the three-week taper. It’s important to be aware that the amount of running and rest may differ from athlete to athlete during the three weeks prior to the competition, but for the most part, reducing the time spent running and increasing the amount of rest should be a priority to ensure you have the energy needed for race day.
What should you eat while tapering
As for nutrition, make protein a priority.
Alan Tichenal, Ph.D., an experienced marathoner and University of Hawaii sports nutritionist suggests consuming more protein during this week of your marathon training to assist with the healing of the muscle tissue that has been impacted from the increased mileage.
Aim to get between 75 and 100 grams of protein per day. If you are on a meat-free diet, be sure to get your daily protein intake from sources such as eggs, legumes, dairy and soy items.
Consume an abundance of vitamin C in order to bolster your immune system and potentially forestall a cold or flu. The most nutritionally dense foods are kiwis, orange juice, red bell peppers, broccoli, and strawberries.
The amino acid lysine can also help, too. Vegetarians should opt for either wheat germ or a 500-milligram supplement as their primary source of nutrition.
The Nuts and Bolts of Tapering for a Marathon
A gradual reduction of running mileage should begin the day after or the week following your most extensive run. Generally the distance of that run is around 20 to 23 miles. When it is time to begin cutting back, you should attempt to reduce your long run down to around thirteen miles.
An ideal number would be 13 to 14 miles. You can even go lower if you want to. At this point, running long distances will not bring about any physical enhancements.
It would be unwise to attempt to fit in any strenuous exercises in the days leading up to a race; this will likely leave you feeling exhausted on the day of the competition.
The total amount of miles you run every week will begin to decrease. It is best to aim for a reduction of 20-25% in the total amount of miles driven. The reduction in running distance will also apply to your own personal exercises.
Ensure that during your taper period you do a tempo run, lasting shorter than usual, regularly each week, ideally at the pace you are targeting during the marathon. As an example, if you have been running at a steady pace for 30 minutes, reduce it to 20 minutes.
If you plan to gradually reduce your training for three weeks, then it is possible to substitute a tempo run in for one session and an interval session (e.g. at the track) for another.
Decrease the amount of sets you have been doing from six to 10 to three to six. Keep the pace the same. Reduce the amount of tasks done and how much time you spend standing.
For the time period known as taper weeks, include an additional day of rest. Rest means a complete day off.
Your Marathon Taper Should be Based on Your Own Needs
The process of tapering for a marathon should be tailored to an individual’s needs. You may opt for a three-week reduction of mileage rather than two weeks or cut back your mileage significantly while keeping intensity steady.
An alternate choice could be to alter the distance you run slightly and reduce the difficulty a bit. For optimum success, it is advisable to have a marathon training routine or consult with a coach.
When you are by yourself, you have the freedom to pick what is best for you. It may require some experimentation, but when you eventually work it out, you’ll be set.
Marathon Race Week Strategy
For the week leading up to your marathon, you will significantly reduce the amount of miles you run. Usually, a brief speed session should be done four days beforehand, followed by a longer, slower run over a shorter period of time. A good example of marathon race week might look like this:
Sunday: 10 mile run
Monday: Off
On Tuesday, spend 15 to 20 minutes warming up and then do 8 one-minute intervals at the pace of a half marathon with 90 seconds of a slow jog recovery in between. 10-minute cool down
Wednesday’s workout will be a 15-minute warm up, followed by a 10-minute tempo at a pace which is 15 to 20 seconds faster than what you are aiming for in a marathon. If you are aiming to go 8 minutes per mile, then your tempo goal rate should be between 8 minutes and 15 seconds and 8 minutes and 20 seconds. Cool down for 10 minutes
Thursday: Off
Friday: 4-mile run (can be switched with Thursday)
Saturday: Off
Sunday: Race
Some coaches don’t like taking back-to-back days off. Some prefer to go for a jog the day prior to the marathon. Ultimately, determine which method will be most successful for you, as mentioned before. To view some of my marathon training regimens, please click this link.
It is a mistake to be overly worried about not retaining the levels of aptitude and condition you have crafted through your practice so far. How to avoid that from happening?
One word: Relax. Or two words: Chill out. If you notice a decrease in energy and an unenthusiastic feeling in the days prior to your marathon, that can indicate successful tapering. You should observe a considerable increase in vigor around the time prior to the race. Just be patient.
Just remember that the taper is your friend. Don’t make it your enemy. Use it wisely. Embrace it. My final suggestion would be to not to use this time to make adjustments. View this period of respite and restoration as something you have earned that will lend to a fantastic marathon day.
Tapering Before a Marathon
This plan will tell you precisely how to alter your running and nutrition in the three vital weeks prior to your race. So relax! We’ve got you covered.
Week 1
Starting from the day after the final major run of around twenty miles, the first week of reduced running mileage leading up the marathon has begun. The beginning of the decrease in workload is not sharp since this learning still matters, so there is no need for a sharp decrease in the amount of tasks yet.
The week preceding the start of your period of training reduction should be the week with the most miles completed. This week, adhere to the same running plan you were previously following, but drop your overall mileage from the previous week by at least 20%.
During your taper, you should avoid running routes with a lot of steep hills, repeating uphill sprints, or doing speed workouts, since these can cause muscle damage.
Your shorter runs during the week should not be hugely different from what they were last week, although take a mile or two away from your longer runs during the week.
Typically for the working days, running should include a medium long run between 8 to 10 miles, a four to six mile run run at the expected marathon time, a day without running, and two runs between 3 to 5 miles.
For your first taper week (two weeks before the marathon), keep your weekend-long run at a 12- to 14-mile distance with the same pace as the 20-mile you did the week before. Do not make it any faster.
This week, for all your runs except for the one where you’re aiming for marathon goal pace, make sure you take it easy and run at a pace that is 1.5 to 2 minutes per mile slower than your marathon goal pace.
Week 2
Week two is a transitional period. You are at the midpoint between the discomfort experienced during your last 20 mile run and the joy of running a marathon. Having adequate rest is more crucial for race preparation than exercise, and deciding on your race strategy is even more essential.
This week, you should be running around half to two-thirds of the distance you ran during your peak week.
For the most part, your running should be slow, around two minutes slower than your desired marathon pace, while two miles of the midweek four-mile should be tackled at your target marathon speed.
Finke emphasizes that running consistently at the pace you want to achieve on race day is critical, even if it is only a small amount. This not only helps you become physically prepared, but also to prepare yourself mentally.
It is important to practice with as much specificity as possible to prepare for any competition. Additionally, doing a few 100 meter strides after one or two practices is beneficial, as it will help keep you relaxed and agile.
