Avoid the Taper Tantrums

If you're training for a spring marathon, then many of you are about to head into your Taper Time or as I call it sometimes... Taper Tantrum time. Of all the many weeks of training, these last three weeks can often be the most difficult.

A non-runner looking in might think, "Cool! Now you get to run less. Rest. Recover." But a runner's mind is often thinking, "I'm losing my mojo. I'll get weaker if I don't keep running 20-milers up to race day."

The last three weeks are extremely mental for runners. Lots of head games and self-doubt can creep in. Many can find themselves in trouble when instead of heeding to the taper, they try to make up for all the "lost runs" from their training.

Family members of endurance runners know exactly when their loved ones are in their taper. They're grumpy, grouchy, talking to themselves, doubting, irritable, and on edge. Just ask your significant other or your kids. They'll tell you, you act like a trapped animal.

Typically a full-marathon taper begins 3 weeks from race day. The first week is usually about 75% of your longest mileage a week (which is usually the week right before the taper). Most of the decreased mileage comes out of the long run. So if your last long run before the taper was a 20-miler, then your first taper week long run would be 15 miles. The second week into taper is about 50% of your longest mileage week. So, your long run for that week would be 10 miles. The last week is the week of the race. Your long run for that week is your race. You run that week, but very little and while you can have a speed workout early or mid week, it should be more around race pace instead of blowing out your usually tempo or interval pace.

Rest for many runners means weakness. This is a HUGE misnomer. Rest is Strength. Rest is Stamina. Rest is endurance. Rest is rebuilding. Rest is improvement. Rest is growth. Rest is repair. In reality, a runner could probably do no running those last three weeks and end up having an awesome race on race day, but many would end up in the mental ward with no running for 3 weeks.

It's kind of funny how runners all during their training will moan and groan about all the running, the aches and pains, the fatigue (myself included), but then when they're given the gift of a taper they freak out. Research has shown that runners that don't heed the taper hit the "wall" sooner in a race than those that took advantage of the taper. These non-taper runners also have a tendency to peek a week or so early. The taper is a time for rebuilding your body. Giving it time to repair from the weeks of hard training. It's also a time of preparing mentally for the race. Use this time to think strategy. Look over the race course. Learn where the hills are, where the long flat stretches are. Think about the weather conditions. Are you prepared gear and clothes wise for any weather condition that possibly take place on race day? Are all your trip arrangements in place.

Embrace the taper. You'll be glad you did on race day.

Taper Time

You've built your mileage base, you've been sharpening and fine-tuning your running with focused endurance, pace, and speed workouts and now it's time for the taper.

The length of the taper really depends on your running experience level and the mileage base you've built. Often beginning runners who may have a lower mileage base will need more taper time (about 3 weeks) prior to race day. More experienced runners who've logged more miles and who have had more time to condition their bodies to the mileage and hard workouts may actually need less taper time (about 2 weeks) prior to the race.

The key to tapering is reducing the mileage to about 75% of the normal weekly mileage 2-3 weeks before the marathon. The distance should further be reduced to about 50% the normal weekly mileage the week prior to race day. The long run should be reduced by the same amounts each week with the last extra long run done 2-3 weeks before the marathon. A long run should not be run the weekend prior to the race.

Remember that the three days leading up to the race will be your carb-loading days, so you'll want to avoid intense workouts in order to conserve your glycogen stores. If you've have cabin fever the day before the race and are feeling antsy, then it's fine to do a short, easy 10-20 minute jog. Some experts say it's even fine to do a short 2-minute really fast interval the day before either on the track or a treadmill.

Suggested Taper Plans

Your plan may differ from the suggestions below, but this will give you and idea of how the mileage begins to decrease the last weeks prior to the marathon.

Beginner: (base of 20-miles per week; first-time marathoner)
Three Weeks Before Marathon: Last 20-miler 3 weeks prior to race day
Two Weeks Before Marathon: 4 runs of 4-6 miles each; long run 75% of last long run
One Week Before Marathon: 4 to 5-mile run; 2 x 1600m @ race pace; two 2-4mile runs; one easy 10-15minute jog; long run 50% of last long run

Note: The 1600m intervals should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down.

Intermediate Level A: (base of 25-30 miles per week; may have run 1 or more marathons)
Three Weeks Before Marathon: Last 20-miler 3 weeks prior to race day
Two Weeks Before Marathon: 5-mile run; 4-mile Pace run; 5-mile run; 6-8mile run; long run 75% of last long run
One Week Before Marathon: 5-mile run; 2 x 1600m @ race pace; two 2-4mile runs; one easy 10-15minute jog; long run 50% of last long run

Note: The pace run should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down; the 1600m intervals should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down.

Intermediate Level B: (base of 25-30 miles per week; may have run 1 or more marathons)
Three Weeks Before Marathon: Last 20-miler 3 weeks prior to race day
Two Weeks Before Marathon: 6-mile run; 6-mile Pace run; 6-mile run; 8-10mile run; 6-mile run; long run 75% of last long run
One Week Before Marathon: 6-mile run; 2 x 1600m @ race pace; two 3-5mile runs; one easy 10-15minute jog; long run 50% of last long run

Note: The pace run should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down; the 1600m intervals should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down.

Advanced Runner: (base of 50 miles per week; may have run several marathons)
Three Weeks Before Marathon: Last 20-miler 3 weeks prior to race day (some advanced runners may feel comfortable doing their last long run 2 weeks prior to race day)
Two Weeks Before Marathon: 7-mile run; 7-mile run; 6-mile Pace run; 7-mile run; 10-12mile run; 7-mile run; long run 75% of last long run
One Week Before Marathon: 7-mile run; 7-mile run; 2 x 1600m @ race pace; two 3-6mile runs; one easy 10-15minute jog; long run 50% of last long run

Note: The pace run should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down; the 1600m intervals should be preceded by a 1-mile slow warm-up and followed by a 1-mile slow jog cool-down.

The Taper: What? When? How?

The tapering part of any marathon training plan is often either looked forward to or dreaded. Those enduring harsh training conditions or who have had a particularly rough base-building and sharpening phase of their training may laud the day their taper begins while others may fret and worry that they're not doing enough during this phase of training and may lose their edge.

The taper is the final phase of training and a very important part of the marathon training plan. However, runners often question: How long the taper should be? How much should I run if any during the taper? What should I eat?

Most marathon training plans are 16 weeks or longer. If you train up until race day, you've not provided your body any time to recoup and repair. Research has shown that many runners run their marathon overtrained and overtired. Sorry to say, though, that there isn't a cookie-cutter tapering plan the works for everyone. A runner, depending on his/her fitness level and experience level may need more or less of a taper than another runner.

RRCA certified coaches and co-directors of the Portland Marathon Clinic, Patti and Warren Finke, outline in their book Marathoning: Start to Finish several key principals that should be considered when choosing your tapering method:
• Rebuilding depleted nutrient stores in the body (such as glycogen) to their maximum requires 2 to 3 days of lowered activity.
• Rebuilding minor injuries in muscle or connective tissue takes a minimum of 5 days.
• The body's store of oxidative enzymes diminishes in 72 hours if not stimulated by aerobic exercise.
• Any training effect you get from hard activity during the last 10 days before the race will be minimal.

In a nut shell, the Finkes are basically saying to back off before the event but don't quit running completely. Basically the taper consists of decreasing the long run 2-3 weeks prior to race day and the mid-week mileage is reduced during the last 2 weeks—down 25% the first week; then down by 50% the week prior to the marathon. No long run should be done the weekend before the marathon. The last long run should be no longer than 8-12 miles.

Some studies have shown that doing some speedwork a few days prior to the race can be beneficial. The Finkes say this may keep you sharp and reinforce the neuromuscular facilitation of marathon pace. They also suggest that if you're feeling "hyper or edgy" the day before the race from all the carb-loading, it's fine to do an easy run of about 10-20 minutes.

The carbo-loading phase is done during the last week of the taper, but only during the last three days leading up to the race. A person not in training should be getting about 45% -65% of their calories from carbs. Someone in training for a marathon should be getting about 60%-70% of their calories from carbs. During the last three days before the race, the carbs should be increased to 70%-80% of their total caloric intake.

The first day of the carb-load should be made up mainly of complex carbs from whole grains. This should be the day of the heavier meals and the traditional pasta dinner. Complex carbs usually come with more fiber. So, by loading up on complex carbs the first day, you have time for them to be processed and voided well before race day. During the last two carb-loading days, you should taper off the complex carbs and switch more to simple carbs. Be careful though. Don't load up on tons of fruit and the like if you're not used to eating lots of fruit. Eat your last major meal 12-15 hours prior to the race. This meal should be comprised of easily digestible foods that will pass through your system before the race.
Be forewarned...each gram of carbs can store 3 grams of water. So to make sure you get complete carb storage, drink 4-8 glasses of water. You may very well gain a pound or two during this carb-loading phase. Most of this is water and will be sweated out during the race.

Eating before a race can be a tricky thing. I highly recommend testing out different foods for your carb-loading phase well before race day. Pick one of your longest training runs and pretend it's race day. Try a mini-carb-loading phase before this run. This will give you the opportunity to see how long different foods take to pass and which ones to avoid because they "hang around" too long.

Note: Diabetics and others with specific health problems should consult with their doctors about the best foods to eat during their carb-loading phase.

Check out Ryan Hall's video clip below and his suggestions for the marathon taper.