How to taper for optimal race performance
Q: I've heard of taper madness and am a little worried. What's the deal with tapering and what are some best practices to do it right?
A: For many runners, tapering for an endurance race is the toughest part of their training cycle. Reducing the volume and intensity of their training can propel them into the dark cyclone of taper madness. What if I lose fitness? Will I be able to meet my goal? Did I really just feel a twinge in my left knee? Is that an injury?!?!
Tapering is a period of time before a race where volume and intensity are gradually reduced to promote recovery and get you physically and mentally ready for race day. For an endurance race like the half marathon or marathon the taper period is generally two or three weeks in length, respectively.
Here are some guidelines on how to taper properly while keeping taper madness at bay:
Reduce volume but not intensity
Balance is the key with tapering. You don't want to do too much or too little. Three weeks out from race day, decrease overall volume by 15% to 25% of your peak mileage but maintain intensity (still include any speed work you have planned). Your speed work at this point should be specific to your race. For example, if you are tapering for a marathon you want to run some miles at your goal marathon pace.
Two weeks out from race day, decrease overall volume by 30% to 40% of your peak mileage. You'll still want to include a race-specific speed workout during this week but ensure it happens over a week out from race day. This will allow enough time to fully recover from this workout prior to race day.
For example, if you peaked at 50 miles during training, three weeks out from race day aim to run between 38 to 43 miles and two weeks out aim for 30 to 35 miles.
The hay is in the barn
The last hard workout (again, specific to your race) should take place about 10 days prior to race day. After that, the hay is in the barn. You cannot increase or better your fitness at this point. Any hard workouts done after this point could leave you feeling flat and sluggish on race day.
Keep race week easy
The week of the race should consist of easy running and a significant decrease in volume. Your legs may begin to reap the benefits of the taper and may be itching to go but resist the urge to run too fast. Instead, include a few strides to get your legs moving but save that energy for race day!
Mentally, race week can be the toughest. With the significant decrease in volume, suddenly you have extra time on your hands to obsess about race weather, race logistics, etc. Plan ahead for the things you can control and let the things out of your control fall by the wayside.
Trust your training
You worked hard for months. Think of the taper period as a time to soak up all that hard work, maintain it, and allow ample time for recovery pre-race. It's a critical part of training just like the long run. Trust your training and trust the taper.
Kristy Campbell is a RRCA-certified coach located in Conshohocken and founder of Run The Long Road Coaching She believes that success in running comes down to hard work, consistency, and determination. In her spare time, she runs around after her daughter, Fiona.
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