The Taper

Seems to me that when the marathon training cycle called the "Taper" comes around is when I really begin focusing on my marathon goals and start taking things a bit more seriously. Too late some would say though if you have done a few marathons, have a good endurance base and you've kept up on your weekly mileage you should be alright.

I think a lot of runners kind of let their guard down and don't realize the importance of a proper taper and all that it involves. In a nutshell, tapering means backing down on the miles to give your body time to fully recover before marathon day but keeping the mileage up enough that you don't loose any fitness. At this point most are walking a fine line between peak fitness and injury so it is a time to really pay attention to what is going on with your body.

Tapering to me means: Less weekly mileage, better diet, more rest, easier easy runs and harder hard runs. The long runs are shorter but should be done with the same focus and intensity as you did your 15-20 mile runs. If you've included speed work in your training and you've been tapering for a week or so it wouldn't be a bad idea to up the intensity a bit. Again, being very aware of any possible signs of injury.

Keeping your weekly mileage up at this point is foolish if you want peak performance come marathon day just 2 weeks away. Your body needs rest to give it time to repair and rebuild for the 26.2 mile task you have ahead. Your recovery from a 20 mile long run capping a 40 mile week takes much longer than a 3-5 mile tempo run or some intervals so keep them up during the taper and even within a couple days of the event and you'll go into the event knowing you've done all you can to perform your best.