Marathon Day is Approaching: It’s Time to Taper

Taper before your marathon for optimal performance

We’re just two weeks out from one of the biggest, if not the biggest running event on the Austin racing calendar. The Ascension Seton Austin Marathon is set for Sunday morning, February 16 at 7:00 a.m., and thousands of area runners have been putting in the miles in preparation. But now it’s time to taper down, with the goal of fresh legs on race day. Remember, you can sabotage all your hard-earned training by overdoing it in this critical time frame.

So yeah, it’s time for the “oft-dreaded” taper. Dreaded because you’ll be cutting down on one of your favorite activities, even skipping days! But hey, turn it around! Tapering frees up more time and allows your body to rest up for the big day. Before we get into the taper itself, here are some reasons why it will improve your marathon performance:

· Muscle repair/recovery

· Reduced muscle fatigue

· Lowers risk of overtraining

· Glycogen stores return to normal

· Lowers your mind/body stress

Now, here are some taper tips to enjoy the ride:

Decrease total mileage. Seems obvious, but there are ways to do it that make life easier. You can still stick to your regular running schedule, just run 40%-60% shorter distances over the next two weeks. Experts recommend reducing overall mileage by 40% the first week, and 60% the week going into the marathon.

Maintain intensity. Though your volume is down, it’s important to keep (shorter) speed workouts going. This will help keep a quick turnover and ensure that your cellular adaptations maintain through marathon day.

Last long run is shorter. Hey, you’ve put in the big miles, including some runs up to 20 miles or more during your buildup. Now is not the time for those. Your last long run — a week out from the marathon — should be no longer than 12 miles.

Stick to your normal diet. It’s okay to increase your carbohydrate intake if that’s what you’re used to, but don’t go trying some radical new diet.

Take a day off running. In the last week before race day, don’t be afraid to take a day completely off from running, It’s fine to do some easy exercising like walking or biking on an off day.

Day before race day: easy does it. Enjoy the expo but limit the time on your feet. You’ll be spending plenty of time hitting the road tomorrow!

Upcoming Races: Saturday, February 8 at 10:00 a.m., the Cupid’s Chase 5K at Camp Mabry. Saturday, February 15 at 8:00 a.m., the Spark Love 5K at Wallace Middle School in Kyle. Sunday, February 16 at 7:00 a.m., the Ascension Seton Austin Marathon, downtown Austin.

 

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