Tapering Before a Marathon- Pros and Cons
Runners like to run. So after training for a long race for months, when our plan calls for us to taper, it’s usually met with mixed emotions. I have a marathon on November 14 so this week and next are my taper weeks. It definitely is a change in my routine so I need to remind myself of the pros and cons.
Benefit of Tapering
Training for a marathon requires 12-16 weeks of increasing distances and 40-50+ mile weeks. In order to race on rested legs, you need to reduce the mileage for a couple weeks immediately before the race. Fresh legs and muscles on race day will give you a boost of energy that you probably haven’t had since you started training.
There are also mental benefits of tapering before a race. Just as your leg muscles need to rest, so does your mind. Taking a break from the mental strain of long training runs and high weekly mileage allows your mind to be fresh and excited on race day instead of tired and stressed.
Challenges of Tapering
Tapering your miles is like a withdrawal. You’re used to high mileage and now you have to reduce or stop running. Your body and mind need to adjust. The break is good but your mind can start playing tricks and you begin to doubt yourself and your training. You wonder if you trained enough or should you not taper so much. You get anxious for the race so you can be on-edge as you are out of your routine.
Having been through training plans and tapers before, I know it’s necessary so I’ll just keep myself occupied with other things, focus on the race itself and also, this time, remind myself that I’m not actually racing this marathon for a time. My goal is simply to finish and enjoy the experience. No pressure for a specific time, and definitely no PR. At least that’s what I’m telling myself now, we’ll see what happens when I toe the starting line.