This is the second season ofTraining Diaries, a Lifehacker series about my journey to the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon.
I write this post while furiously bouncing my leg with nervous energy.
When I wrote aboutsurviving the dreaded taperlast year, I focused on tips for the mental challenge.
So let’s take a look at what a proper taper entails.
One week before
Reduce your weekly mileage by 40-50%.
Maintain workout intensity but decrease duration.
Complete your last “long” run (8-10 miles).
Focus on quality sleep (aim for 8+ hours).
4-5 days before
Cut mileage to 30-40% of peak training.
Include short bursts of race-pace running.
Avoid trying new foods or activities.
2-3 days before
Take an easy, 20-30 minute run.
Review race strategy and pace goals.
Day before
Take a short, 15-20 minute shakeout run (optional)
Stay off your feet.
Prepare race outfit and supplies.
Get to bed early.
Nutrition during taper week
Oh, how Ilove to carbo-load with a purpose.
In the days leading up to the marathon, you want to gradually increase your carbohydrate intake.
Do this over a few days rather than just the night before the race.
Focus on familiar, easily digestible foods.
What to eat the day before a marathon
Carbo-load!
Good carb sources are whole wheat pastas, potatoes, rice, oats, etc.
Eat familiar foods to avoid GI issues.
Now is not the time to try new exotic dishes.
Stick to the routine meals you know your body can tolerate.
Hydrate well in the days before.
Aim for 12-16 cups of water daily to store water in your muscles.
Reduce fiber intake to avoid GI problems.
Have a big carb-filled dinner the night before.
Pasta primavera, rice and beans, pizza, etc.
What to eat on marathon morning
Eat two to four hours before the starting gun.
Set your alarm early to allow time to digest.
Go for easily digested carbs and a little protein.
Oatmeal, whole wheat toast, banana, peanut butter, eggs.
Drink 16oz of water or sports drink.
Hydrate well in the morning.
Avoid high-fiber, high-fat, or high-protein foods, which can cause GI distress.
Common taper traps to avoid
Drastically cutting back your mileage indeed messes with your head.
Over the past five marathons, here are all the taper pitfalls I’ve learned to avoid.
Phantom pains.Don’t panic about every new achereduced training often makes runners hypersensitive to normal sensations.
Trust that your body is healing.
Excess energy.Resist the urge to use your extra energy for non-running activities.
Now is not the time to rearrange furniture or start a home improvement project.
Compensatory eating.Maintain normal portions despite reduced training.
Slight weight gain from glycogen storage is normal, but overeating can impact race performance.
Training doubt.The taper often triggers anxiety about lost fitness.
Remember: you could’t improve fitness in the final week, but you could sabotage it by overtraining.
Final thoughts
Think of the taper as a reward, not a restriction.
Review your training logs to boost confidence, and connect with other runners for support.
I like tovisualize all the possiblerace-day scenarios and set process-oriented race-day goals.
Embrace this period as an essential part of your marathon journey.
Focus on controlling what you could control, and trust that the hay is already in the barn.
