The Marathon Taper by John Josephs, MS
Filed under: Workouts & Training Plans
The taper is a necessary part of training for any endurance event. Typically, the longer the distance of the event, a longer taper is required. Most coaches and exercise physiologist agree that three weeks is necessary to taper for a marathon. Your last long run should be three weeks from the race date. During the taper, volume, or total weekly mileage is reduced, however, intensity and frequency of workouts are maintained. There are many methods to reduce your mileage during the taper. You must learn which one works best for you. One of the most popular and easiest taper plan for a marathon is to simply decrease the training volume by 30% each week. If you are training 60 miles per week, the first week of your taper, you should decrease your mileage to 42 miles per week. The second week of the taper, you then would decrease the mileage another 30% or from 42 miles to 30 miles per week. The third and last week, your mileage would be reduced to 20 miles per week.
Taper Week One:
1.) The first week usually feels good as you gradually back off from your training mileage.
2.) This week is the last week of your serious interval-training session.
3.) You may cross-train 1-2 times this week but keep it easy and less than one hour.
4.) Continue to stretch and work on your flexibility.
5.) Stay hydrated and gradually reduce your calories relative to you reduction in training.
Taper Week Two:
1.) You may experience more sluggishness and fatigue this week. You may think you are losing fitness and be tempted to increase your mileage.
2.) Last interval-training session – reduce duration but maintain intensity.
3.) Continue to reduce long run mileage.
4.) Take an extra day off.
5.) See # 3, 4, & 5 above.
Taper Week Three:
1.) Relax, it’s almost race day!
2.) Stay positive about your taper.
3.) Mentally rehearse the race, analyze the course and review your race-day nutritional strategy.
4.) All workouts are short and easy. Include some short acceleration to keep the snap in your legs.
5.) See # 3, 4, & 5 from Week One.
6.) Enjoy your race and have FUN!
Example:
Interval Training – Last week of training Warm Up: 2 miles easy Main Set: 6 X 1 mile at 5K pace with 4 minute recovery. Cool down: 2 miles easy jog.
Interval Training – First week of taper Warm Up: 1.5 miles easy Main Set: 4 X 1 mile at 5K pace with 4 minute recovery. Cool Down: 1.5 mile easy jog
OR
Long Run – Last week of training Warm Up: 5 miles @ race pace plus 2 minutes per mile pace (Easy!). Main Set: 10 miles @ race pace. Cool Down: 5 miles @ race pace plus 1 minute (gradually slow to a walk).
Long Run – Second week of taper Warm Up: 3 miles @ race pace plus 2 minutes/mile pace (Easy!). Main Set: 5 miles @ race pace. Cool Down: 3 miles @ race pace 1 minute/mile pace (gradually slow to a walk).
Another popular taper plan is using the “75-50-30” plan. This is very similar to the plan described above. In theory, you can see the gradual systematic pattern of reducing training mileage leading up to the race. “Tapering produces an incredible array of changes, including greater muscle-glycogen stores, expanding blood plasma, increasing aerobic enzymes, improving running economy and heightened mental (and physical) freshness.”
NUTRITIONAL CONSIDERATION
These three weeks of taper will require you to reduce your calories relative to your reduction in training. Maintaining your normal caloric consumption during the taper will add a few unwanted pounds to your body by race day. The type of foods and the % breakdown of Carbs/Fat/Protein should remain the same as when you were training. The key during the last week is to make sure your glycogen stores are adequate and that you are properly hydrated on race day. Any drastic changes the week or nights leading up to race day may be too big of a shock to your system and damage your race day performance2
_____________
1. Hoban, Brom, Better Taper Equal Better Marathon. www.runtex.com, 1/25/2005.
2. Frey, Roch, L.A. Marathon Taper. www.multisport.com