Taper Strategy for Best Marathon Results

Now, as race day looms on the horizon, it's time to talk about the taper. Yes, that magical period of adjustment that can make or break your performance come race day.

Marathon training is a lot like baking a cake.

You need the right ingredients, you need a step-by-step recipe, and then you need time and patience.

But preparing for a marathon without a taper is like taking the cake straight out of the oven, slapping on some icing, and assuming it's ready for eating

Here are the key elements of the taper and how to master them for optimal performance!

Marathon Taper duration

The length of your taper sets the stage for success – For instance, some Runners can choose to taper for one week, two weeks, or sometimes even three weeks. But what does the research say?

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Research suggests that a two-week taper strikes the perfect balance between reducing fatigue and avoiding detraining. So, aim for that sweet spot to see the best results!

Training volume

Training volume can be calculated as the number of miles per week or it can be calculated as the number of minutes for your workouts.

Personally, I like to use minutes because we can then factor in cross-training sessions, such as a 60-minute spin class that can all get added in.

I know a few of you are going to start to squirm at the idea of reducing your training volume, and it is common and completely normal to think that you might lose fitness if you pull back and do less.

But let's look at the research.

This paper looked at the muscle changes with a taper and said that muscular strength and power production is usually suppressed by chronic intensive training but most likely recover during the taper when the training load is markedly reduced.

Essentially, you will get stronger and fitter, the opposite of what Runners fear when they're told to taper.

Training Frequency

Your training frequency refers to the number of training sessions administered per week.

Surprisingly, the research tends to recommend maintaining a similar frequency as you were doing before the taper.

They suggest that even if you take a conservative approach, you should still maintain eighty percent of your training frequency.

Practically speaking, keeping the same number of running days, with, if you want to take the conservative approach, removing one of those days.

Whether you should remove one of these running days or not, I think should be based on your psychological readiness for the race itself.

The taper isn't just about physically preparing your body for top performance, but it's also to enhance your psychological state.

Training Intensity

Surprisingly, maintaining intensity during the taper is key to preserving performance gains.

Short, fast sessions can help preserve cardiovascular fitness and neuromuscular adaptations, ensuring you're ready to hit the ground running on race day!

Here’s a research about training intensity!

Conclusion

Now you are ready to run your marathon at your full capacity! Remember, runners, the taper is your friend, not your foe.

Embrace it, trust the process, and get ready to shine on race day.

Happy running!

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