The Art of the Taper
It's one week into the taper and I'm still hanging in there and haven’t gone mad! Thank god the Barcelona marathon is only a week away! I'm pumped, but also slightly freaking out because this is my first ROAD marathon since Brighton in 2019! I've been doing my best to train and prepare, but to be honest, I'm not feeling super confident. Training has been going alright, but my dodgy hip has been giving me some major anxiety and ramping up the maranoia. To make matters worse, it's happened at the start of the taper so I'm not sure where my fitness levels are really at.
Enough rambling… so tapering is essential, but it can also be tricky. It's all about finding the right balance between rest and activity before toeing the start line. The idea is to reduce your training load one or two weeks before the race to allow your body to recover and recharge. The hope is you'll be in the best shape possible to perform on race day.
But finding that balance is hard. You don't want to lose your momentum and that feeling of pop in your legs, but you also don't want to burn out before the race even starts. And for me, it always feels hard as the usual rhythm and routine of training gets thrown off, and I find it hard to adjust to the change in intensity. I'm always conscious the taper is more of a mental rather than physical battle, and here's what I have found that has helped me survive the taper week:
First, stick with what's worked for you so far. Don't try anything new. I've been following the plan set out by my coach, resisting the temptation to do something crazy or off the plan.
Second, focus on recovery. I've been trying to take care of myself by stretching and foam rolling every day, booking a massage, and getting enough sleep and good nutrition.
Finally, stay positive. It's easy to let the maranoia get to you, but try to trust in your training and believe in yourself.
Tapering is definitely an art form that I haven't quite mastered yet. But I'm hoping that by being careful and finding that balance, I'll be ready to run a good race come next week. Wish me luck!
