How To Taper For Your Next Running Event

What is the taper and does it matter?

Two or three weeks before your big day and chances are your body will tell you it definitely doesn't want to slow down this far out from race day. But that's exactly what you need to do. It's now time to conserve energy and build up glycogen reserves ready for your run. You'll feel like a coiled spring, ready for action, but you must slow down. We tell you why.

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What is the taper?

The taper is the period in your distance event training when you must cut the running right back, eat well, relax and look forward to the fun ahead. It is this time when race day can be made or destroyed. Many beginners are training right up until race day, trying to make up for lost time from injuries or a cold. This is not the way to go. You must apply the taper period whether you have been able to follow your full training plan or if you've lost a month as a result of a bad knee for example. you must be rested and fully refreshed when you're standing on the start line, irrespective of what has gone on in the preceding weeks.

The taper allows the body's glycogen stores to return to peak levels, along with metabolic enzymes, antioxidants, and various hormones, as well as the immune system. It also gives muscle and connective tissues time to strengthen and repair. .

When is it?

It depends on a few factors, such as your race distance, how much training you've done, how you tired you feel and whether or not you're injury free. generally it's between three weeks and ten days before the event; more for a marathon and less for a half or 10k.

What should you do?

The taper can be a really frustrating time for most of us. You are probably feeling at the peak of your running career and suddenly you have to cut back, even though you probably won't want to. you mustn't listen to the voices in your head that push you to do a long run in race week. ignore them and cut it right back.

During the taper your runs should be kept to 30 minutes or so if you're marathon training and less for a half. Reduce them as you get closer to race day. You'll feel a bit like a coiled spring but that's just what happens. Mix up your short runs, which should be at a slower pace than normal, with some brisk walks to keep your muscles ticking over.

As well as changes to your exercise schedule (which should also include reducing any cross training you're doing) you should make some changes to your diet. You need to start drinking more fluids, but not the alcoholic or caffeine options! It's lots of water that's the key now. Muscle repair depends on protein so you should start increasing protein intake, as well as carbs, like pasta, rice, etc and make sure you cut down on the fats. You need to make sure your body's stores of all the key nutrition components, like water and carbs, are maximised as you'll need these during the big day.

This period also gives you time to focus on race day logistics, especially if you've got a lot of travelling to do. You can spend time checking your gear and getting yourself mentally prepared. If you are raising money for charity this is the perfect time to invest plenty of energy getting support for that. Do plenty on social media, send more emails out and make some calls. The more you can raise for your favourite charity the better.

What happens if I don't taper?

All training plans include rest days. Depending on your aspiration and the distance you're training for there can be anything from one to four days a week. They are there for a reason. Rest is good, don't let anyone tell you anything different, but of course too much isn't. As with anything, it's about finding the balance. At the start of your training programme you will have more rest days but as your training develops and your body adapts to the strains you're putting it under, these reduce. Your recovery times improve and you don't get as tired. In effect that's what the taper is. It's a period of rest before the big push to the finish of the programme and if you don't rest there will only be one outcome.

Your event experience will be severely impacted if you don't taper properly. Having insufficient rest will mean you head to the start line tired and not ready to take on the big challenge. And you'll feel it and that will affect you mentally. It is so important to give yourself plenty of time to train for a distance running event, especially a marathon. If you don't then everything gets compressed, including the taper. You must give yourself every opportunity to rest. If you don't give yourself enough time to train you will inevitably end up running when you should be resting and this will cause issues, like being overtired and potentially succumbing to injury. This is very much the case with the taper. If you haven't given yourself enough time, the taper will be compromised and you'll go into event day tired. In the case of the taper, less is definitely more.

The taper is critical, don't underestimate it.