"Tapering is to the marathon what sleep is to life"
What??? Two weeks??? You've got to be kidding. Guess we better start training pretty hard, don't you think? If you answered yes, go to the back of the class. This is the TAPERING PHASE - that wonderful part of training only surpassed by the totally unnecessary tradition of carboloading.
Tapering. It might be one of the most feared words in a runner’s vocabulary, right next to patience and rest. After months of long miles, finding the right balance of sharpening and rest to hit race day firing on all cylinders can be a nerve-wracking process. Even more daunting is that the taper isn’t an exact science. Ask any ten coaches and researchers what the optimal taper would be and you’ll get several different answers. However, coaches and scientists do agree on a few principles that are constant in the perfect taper. Unfortunately, these universal elements are also the most frequent aspects most runners botch in the last two weeks of their training.
Our mileage is drastically down, causing the body to say "whew", but also knowing that this is one big trick and it better store all the carbos it can in those little, resting muscles in case you pull a fast one and try to do something stupid like...well, you figure it out. You can do a lot more harm these next two weeks than you can do things to help your performance, so calm down, realize the cow's almost in the barn, and pat yourself on the back for getting through months of training. I've always felt that you earn your marathoner badge in training, not the day of the race.
It'll always seem impossible until you cross under that finish line banner. That's not an original quote, but one I've always used it with new marathoners. These next two weeks are pretty much to keep from getting hurt. You can do a lot more harm than good. During this taper period, you cut down your mileage to roughly 50% of your normal mileage and take a deep physical breath. You just want to recharge, heal, and get mentally ready. Get a map of the course (including elevation!) at the Mercedes Marathon web site, and memorize it. Picture yourself going through the different stages of the race and smoothly going up and down the hills - I didn't say FAST, I said smoothly. Visualization is so important and to do this, you have to know what's coming up (or down). During a quiet moment, try to recall the course in your head without the help of the map. Where the mind goes, the body will follow. You can't go in with a bunch of negative thoughts, and you can't hang around people who do have them. Don't let anyone doubt that you can do the race. You know you can do this. Just stay calm and approach it like you do for every long run on Saturday or Sunday mornings - OK, maybe a LITTLE more awake!
Also, you don't have to go crazy with all this "carbo-loading" talk. For Pete's sake, you've been carbo-loading for the past 4 months. The fact that you're cutting down your mileage will automatically carbo-load for you. You'll want to drink a little more, so in the next two weeks, don't pass any water fountains without taking a swig. Getting a little more electrolytes into you is also a good idea, so salt your food a little more (for the sodium), eat a few bananas (for the potassium), and drink some extra Gatorade-like drinks.
Just a reminder, the 2nd of our Mercedes Course preview runs is this Sunday at 6:30 at Boutwell Auditorium downtown.
Again, you have to trust me. The tapering is as important as the past 20 weeks of training. Don't screw it up! Relax.
I'll see you on the roads, hopefully this Sunday - AL
"One child lost is too many...one child saved can change the world"
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