The Commandments For Tapering.

But first, 7 random pictures from last night:

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As runners we like to work hard.  Those hard and long runs are what help us to become faster and stronger.  Those hard runs help us to reach our goals EXCEPT when we try to do them the three weeks leading up to a marathon.  

Those last three weeks of training for a marathon are for tapering (2 weeks for a 1/2 marathon and 5-7 days for a 10k or 5k).  Pushing it is going to do everything but help us perform our best at the marathon.  Take the taper seriously because you don’t want to go into the 26.2 miles already tired from pushing yourself too close to the race.  

Tapering will help your body to rebuild itself, fill up on glycogen and help with any pains/problems you are having (i.e. this taper is going to definitely help my feet feel 100% again).

Okay, these aren’t official commandments but they are what I go by when tapering for a marathon:

1.  CUT BACK ON MILEAGE AND INTENSITY.  Pete Pfitzinger gives an awesome taper plan: 

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1st week of the taper—> 80% of your normal mileage

2nd week of the taper—> 60% of your normal mileage

3rd week of the taper—> 33% of your normal mileage

2.  For me, I cut back on my fiber in the last week before a marathon.  It works great for me.  I eat more rice, pasta, bread and my normal amount of protein (which is usually grilled chicken and my protein smoothies in the morning).  I drink more water per week during the taper than I normally do in a month (an exaggeration but I do drink more water during this time).  I always have a water bottle with me during the taper and make sure to drink drink drink.   I especially love having pizza the night before (and after;) the race. 

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3.  For this marathon I am going to get Hulu Plus so that I can get all of the seasons of The Mindy Project for when I am tempted to go for a nice long run, I will just replace it with 4 episodes of TMP.  

4.  I practice a lot of positive thinking.  The hard work is over by the time you get to the taper.  There is nothing left to do as far as training is concerned so I use all of that extra energy I have to think positive about how the race is going to go.  

5.  I get rid of my friends.  Not entirely, but I do my best to get home at a good time every night so that I am in bed and resting up rather than staying out late.  

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6.  I organize like crazy because it helps me to get rid of some nervous tension.  Making sure that I have absolutely everything that I could ever need for the race really helps me to feel prepared and ready to go rock the 26.2.  

7.  I study the course and talk to people about what to expect so that I am mentally ready.

8.  I attempt to avoid stressful situations because that will put a major damper on your mental game (my last marathon I did not do well with this one and it definitely hurt me during the race).

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What are some of your tapering commandments?

Do you like the taper or dread the taper?

What was the last dessert that you had?  On a scale from 1-10, how good was it?


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64 comments

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I always take at least a two week taper. I still follow roughly the same routine two weeks out, but allow myself to stop or slow WHENEVER I feel it. The week before I cut back on mileage drastically, but try to maintain pace because that helps me to keep pace on race day.

Last dessert I had was pumpkin bread I made this weekend! I love that it is pumpkin season :)

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I actually started my blog on a whim in anticipation of my taper for Boston last April! I look forward to the taper and then it makes me completely nuts. Talking about all the crazy stuff that goes through my head was one of my first posts.

Good luck! You have a great attitude about tapering! I think experience with it really helps :)

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I dread the taper. And one of my preparations is to read any reviews of the race that I can especially if it’s one I haven’t run before. And even if I have run it before it’s like a refresher and I feel more prepared. Reviews can give you insight that course info can’t because you’re actually reading about the race from people who have actually run it.

My last dessert was caramel apple oreo’s, meh, I was less than impressed.

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another commandment — no cross training, i.e. rest means REST! sometimes i’m tempted to do “just some yoga” or “just some time on the elliptical” when i’m not running because i start to go crazy, but i have to remind myself that it’s best to just sit on the couch instead.

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Not totally related to the point of this post but I love Brooke’s sweater!!

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I am running a marathon on Sunday so you post is perfect for me right now! My tapering commandments are:
Wear comfortable shoes all of the time the week before the race
Foam roll every night before bed like it is my job
Start increasing carbs midweek (today for me).
Drink coconut water the day before the race
Don’t do cross training the week before (last thing I need is to pull a muscle doing strength training.)
Avoid the temptation to get in one more run because it is so nice outside.
Don’t look at the scale!!
I love the taper in theory but find it hard in practice. Two weeks ago I was only supposed to run 12 on my long run but I ran 18 because the group I lead had an 18 mile run (they are training for a different marathon) However, I did cut one run out of my midweek runs so I still ran the weekly mileage I was supposed to run.
Not a big dessert person but I did have some jelly bellys on Saturday night at a party.

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I spy Daniel Tiger! Is that a book? I’m pretty sure my kids love me more than DT but it’s a close call!
Last night my mom randomly made us a peach raspberry tart that was to die for. We don’t eat desserts throughout the week so it was pretty special!

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My newest taper commandment: NO GUM for the week prior. I was finding that gum was giving me a lot of extra air in my stomach and not chewing it really helped my stomach feel good through all the miles.

Best dessert = banana cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Nom nom nom

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I usually don’t like to taper…but lately I have been not minding it nearly as much and I think that is because I have upped my mileage so a few easier weeks feels so good!!!
This cycle I have 3 20 milers which is my first time doing more than 1 in a cycle so I am going to appreciate the taper :)!
I try really hard to drink a lot during the week leading up to the marathon…a lot of water and Nuun. I try to get to bed and get enough sleep that week too because I ALWAYS sleep bad the night before a race!
Honestly :/ I have dessert pretty much every night…some people think that is awful, but oh well. I usually just have a small bowl of ice cream :) and that is what I had last night!

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I had no idea how to taper for 10k/5k so thank you for the info! What do you recommend for a race like Ragnar? I’m about to run an 80 mile gulf-to-gulf relay (so each runner runs 12 miles total. Basically a shorter Ragnar) and not sure how I should go about tapering.

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Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough ice cream. 10!

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good tips Janae! I need to take the taper more seriously…for my last few half marathons I haven’t tapered at all.

my last dessert was a hand full of candy corn & dark chocolate mms. it was a 7 :)

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Omg I love that picture of Brooke in her shirt with the binoculars! Too cute!

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I don’t mind the taper too much although I get a bit antsy. I try to get to bed early, drink a lot of water and Nuun and avoid alcohol. I also try and be super positive mentally. Oh, and I look at the course elevation and remind myself that I’ve run higher and longer hills. Sometimes I make a new play list.

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You have a great attitude about tapering. It messes with my head when I do it because I’m always training hard my body freaks out a little. I’ve found doing other things like weight lifting, spinning or swimming helps me stay sane.

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Tapering Commandment: Remember all the hobbies that live in running’s shadow for most of the year and enjoy doing those. (Hiking, Baking, Shopping, Guitar….)

Last dessert was a waffle, and it was a 9.5. Delish!

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I love tapering. It’s like you’ve finished the work and now get to let the excitement build. And obsessing over the upcoming race is 100% okay. Just reading about tapering makes me want to start training for another race. he he.

I totally agree with you on cutting back on fiber leading up to race day. For a Saturday race I usually cut veggies (except potatoes) and most fruits starting Wednesday. And I cut dairy (not that I eat a lot of dairy anyway) on Thursday. There is nothing worse than intestinal issues during a race–or a long run, for that matter.

Peach cobbler was my last dessert. It was a 9 our of 10 because I didn’t have any whipped cream to go on top.

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My tapering mood depends on my training. This marathon training session has been a tough one with my highest miles ever. I’m kind of looking forward to the taper:) I’m usually not good at resting, but I’m ready to take it easy this time!
Last night I had dinner with girlfriends to celebrate one of their birthdays. We shared a chocolate mouse cake that was awesome!!!

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One more taper commandment: get plenty of sleep! Especially if you may not sleep well the night or two leading up to the race. I think quiet meditation and positive visualization can make an impact too, from a mental standpoint.

Thanks for pointing out that The Mindy Project is on Hulu Plus :) I think I know what my next binge-watch is going to be.

Brooke is such a cutie! Love that bunny sweater.

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Oh my goodness!!! That picture of you and Brooke smooching is the sweetest thing!

Also, for a second, I thought that big slice of pizza was a photo… like a huge printout of a peice of pizza. Obviously I’m off my game today! :)

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This was a perfect post for me to read, I am doing my first marathon in 6 weeks and am a little nervous about the taper, worrying I will not fuel properly, gain weight etc. I have a running coach so she will take care of cutting back my mileage. Do you typically gain weight during your tapers?
I have been really strick with my eating as far as sweets go but I did indulge in some froyo a couple of weeks ago, it was ff salted Carmel with ff chocolate and they called it rolo, pretty damn good! Have a great day!

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My husband has been in taper mode for his Ironman since last week and it has actually been a welcome break!! Mentally for me it is tough to taper because I think, maybe if I get out and just do one more good workout… But I know it won’t help. It’s like cramming the night before for a test! My last dessert was homemade gluten free brownies. They were about a 4 by themselves but 10 topped with ice cream!! Not fudgy enough for my liking.

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I took my taper really really seriously for my last marathon less than a month ago and I was amazed at how great I felt on race day. The first 10 miles I felt like my heart rate hadn’t even risen and it felt like I was flying. I know that a lot of factors come into play when feeling well race morning but my taper was a huge part of it. One of my biggest taper commandments = SLEEP. I try and get as much sleep as possible, at least 8 hours per night, the week before the race, so even when I have a crappy sleep the night before the race, I am still well rested.

You are going to rock the race so take the nutrition and sleep seriously these next few weeks :)

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I go crazy when I’m tapering, however I haven’t worked out hard enough to need a taper in awhile! I need to get training hard again!

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I want Brooke’s entire wardrobe. Too. Cute. Is it bad that I’m taking fashion ideas from a toddler??

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HAHAH not at all… I spend more $ and time on her than myself:)

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What a great post! I really needed that. I feel like one more commandment is necessary. Dunkin Donuts pumkin munchkins daily. Oops! That may not be good advice, but that is my last dessert. You can have dessert after breakfast right?

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I am on board with your DD commandment. I like the way you think:)

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I haven’t run a marathon but when I taper for a half, I am big on the easy runs, lots of water, extra bananas and sweet potatoes plus watermelon. I find the watermelon adds a hydration boost that sometimes water can’t achieve.

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Haha I love that grumpy cat picture about tapering! Perfect!

I am pretty relieved that the taper for my marathon is here. Since this is my first one my body feels like it’s been through a lot over the last 2.5-ish months! However, I imagine the fresher my legs get the more I am going to want to get back to pre-taper mileage! The big plus of the taper is obviously more time to spend with friends and family … and The Mindy Project! :) Did you watch last night???

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Fresh baked bread candle?! That’s awesome!

I try and add in more stretching/yoga. I’m really terrible about it most of the time anyway, so doing it during the taper helps me feel like I’m still doing something that will help me, it helps with some nervous energy and it helps to occupy some of that extra space in my day! I actually really like the taper. I used to hate it because I felt like I was being lazy, but I’ve come to appreciate the extra time and I’m able to relax more.

Last dessert I had was ice cream with a cookie crumbled on top. It was probably a 6.5. Tasty, hit the spot at the time, but not something that I NEED again right now.

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I love the taper but haven’t ran a marathon since 2010. Probably time to run another, but I’m so in love with half marathons. Plus after running 13 miles I really don’t have any desire to run another 13.

I will try to say that I taper for a half marathon but I don’t think its that much of a taper. I never know what I should do for this. I have a half on Sunday the 21st and have ran a 6 miler (tempo) and a 5 miler (easy) so far this week. I was intending on an easy 3 miler tomorrow and resting until Sunday.

I made some pumpkin glazed sugar cookies a couple weeks ago and they were amazing! I love making cookies.

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I am considering another marathon but we want another child too and are having problems conceiving so I don’t think this will happen anytime soon.

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Tapering is the WORST! haha It’s always the weirdest feeling dropping your mileage so much and makes me feel all out of sorts!

The last dessert I had was Ben & Jerry’s Cinnamon Bun ice cream last night. It’s one of my favorite (non-chocolate) flavors!

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Ok. So, first let m say that I NEED that bunny shirt that Brooke is wearing. And I don’t have kids, I want it for myself! So adorable! (As is she).

Next, I HATE HATE HATE tapering with a passion and am terrible at it! I get so antsy, cranky, restless, and swear that I am going to lose all my endurance. Since I started marathoning in 2005 I’ve learned what works best for me and stick with that plan.

My recent dessert favorites are So Delicious non dairy ice cream (im a vanilla lover, but Neapolitan and chocolate peanut butter flavors will do just fine)…and Annie’s bunny Graham cookies!!!
Also, I’ve been baking T-Joes gluten free brownie mix (i use applesauce instead of oil).

Lastly, I saw this posted by SfEater and thought of you and your love of sandwiches.
http://www.sfweekly.com/foodie/2014/09/17/bid-farewell-to-summer-with-merigans-summer-veg-sub

Best best best of luck with your taper and even more luck for the marathon!!! You are gonna ROCK!
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Your lunch looks delicious. And your child is pretty cute too.

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You have the most gorgeous and well-dressed daughter I’ve ever seen! I love her outfits — from the headbands all the way down to her shoes. You have great style!

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I always feel lazy during the taper. After doing the 21 mile run I feel like I can do ANYTHING and all I want to do is run run run! But unfortunately that is not what I should be doing :(

The last dessert I had was some Talenti Gelato 11 DAYS AGO. It was probably an 8. Yep I am doing the no sugar/desserts thing that you did a few weeks ago! I thought it would be a good idea before St. George. So far I have turned down peach cobbler and the amazing chocolate cake from Costco. Serious willpower.

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I have a love/hate relationship with the taper. Part of me likes the idea of giving my body a rest, and knowing it’s the best thing I can do for myself, but the other part of me is screaming to run longer, faster, and harder!

The last dessert I ate was pumpkin cookies made from cake mix. 1 box of spiced cake mix + 1 can of pumpkin = magical deliciousness! They are seriously addictive…

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My coworker brought in these toffee something bars this morning. I can’t explain it. But whoa. It was heaven.

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I spy a Chik-Fil-A salad & waffle fries. I want! That salad is the bomb dot com.

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Love / hate relationship with the taper. I look forward to it and feel a sense of relief, and then panic sets in because I feel like I’m not running enough!

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I just recently (4 months ago) started running/training so I haven’t gotten to a point where I needed to taper yet but I will soon. I am running the B.A.A. Half Marathon the weekend of October 10th. It’s hard being a newbie! I am hoping I’ve trained enough by the time I get to it that I can actually allow for a proper taper!

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Girl that pizza looks SO GOOD.

I’m glad you mentioned drinking a ton of water while tapering. I try to do that too! I feel like it leaves me less sore after the race (might be in my head but hey the placebo effect works.)

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I usually look forward to the taper until I get there:) Then I get all antsy and want to run more. But its definitely important to rest and get your body ready to run a hard race!

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I had a blueberry donut and it was incredible!

Speaking of donuts…apparently this Friday is national talk like a pirate day (what?!), and if you dress up like a pirate and go to Krispy Kreme they will give you a dozen free donuts! Or 1 free donut if you just talk like a pirate :) I have planned my entire day Friday around this.

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Ahhhhhhh thank you so much for telling me about this! I will be going!

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Tapering is so MENTALLY tough. I agree it’s hard to turn down a long run with friends or a late night get together to let your body rest, but it’s always SO worth it.

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Something I usually don’t do is check out the course – definitely doing that for next week’s race!!! Great taper commandments. Happy tapering to you!

Now I want some of that pizza… yum. The last dessert I had was homemade crockpot apple crisp and I would give it a 8 (because I really want chocolate-something and it had zero chocolate content). Super easy to make and maybe, kinda sorta healthy?

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I would be SO interested to smell that fresh baked bread candle! It sounds like it could be delicious! I just got three fall candles yesterday, so I’m excited to start burning them.

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I honestly think the love/hate relationship with the taper depends solely on how the training was BEFORE the taper. If you can look at yourself and truly know that your training up until the taper went well, then you love the taper. You love that you got past your long runs and look forward to throttling down. The hate part is if you have doubts about your training and think that you didn’t do enough, or didn’t go hard or fast enough…that you need more. Everyone says to trust the training… I know it’s hard to do especially if the training (in your mind) didn’t quite go as well as you thought it should have.

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I actually love the taper. After months of working hard and pushing my body, I love the weeks before where I am anticipating the race, getting excited about it, and actually having some energy left over at the end of the day. The most important thing I have to constantly remind myself to do during a taper is to SLOW DOWN! I get carried away sometimes, especially if other people are around while I’m running, and I can get going way too fast. If I decide on a certain pace, I have to really force myself to stick to it. I mentally check in once a mile to see if I am pushing myself or taking it easy, and I force myself to get to wherever I need to be.

By the way, isn’t it just the coolest thing about runners that not only do we work extremely hard in training but we actually dislike the rest days? I think that just speaks volumes about the kind of people runners are. And in case you were wondering what kind of people we are, we’re the most awesome kind. And that’s just all there is to it!

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Janae, do you taper for a half too?
I was planning my last long run a week before my half. Do you think this is too close to the race? I was planning 12 miles ish….

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Brooke is the most fashionable baby (and adorable:) I have ever seen.

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Haha, your friend is twinning with Brookers with their hairdo! So adorable.

My last dessert was petite vanilla scones from Starbucks (I work there part-time). Delicious, but not my favorite. My most recent REAL dessert was watermelon and coconut gelato from Gelato Paradiso in Laguna Beach. Now THAT was really delicious!

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I had no idea you were supposed to taper for a 5k. I was always cramming in last minute runs up until the day before the race thinking it would help. Explains a lot. I did just run 6 miles today for the first time ever. Feeling like anything is possible now.

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It is not pizza unless it is a GIANT piece!!

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I’ve never heard of tapering until today! Thank you for sharing this information, but I can’t help but think that 3 weeks off of improving your run time is a lot, I’d say maybe 2. It’s a very interesting concept and I can’t wait to do more research on this.

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I am in the middle of taper…half this weekend, pray for me..just injured myself yesterday

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I am so excited to taper. I started training for St George back in mid May when the email went out and I found out I was in! It was so tough getting the training in with working and a now 9 month old baby so I am loving not having to find a way to squeeze in 50+ miles in a week. RW SmartCoach for me went from 53 miles to 28, then 28 again, then race week. A little different from what I expected but im gonna trust it!

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I have actually developed an appreciation for the taper. It reminds me that I have worked hard and can rest before the “big” event. The taper is also a time to start mentally preparing and building excitement for the race. My biggest commandment during the taper is no to overeat, as I am not burning the calories that I do during a typical training week.

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The last dessert I had was bridge mix from See’s Candy. SO delicious! YUM! :)

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