How Do You Taper Before A Marathon?
The tapering period is a critical part of your marathon training. During the last couple of weeks of your training, it’s important that you taper, or cut back your mileage, to give your body and mind a chance to rest, recover, and prepare for your marathon. Here are some general guidelines for the pre-marathon tapering period: THREE WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MARATHON • Do your last long run or long race three weeks before the marathon. After that, cut your mileage down to about 80% of what you were doing. • You’ll probably feel tempted to run longer and harder during this time, but you must resist the urge. You’re not going to make any fitness improvements with three weeks to go before the marathon. Try to remember: Less is more. Running less reduces your risk of injury, gives you time to rest and recover, and allows your muscles to store carbohydrates in preparation for the big race. TWO WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MARATHON • With two weeks to go until race day, cut mileage to about 50 to 75% of what y
