Trust the Taper

Ok Team McGraw... time to taper. If you are running the Chicago Marathon it is time to start tapering. Our New York City Team still has a few weeks of hard training to go. Depending on your experience and health the recommended length of a proper taper for a marathon is 14 - 20 days. Individual athletes respond differently to training and rest so listen to your body.

We have been training hard for many months. We are getting close to race day. You must resist the urge to hit the panic button and try to cram in some extra mileage or speedwork. You want to maintain your fitness and rid your body of the accumulated fatigue that has been living deep inside your muscles. You cannot make any meaningful improvements in these last two weeks but you can do plenty of damage. Trust the taper.

Tapering does not mean stop training. It does not mean we are done with our plan. Tapering is a vital part of the overall training cycle. Basically you should keep running at the same intensity but start cutting your mileage. Cut back by 20 - 25% this week and an additional 20% next week. This allows you to maintain your peak fitness while allowing your muscles to rest and recover. It is crucial to listen to your body. It usually speaks very clearly.

Symptoms of tapering: Feelings of losing fitness, sluggishness, panic that the race is approaching. These are all normal. Your body has been pushed to its limits for months and now it does not want to stop. That is your mind telling you that you are going to be out of shape in a week. Trust me... and the taper. By the middle of race week most of your nagging aches and pains will be minimized, your legs will be screaming to go for a long run and your workouts will feel extremely easy. You will be ready to race.

Ya Gotta Believe.

Coach Kevin - Team McGraw