The Art of Tapering

With the Hard Training Behind You, the Last Few Weeks Offer Opportunities to Peak Mentally

By MARK CONOVER

\ \ ] HEN IT’S time to taper for the marathon, there isn’t much more you can

do to prepare physically, but mentally you can add some very important final touches before the gun goes off. In the March issue of Marathon & Beyond, I discussed the physical components of marathon training that must come together for you to conquer the marathon successfully. Training, however, goes beyond the physical. What can you do to be at your mental peak on raceday? Begin to boost your confidence by reviewing your training. Remember how you progressed from running 10 miles four months ago to running your last 20miler recently? The 20-miler felt more comfortable than the 10-miler did. Be confident that you’ ve worked to put money in the bank—now you’re ready to cash the check.

And count your blessings that you came through your training injury free and eager to run the big race. You can and should revel in the hard work you’ ve put in—work that should give you confidence and a giddy feeling about your date with the marathon. Give yourself a pat on the back.

TRAINING SPECIFICS

No fewer than two weeks before your marathon, cut back on your training. If you’ ve been training at a very high intensity, you should begin cutting back four weeks before the race. Two weeks before your marathon, cut back 20 to 40 percent of your previous week’s mileage; one week before, cut back 40 to 60 percent. Two weeks before your race, run one light workout of 3 to 4 miles at lactate threshold pace (10 to 15 seconds per mile slower than 10K race pace).

You may want to jump ina local road race two weeks before the marathon to get a feel for the racing atmosphere. The weekend before the marathon, go

out for an easy 10—miler. Practice your form, feel your relaxed strides. Imagine yourself running the marathon effortlessly.

Marathon Week Training

The week before the race, do some 400-meter repeats after warming up with one mile. The 400s should be quick and relaxed. Run up to 6 X 400 meters five days before the race, then 3 X 400 meters four days before. If you’ve been training at a high intensity, run another 3 X 400 meters three days before. Table 1 shows what your training should be during the week leading up to the marathon. The 400s work the leg muscles, which will allow them to replenish greater amounts of necessary fuel (glycogen) than easier-paced running would. Eat a lot of pasta and other high-carbohydrate foods after each workout. After your last long run, three weeks before the marathon, resist the urge to do another long run. You will have done sufficient work up to three weeks out. You can’t get any fitter. The best thing for your body is rest. You’ ve earned it.

TABLE 1 MARATHON WEEK TRAINING Dy rtsi‘C(‘C | Werkout

Monday —d mile warm up; 6 Xx 400m with 2-minute rest : . between each. Run briskly, but not all out for the 400s; 1 mile warm down

Tuesday. | 1 mile warm up, 5 x 400m; 1 mile warm down

_ Wednesday . 1 mile warm up; 4 x 400m; 7 mile warm down

Thursday —S—s i mille warm up; 3 X 400m; 1 mile warm down

Friday 26 minute easy run Saturday 10-minute easy run cudy ‘Marathon :

OTHER DETAILS TO TEND TO

Running Shoes

Unless you’re a marathon “veteran,” don’t use lighter racing flats for your marathon. They may save you a couple of seconds in a 10K, but they won’t provide adequate protection for the average runner over 26.2 miles. Instead, wear shoes that you’ ve been using in training. Make certain they have plenty of cushioning and stability. Test on along run the shoes and socks you’re going

to wear during the marathon. If necessary, purchase new shoes and socks about a month before your marathon. Test them out, particularly on your remaining long runs. Wear socks that wick moisture away from your foot.

Eat well during your marathon build up. A good diet is simple—develop consistent eating habits featuring the five food groups. If you feel you’ve been negligent in adhering to the USDA’s food guide pyramid, now is the time to pay closer attention. Begin mixing the following five food groups into your diet: bread, vegetables, fruit, milk, and meat. Keep the diet high in carbohydrates, especially during the week leading up to the marathon.

Don’t concern yourself with weight gain. You’ re burning the calories as you train. If you stick to unprocessed foods and follow serving guidelines, a high carbohydrate diet will keep you in good shape.

If you are attempting to shed pounds during training, be sure not to restrict your calories too excessively. Chances are the increase in running mileage alone will cause you to lose weight, and dieting could hamper your workouts. Simply avoid high-fat and sugary foods and aim for no more than one to two pounds of weight loss per week. If it’s difficult for you to sit down to three square meals, compensate with sensible snacking throughout the day.

Since you’ll be tapering in the days leading to the race, you need to make some adjustments to your diet. You need fewer calories, since you’ Il be running less. Keep up the pyramid-style eating, but reduce your caloric intake by 100 calories for every mile you drop from your schedule.

Three to four days before the big event, focus on increasing your carbohydrate intake to comprise around 70 percent of your total calories. By boosting carbohydrate intake and performing some quick and relaxed quarter-mile repeats described earlier, you will supersaturate the glycogen stores in your leg muscle, which will give you more fuel for the marathon. Don’t eat too much fruit or vegetables, as they could cause bowel problems. Stick with familiar, safe foods.

Water

You should always remain hydrated, particularly for the marathon. Drink water until you are urinating clearly and frequently. By drinking enough water to keep your urine clear throughout the day, you can avoid overcompensating right before you run. Boston has a midday start, so you’ll have time to hydrate beforehand if you feel you’ ve neglected to drink enough in the days prior to the race. Fruit juices also work for hydrating. But stay away from excessive amounts of caffeine and alcohol—they will dehydrate you.

st-Minute Details

1 RY to get a couple of days of complete rest before the race. The day before the race, you may want to stretch your legs, probably by walking or by doing an easy jog for about 10 minutes. Don’t overexert or overexcite yourself. This is not the day to walk around the expo all afternoon, nor is it the time to concern yourself with finances or other life issues—you know, the things that can “play with your mind” if you let them. _ your mind. Relax.

Make sure you’ve taken care of all the little thine de details that will help you stay relaxed and minimize a on raceday. To help you, here’s a prerace checklist:

© Get a good night’s sleep two nights before the race. Research has shown this is when sleep will benefit you the most. You’ll want to allow plenty of time to reach the starting line on race morning, so set up a backup alarm clock or arrange for a wake-up call if you anticipate any difficulty rising in time to eat, primp, and get to the start. Make certain you know how you’re getting to the start and how you’re

getting home from the finish. At some races, there will be shuttle buses from different locations to the start. This information should be available to you with your race packet. If you’re in doubt, call the race office or ask someone at the host hotel.

Plan what you’re going to wear, based on anticipated weather conditions. Don’t overdress: You don’t want to be overheated later in the race. To keep yourself comfortable while you’re waiting around for the start, bring an old, long-sleeve T-shirt or sweatshirt that you can discard after the race starts (or leave it on if it’s too cold).

Pin your number to your race shirt the night before. That will os you one less thing to do on race morning.

Pack a bag that will be waiting for you at the baggage pick-up area at the finish, or with whomever is going to meet you. Make sure you. include a bottle of water, some spare change, and warm clothes. Don’t vary your diet during race weekend. There’s no need to risk having an upset stomach right before the race. Stick with foods that you know work for you.

Clip your toenails. Drink plenty of fluids. Don’t worry about the weather. Just try to prepare for it. If it’s going to rain, bring a hat; if it’s cold, wear gloves.

e Relax as best you can. Practice visualizing yourself during the race, feeling strong and effortless as you conquer the course. Read a good book the night before or watch T less tense you are going into’ the race, the better you’ll run. Don’ r the physical part. Have confidence that you’ve done your homework. Nowit’s time to take the test.

RACE MORNING

The morning of the race, eat a light breakfast at least two hours before starting time. Eat a high-carbohydrate meal, such as toast or bagels. Try a liquid meal if you can’t bring yourself to eat in the morning hours before a race. What’s important on race morning is that you don’t overeat. With early start times, you simply need to “pad” your stomach. Stick to foods with which you are familiar—those that are easily digestible and nutritional. In addition to eating, you should continue to take fluids. Bring a bottle of water to the start just in case you can’t find any before the race.

During the race, follow patterns that you have practiced during training. Drink a half to three-quarters of a cup of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes and, if necessary, ingest some carbohydrates every hour. This may mean stationing friends or family at different points on the course to hand you drinks (preferably water) or snacks (low-fiber).

When you “suit up” for the race, apply Vaseline or some other anti-chafing product to sensitive spots: the crotch, nipples, and around the toes. This prevents problems from chafing or abrasion caused by clothing rubbing against your skin. If it’s very cold, apply Vaseline to additional areas such as the arms and legs to keep you warmer.

Another thing you should consider is a warm-up. I know it sounds strange to warm up when you’ re going to be running for hours, but when the gun goes off, you’ll feel better if the muscles are warm and the juices are flowing. A proper warm-up helps start up the physical mechanisms and the metabolic processes that are important to running.

Your warm-up should consists of some brisk walking and jogging in place, plus some gentle stretches. The idea is to raise gradually the body temperature, promote blood flow to the working muscles, and mimic the running movement. Don’t overdo the warm-up. Stick with stretches and movement that you are used to.

The most important thing before the race is to hydrate, relax, and get to the starting line calmly. There’s not much more you can do at this point Bs except let ’er rip! 4