When 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 20-miler 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 in a 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 × 400 meters five days before the race, then 3 × 400 meters four days before. If you’ve been training at a high intensity, run another 3 × 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.

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 a long 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.

Fuel

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’ll 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.

SAN GABRIEL MOUNTAINS, CALIFORNIA, September 28–29, 1996— As I tied my shoelaces on a typically hot Los Angeles afternoon in July of 1996, my stomach somersaulted as I reflected upon the task ahead of me. The angst I was feeling then was far greater than any butterflies I had experienced before a race.

Doubting my abilities and questioning my motives and sanity, I reluctantly prepared for the long night ahead. For reasons I was suddenly questioning, I had signed up to run in the Angeles Crest 100-Mile Endurance Race, generally thought to be one of the most difficult 100-milers in the country.

On this day, I was readying myself for a 25-mile night run through the San Gabriel Mountains, the first of several organized training runs that would cover parts of the actual A.C. 100 course. During this particular session, we would cover the last quarter of the course.

Questions cascaded through my mind: What if I get lost? What if I’m the slowest runner and no one waits for me? What if I run into a bear? I don’t know any of the other runners—what if they think I’m a wimp?

My worries were so profound that I couldn’t keep them to myself. I drove my husband Doug crazy all day long fretting over the long night to come. And yet I knew that if I entertained any notions of seriously participating in the A.C. 100, I had to face my fears and get through this first training session. It is said that every journey begins with a single step, and for me, this was the first of many I would have to take to nurse my dream to reality.

As we pulled into the parking lot—Johnson’s Field, a park below the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, which also serves as the race finish line—I searched the crowd for a familiar face or two. No luck.

NIGHT TRAINING

It was 5:00 P.M., and the plan was to carpool to Chantry Flats, a picnic area in the San Gabriel Mountains that would be the 75-mile aid station on raceday. The training run was scheduled to begin at 6:00 P.M. We would run from Chantry back to our cars. Due to a back injury, Doug wasn’t running, but he had offered to come along to help out with the carpooling and to encourage me. He volunteered to give up a perfectly good night of sleep in his own bed to facilitate his wife’s craziness—sort of the ultimate codependent.

Mingling with part of the fidgeting group, I introduced myself to a few of the runners. It was reassuring to me that some of them seemed as nervous as I was; that realization helped calm me.

Doug indicated his willingness to drive a group to Chantry, and immediately three women hopped into our car. I was thrilled when I realized that one of the women was Evelyn Marshall, then-reigning female A.C. 100 champion for three years running. In the hour-long drive, the five of us chatted and shared our collective racing war stories. I felt my fears melting away.

The women were friendly, and upon arriving at Chantry, I found that the other runners were also helpful and sociable. And no, no one was going to be left in the forest to fend for herself. The race directors would keep track of everyone and make certain we were all accounted for at the end.