Tapering for Marathon Runners
Are you currently training for the Dublin City Marathon? It’s only around the corner and at this stage, all long runs should have been completed. It's very tempting to try and squeeze in an extra long run on the days running up to the marathon, however this is not advisable.
Resist this urge and prepare properly for the marathon. Tapering for marathon runners is a very important part of preparation.
What exactly is Tapering?
Tapering is the practice in which you significantly reduce the intensity and distance of training in the 2 or 3 weeks leading up to the race. This may seem counterintuitive but recovery from training is as important as the training itself. It allows the body to recuperate from the intense training of the last few months and reduces the risk of injury in the last days of training. Tapering has also been shown to improve performance on race day itself.
So what does tapering do for your body?
Tapering on the weeks leading up to your race allows muscle glycogen stores to replenish and return to peak levels. During your tapering period, antioxidants, metabolic enzymes, and various hormones can replenish themselves in your body. It also allows for muscle and connective tissues to repair and strengthen. The body’s immune system also improves significantly during a taper. Overall, tapering lets your body prepare for peak performance.
When to start?
An optimal period varies from seven days to three weeks. It depends on the distance of your race and how hard you have trained. Too short a taper will leave you tired on your race day. However, tapering for too long may lead to a loss of fitness. For example, the correct number of days to taper for a marathon is thought to be between 19 and 22 days and for a 5-10 km race, anywhere between 7 and 10 days is considered optimal.
Race Day Preparation
To prepare for a race, tapering is very important, however, other things are advised. You may have more time on your hands now, stretching during this period will have a significant impact on your performance. It is also recommended to look at your sleep, and in the lead-up to the race aim to get between 8-9 hours of quality sleep. The importance of pre-race sleep cannot be underestimated.
We often find that runners can come to the clinic in the last few weeks of training, with knee pain or foot pain as a result of over-training (Check out our blog - “What is Overtraining? What is Overload? How do they compare?” to learn more). Correct tapering, combined with manual therapy and exercise can often alleviate these niggles. Runners often worry that newly developed fitness will be lost by reducing training but this is not the case. Studies have shown that correct tapering improves performance on race day. So make sure to take full advantage of these last few weeks and reduce your training to help improve your performance on marathon day.
Please contact us here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic if you require any assistance in preparing for your up and coming event whether that is a 5k or marathon. Our physiotherapists can help manage any injuries that may be impacting your training.
References
Tapering improves performance - https://hal-insep.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01809506/document
Sleep improves performance - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17067642/
Sports Clinic
Our sports clinic is lead by Elizabeth Bovich and David Richards. Together they have an extensive sports background with high level athletes in Ireland and the USA.