How to Properly Taper Your Running

So, you have a big race or marathon coming up and you are wondering if you should taper. If so, how much should you taper? Can it hurt me the day of the race if I taper too much? Yes, it can. Hopefully this article will help you to find your optimal taper routine.

It is true that a runner can taper too much before a race. You do not want your fitness level to go down but you do want to store up your energy and not push your muscles to hard. Sometimes it is difficult to stop pushing yourself as hard but just remember it will pay off when you race.

First, it is important to keep your training frequency the same during your taper. That just means that you need to do it consistently each day even if you are not running the same distance or time. This helps your body to keep its routine and its fitness level high.

Second, you want to start to taper your mileage. This is not a drastic cut off. It is slowly cutting back on the miles you run each day. By race time, you should have tapered off about 40 to 60 percent of your mileage.

Third, Runner's magazine says you should have two or three weeks of reduced volume if you are a marathoner. This is where it gets complicated though. For each runner it is different, especially between marathoners and racers. This will take some experimenting for you. Keep a chart and try different amounts of reduced times before races or marathons, that way you know what works best and can tweak it to fit your needs.

Fourth, even though you do not want to push yourself too hard, you do want to keep your legs in shape. Try a couple hills (not very intense though). This will keep your muscles in shape and your lungs at their peak. This also keeps you from being bored during your taper.

Fifth, keep your muscles loose. It is not good to get up to the line on race day with tight or sore muscles. Keep your blood flowing and keep your muscles warm especially after a run. It never hurts to get a massage or do a self-massage to loosen up your muscles also.

Stick with these tips and you will be ready for race day. Enjoy the race!