Marathon tapering dos and don’t

We are getting to the fall racing season. The temperatures are hopefully dropping near you but if not, don’t worry they will be soon! This cooler temps make for prime racing weather! It is an exciting time to go out there and run fast, but we want to make sure we don’t get too aggressive especially during the taper. It may be tempting to hammer some of your runs when the temps fall, so we wanted to talk about the importance of the taper and making sure we stick with the training! We will discuss the dos and don'ts of the marathon taper.

Nutrition

When should you start carbo-loading?

If you cut back in mileage do you really need to be eating more?

Are there foods you should avoid? High fiber, high sugar

Should you cut out alcohol?

Should you clean up your diet if you have been eating really bad?

Is now a time to start something new like going vegan?

Training

If it feels good/legs are fresh can I go faster?

Will I feel like crap during the taper even though I am doing less?

Should I still do workouts?

Should I still do long runs?

How should my mileage look?

Mental Training

Should I obsess over a pacing plan?

Should I try to test my fitness before?

Should I reflect on my training?

Should I talk a lot about my race?