Tapering

Whether the race in your sights is a 5K walk or a marathon, the goal of your training is to be at your best when the gun goes off. To optimize your performance, you will need to have an effective taper - the final portion of your preparation where you decrease your mileage. By understanding the science of tapering, and the role that rest plays in all forms of exercise, you can achieve your goals.

Description

The Week Before:
The leading into a race should generally be a time to be tapering off your mileage and resting. You should concentrate on keeping yourself well hydrated with water, eating high balance of complex carbohydrates and limiting the amount of fat in your diet.

The Day Before:
Water is the word of the day. Carry a water bottle with you everywhere you go and drink as much as you can. Your first meal of the day should be a high carbohydrate breakfast such as pancakes and a side of toast. A low fat sandwich makes a good lunch.

What to Eat Before a Marathon
In your training plan we significantly cut back the volume of your running the week prior to your half marathon. We suggest that you eat normal amounts and food and work on staying well hydrated. The cutback in work load, combined with normal eating focused on complex carbohydrates with limited fats and oils will leave you well prepared for the event.

Two days prior to the event take the day off and eat a high complex carbohydrate meal, pasta, stir frys or rice dishes are all excellent choices. The day prior, watch your salt in take, limit the amount of protein and eat small light meals. Drink loads of water. Get a good nights sleep two nights before the event.