1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,880 You're listening to episode 274 of the Marathon Running Podcast. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,760 In this episode, we're going to give you a master class on the 3 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,600 marathon taper. This is the Marathon Running 4 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:14,720 Podcast with Letty and Ryan. Join us for weekly content on 5 00:00:14,720 --> 00:00:17,600 all things running and let us take you from the starting line 6 00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:27,360 to the finish line and beyond. Hey runners and welcome to 7 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,120 episode 274. I'm Laddie. 8 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:32,640 I am your host and I am solo today. 9 00:00:32,640 --> 00:00:36,400 My Co host Ryan is not available but that's OK because he doesn't 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,040 love the marathon taper, but I do and I've done approximately 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:45,240 60 plus marathons. So I think over the years I 12 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,800 believe that I have quite a bit to say about this taper, but 13 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:50,560 we'll see. You'll be the judge of that. 14 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,400 So if you're here, either you are a loyal listener, so thank 15 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,880 you so much for tuning in, or you're here because you want to 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,160 learn everything there is about tapering. 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:02,000 And we're going to try to give you exactly that because 18 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,360 tapering is probably one of the most misunderstood and sometimes 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,640 anxiety inducing phases of marathon training. 20 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,040 To me. The taper is magical, but it's 21 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:14,120 also mystical for others and slightly terrifying a few weeks 22 00:01:14,120 --> 00:01:17,760 out from the race when suddenly everything you've been working 23 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,880 on seems to disappear. Or, I guess, slow down. 24 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,680 I know that I'm in the minority, but for a lot of you guys, 25 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:26,560 tapering feels deeply, profoundly just wrong because 26 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,400 you've been pushing yourself for months. 27 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,920 You've done all these long runs that stretch into these early 28 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,080 hours of the morning or late hours of the day, and you're 29 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,360 doing these temple workouts and you're exhausted. 30 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,480 Your body feels constantly tired. 31 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,760 You have interval training that pushes your body to its limits. 32 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:48,000 You have hill repeats that your quads feel burned from, and 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,040 maybe some good and easy runs too, of course. 34 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,920 But then suddenly your coach or training plan says, hey, back 35 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,000 off, run less, rest more. And your brain that you've 36 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,960 conditioned for the last few months to associate pain with 37 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:04,640 progress streams. What? 38 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,440 I'm going to lose all my fitness and undo all this hard work? 39 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:12,640 Especially because taper periods do have a range of two to three 40 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:14,800 weeks when you're not an elite runner, right? 41 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:18,560 So a panic sets in. And I have to admit I am a 42 00:02:18,560 --> 00:02:20,800 little bit familiar with that panicked voice because I 43 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,480 remember my first few marathons where there was a two week taper 44 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,640 plan and honestly, I just ignored it. 45 00:02:27,800 --> 00:02:31,240 I added extra miles to rerun because everything I've ever 46 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,440 done in life academically was more is more, right? 47 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,160 So I snuck in mini speed workouts on my easy days and I 48 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,800 was convinced that I was actually being clever and that I 49 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:45,320 didn't need that time off. I was thinking that I was 50 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,480 gaining the secret advantage over everyone else who was 51 00:02:47,480 --> 00:02:51,920 slacking, and I was really thinking that I'll be extra fast 52 00:02:51,920 --> 00:02:54,040 if I put in more. And it did feel good in that 53 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:56,840 moment because everyone else wasn't putting in the miles, but 54 00:02:56,840 --> 00:02:58,880 I was. So it was a little bit of an ego 55 00:02:58,880 --> 00:03:00,760 boost. I was still putting in the work 56 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,360 when everyone else was dialing back. 57 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:05,000 I didn't need the taper because I didn't have injuries, 58 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,240 etcetera. But then racy came and my legs 59 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:11,360 felt like lead from the very first mile on. 60 00:03:11,360 --> 00:03:14,240 There was no spring in my step, I wasn't popping off the 61 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:16,520 concrete, and I didn't have joy in my heart. 62 00:03:16,520 --> 00:03:20,440 So I was probably running a lot slower than I should have or 63 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,160 could have, and I didn't feel good about myself. 64 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:26,920 My body was fatigued and I was running on fumes, completely 65 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:30,720 unable to perform on that level that I had trained for so hard. 66 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:34,320 But I guess with all that, that was my wake up call to actually 67 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:39,000 try to understand the taper and understand that this is not 68 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:41,560 academics. Cramming doesn't work for 69 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,760 marathons. And over the years of podcasting 70 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,520 and talking to coaches, I learned quite a bit. 71 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,640 And I want to compile that for you guys here so you don't make 72 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:55,640 that mistake and you don't feel bad about anything during your 73 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:58,320 taper. So today we're going to talk 74 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:00,320 about all of that. We're going to deconstruct the 75 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,280 taper, define what it is. We're going to explore the why, 76 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,480 the how, and the deep science behind every single aspect of it 77 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,600 so that by the end of the episode, you're not only going 78 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:13,480 to understand exactly what happens physiologically, but 79 00:04:13,480 --> 00:04:15,480 also psychologically during the taper. 80 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:18,279 And you're going to have this blueprint on how to structure 81 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,120 your own taper. Obviously, unless you have a 82 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,000 coach, because your coach wouldn't be happy if you took 83 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,640 training advice from this podcast. 84 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:33,280 And a blanket disclaimer, I am not a scientist, but I have 85 00:04:33,280 --> 00:04:36,720 literally immersed myself in not just talking to coaches, but 86 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:40,400 also reading journals and looking at science. 87 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:44,680 And I'm going to provide you with science to hopefully almost 88 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,000 every fact that I state. So that way you can look it up 89 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:52,080 when you need to or if you want to kind of cross reference. 90 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:56,000 Where did she come up with this? And I'm going to also list all 91 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,080 these science references in the show notes. 92 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,800 If you are interested in reading these studies yourself, that's 93 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,840 where you will find it. So hopefully in the end of this 94 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:07,880 episode, you'll believe with every ounce of your being that 95 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,080 slowing down is actually the secret weapon in marathons. 96 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:14,360 So let's hop into that. All right, so I want to start 97 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:17,520 off with the science. And when it comes to science, 98 00:05:17,520 --> 00:05:20,360 we're going to start with the word super compensation. 99 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:22,120 That's a beautiful word to learn. 100 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,000 And I think that kind of summarizes everything we're 101 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:28,440 going to talk about. What it means is that your body 102 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:33,200 is going to say OK, whatever you put in, that was a lot and I'm 103 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:35,000 not just going to fix this, but I'm going to make myself 104 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:37,880 stronger so I'm ready for the next time this happens. 105 00:05:38,280 --> 00:05:41,800 So when you stress your body with this intense training, that 106 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,600 stimulus, you create microscopic damage and deplete your energy 107 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,640 stores. And during a period of reduced 108 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,440 stress, your body not only repairs itself, but it over 109 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:54,640 corrects, which is what leaves you stronger and more efficient 110 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:56,760 than you were before. But let's go a little bit deeper 111 00:05:56,760 --> 00:06:00,840 than just this buzzword. What actually happens inside of 112 00:06:00,840 --> 00:06:02,840 your muscles, your blood and your brain? 113 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:04,880 But let's talk about glycogen and fuel stores. 114 00:06:04,880 --> 00:06:09,240 So your primary fuel source for the marathon is muscle glycogen, 115 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,720 which is a complex carbohydrate that is stored in your muscles 116 00:06:12,720 --> 00:06:15,960 and your liver. And during heavy training, these 117 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:20,240 stores are constantly being used over and over and only partially 118 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,240 refilled because you don't give yourself a break when you taper 119 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:26,360 that allows for a complete top of kind of like when you're 120 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:31,000 putting gas into your car after a long drive and finally filling 121 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:33,840 the tank all the way to the rim. At the science for this fact I 122 00:06:33,840 --> 00:06:37,640 found in a study from 2017 from the Journal of Strength and 123 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:41,480 Conditioning Research which found that a 7 to 10 day taper 124 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:45,160 combined with a high carb diet could increase muscle glycogen 125 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:50,080 content by as much as 10 to 20% above pre taper levels. 126 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,000 Now applying that to my own running, I remember the feeling 127 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,920 of starting a marathon after a good taper having this extra 128 00:06:56,920 --> 00:07:00,720 gear I didn't know I had. So the first 10 to 15 miles 129 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:03,720 during those marathons feel almost effortless. 130 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:07,160 And when you have that feeling, you know that you filled out 131 00:07:07,160 --> 00:07:10,600 that tank and you have enough left in you for the later 132 00:07:10,600 --> 00:07:12,280 stages. Obviously, you're also 133 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,040 supplementing this fueling, but it's just how a run should feel. 134 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,160 So I've started racist feeling this way. 135 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:20,920 And of course, as I've told you before, I've started feeling 136 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:22,240 racist. Feeling flat. 137 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:26,520 And to pray is really the difference of feeling like 138 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:29,280 you're hitting the wall at mile 20 or cruising through the 139 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,040 finish line with a smile on your face. 140 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:33,360 And obviously we all want to do the latter. 141 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,200 Now let's talk about muscle fiber repair and neuromuscular 142 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,480 efficiency. Everyone that you do every long 143 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,160 run, every temple workout, and every little stride that you do, 144 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,480 they create tiny microscopic tears in your muscle fibers. 145 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:51,440 During taper, these fibers can be repaired and rebuilt and that 146 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,840 leads to a greater strength and power. 147 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,400 Where did I get that from? I got this from a 2018 review in 148 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,920 the Journal of Sports Medicine that talked about the cellular 149 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:04,920 changes during tapering. They found that a 14 day taper 150 00:08:04,920 --> 00:08:08,360 led to a significant increase in the activity of key enzymes 151 00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:11,520 involved in muscle metabolism and an improvement in 152 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:14,520 neuromuscular function. So what does that mean in real 153 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:15,960 life? It means that spring in your 154 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:17,960 step. It means your legs are feeling 155 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:19,920 light and bouncy. And that's what we were kind of 156 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,320 talking about earlier. Remember a tempo run during my 157 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,440 last successful taper? It was only three miles long and 158 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:28,840 I hit my target paces so easily and felt like I was cheating. 159 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:31,320 My legs just responded immediately. 160 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,440 It's because the wiring between your brain and your muscles have 161 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:38,080 been fine-tuned and refreshed so that the communication is clear, 162 00:08:38,159 --> 00:08:41,520 the signals are strong, and your body is ready to obey. 163 00:08:41,679 --> 00:08:43,200 All right, moving on to the blood. 164 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,200 Blood was one of the topics as well. 165 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:48,440 Blood volume and oxygen transport to be exact. 166 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:51,920 So high volume training can actually decrease your red blood 167 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:55,920 cell volume because of constant stress and fluid loss and that 168 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:59,080 negatively impacts your body's ability to transport blood. 169 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,720 Where did I get this from? So there was a meta analysis 170 00:09:02,720 --> 00:09:07,120 published in PLOS ONE in 2023 that highlighted that a well 171 00:09:07,120 --> 00:09:11,120 executed taper can help restore and even increase red blood cell 172 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:14,800 volume and plasma volume. So that means that you'll have 173 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,280 more oxygen carrying capacity when you need it the most, and 174 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:20,280 that's a key factor in fending off fatigue. 175 00:09:20,280 --> 00:09:23,760 So basically, for every liter of blood, a properly tapered 176 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:25,960 athlete has more oxygen available. 177 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,600 And this is one of the most subtle and most powerful 178 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,960 benefits, probably. You may not feel it directly, 179 00:09:30,960 --> 00:09:33,320 but you'll feel the lack of struggle during the late miles 180 00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:35,760 of the race. And again, that's the difference 181 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:38,480 between feeling like you're gasping for air and you're 182 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:41,480 feeling like you're breathing comfortably, even when the 183 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:44,480 effort is still high. Now last up at least, let's 184 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,680 touch on hormonal balance and immune system boost. 185 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:50,560 So we all know that long term and high volume training can 186 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:54,520 elevate your cortisol level, which is the stress hormone and 187 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:56,760 that suppresses your immune system, making you more 188 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,920 susceptible to illnesses. That's why a lot of us, 189 00:10:00,120 --> 00:10:03,360 including myself maybe also because I have young kids that 190 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,280 expose me to viruses and everything because they go to 191 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:09,760 school, but it's always like that when I do strenuous 192 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:13,560 workouts and I have high volume weeks that I'm more prone to 193 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:16,640 becoming sick. So when you taper, that helps 194 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,120 rebalance these systems. And we know this to be true 195 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,360 because studies have shown that tapering can significantly 196 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:27,000 reduce markers and inflammation and muscle damage, increase your 197 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,840 anabolic hormones like testosterone, which are the ones 198 00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:32,920 that are muscle building, and shift your body from a catabolic 199 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:35,560 state, which is breaking down to an anabolic state. 200 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,200 Like I said, I really believe that to be true. 201 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,680 I've heard countless stories and experience it myself of training 202 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:45,520 cycles where you feel like crap at the end and you get sick for 203 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:49,440 weeks, but then magically during taper you suddenly feel healthy 204 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:51,720 and full of life. And that is a good thing. 205 00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:54,800 Your body's giving you a high 5 for all the hard work and saying 206 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:58,240 let's get ready to perform. And you know, we all know that 207 00:10:58,240 --> 00:11:00,640 we only have one chance when it comes to the marathon. 208 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:05,280 All right, so now that we have talked about everything science 209 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,960 and we now understand why, let's get into the practical of how. 210 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,600 And with that disclaimer, there's not a single perfect 211 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,000 tapering plan for everybody. Obviously who you are matters 212 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:20,520 when it comes to defining what the perfect taper plan is for 213 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,880 you. If you're an elite athlete, your 214 00:11:22,880 --> 00:11:26,520 tapering is going to be probably a lot shorter because you are 215 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:29,120 used to a lot more and that is your full time job. 216 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:32,840 But if you are a person with a full time job that is not 217 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:35,760 running, that varies. If you're a person that works 218 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:38,680 full time, that's on their feet all the time versus a person 219 00:11:38,680 --> 00:11:41,480 that sits in front of the computer, that varies. 220 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:44,200 And so there's obviously all these different principles. 221 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,920 I know you guys already understand that, but we're going 222 00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:50,360 to talk about the evidence based principles of form the 223 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:53,200 foundation of any successful tapering plan. 224 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:55,640 And that is what we take the science and make it your 225 00:11:55,640 --> 00:11:59,400 personal victory plans. So let's start by talking about 226 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:03,480 the duration of a taper. The rule of two or three weeks 227 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:06,920 first comes into mind among sports scientists and elite 228 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:10,000 coaches. Usually, tapering lasts from two 229 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:12,320 to three weeks. Again, for amateur runners 230 00:12:12,320 --> 00:12:15,640 running more than 50 miles per week, a three-week taper can be 231 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:18,600 more beneficial. And for those running with a 232 00:12:18,680 --> 00:12:21,960 lower weekly volume, A2 week taper might be sufficient to 233 00:12:21,960 --> 00:12:25,880 achieve the Super compensation without risking detraining. 234 00:12:25,880 --> 00:12:30,000 One of my first marathons that I actually trained for the one 235 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:33,120 that I bought, I had a two week tapering plan, but I only 236 00:12:33,120 --> 00:12:36,920 followed it for about 3 days. But however, on the flip side, 237 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:40,040 on my last successful marathon, my coach and I agreed to a 238 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:43,560 three-week taper. I've been running 65 miles a 239 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:47,280 week and the extra week made a huge difference to me. 240 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,920 I could literally feel the fatigue leaving my body day by 241 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:53,360 day, like a weight being lifted. And that's a feeling you'll 242 00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:57,320 never forget. Obviously I was nervous about my 243 00:12:57,320 --> 00:12:59,720 fitness decreasing, but that's something we're going to hop 244 00:12:59,720 --> 00:13:02,640 into a little bit later. All right, so tapering. 245 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,680 So we've determined the duration of a taper to be two to three 246 00:13:05,680 --> 00:13:08,480 weeks. And let's talk about the volume 247 00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,000 reduction. So what are we actually changing 248 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:12,920 here? And with that, the phrase the 249 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:17,200 art of a progressive taper comes into my mind, which is the best 250 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:19,840 approach, which is a progressive reduction. 251 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:21,640 So we're not dropping off a Cliff. 252 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:24,000 It's kind of like a smooth tapering down. 253 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:27,480 Think about taper jeans, right? They don't just cut off, that 254 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,880 would be that would make them short, but you're kind of just 255 00:13:30,880 --> 00:13:34,160 reducing it very gently tapering down to your ankles when it 256 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,960 comes to those jeans. All right, so here is the 257 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:41,280 three-week taper model for runners with a peak of over 60 258 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:43,840 miles. So in week 1, so that means 259 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,160 three weeks out, you want to reduce your volume by about 25%. 260 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,160 So your total mileage again, if you're over 60 miles would then 261 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:55,960 be around 45 miles. That's a gentle slowing down. 262 00:13:55,960 --> 00:14:00,640 Your longest run would be your last big workout, a 14 Miller 263 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,720 with some marathon paced effort mixed in there. 264 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,400 So the goal with that is to start the recovery process while 265 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:11,240 maintaining a sense of routine. I remember my 14 mile run three 266 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:14,840 weeks out from a race. It felt great and I knew in the 267 00:14:14,840 --> 00:14:16,440 back of my mind that this was it. 268 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,560 All the hard work had been done, all the long runs had been done 269 00:14:19,560 --> 00:14:22,880 and it was kind of a moment of relief that this was coming to 270 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:26,280 an end and maybe a little bit of sadness. 271 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,320 But I think I personally felt more relieved now when it comes 272 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:32,040 to Week 2. So 2 weeks out for me Marathon, 273 00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:35,960 you want to reduce your mileage by another 30% from the previous 274 00:14:35,960 --> 00:14:38,000 week's total. So then your mileage would be 275 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:42,200 around 30 miles and your longest run would be then a 10 Miller. 276 00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:45,320 And at this point you are really starting to feel that recovery 277 00:14:45,320 --> 00:14:48,400 benefit. Now in the final week you 278 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:51,960 drastically reduced to volume which you're running for the 279 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,280 week not being more than 10 to 15 miles. 280 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:59,640 You include a shakeout run and your longest run would be about 281 00:14:59,640 --> 00:15:01,920 four to five miles early on in the week. 282 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:04,440 And that's the fun part. These ones should feel so much 283 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:08,840 easier and almost pointless, but they are far from it. 284 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:10,560 Believe me. Now, we've talked about the 285 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:15,720 volume reduction, but the thing that tripped me up most when I 286 00:15:15,720 --> 00:15:19,480 learned about tapering is that you are not reducing the 287 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:21,960 intensity. And actually that is the worst 288 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:23,800 thing that you can do is to slow down. 289 00:15:23,960 --> 00:15:27,200 So you have to maintain some of the intensity to keep your legs 290 00:15:27,200 --> 00:15:29,960 feeling sharp and responsive. If you want to look that up, 291 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:33,720 there is a study from 2012 in the European Journal of Applied 292 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,520 Physiology that compares to taper strategies and found that 293 00:15:37,520 --> 00:15:41,040 athletes who include short high intensity intervals during the 294 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,160 taper, they actually perform better than those who simply 295 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:46,840 reduced all training and practical. 296 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:51,440 This application goes that your runs should be easy, but you 297 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,600 should include some brief speed bursts. 298 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:57,320 For example, if you want a four Miller a week out from your 299 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:02,080 race, you should add 4 to 6 strides of 100 meters at a fast 300 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:05,080 but controlled pace. So the key is that these are not 301 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:08,840 workouts that you get tired from, but you're simply using 302 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:11,840 them as a sharpening tool for your body and your mind. 303 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:15,080 My coach would call them drills or wake up calls for your legs. 304 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:19,040 Your final intense session should be no later than 7 to 10 305 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:23,760 days for us amateur runners, although the more serious you 306 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:28,400 take your running, even the training plans say maybe 5 days 307 00:16:28,400 --> 00:16:30,680 out. The Tuesday before your Sunday 308 00:16:30,680 --> 00:16:34,760 marathon, you do some fast drills and that doesn't really 309 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:38,160 hurt you because that volume reduction, that's where it lays. 310 00:16:38,160 --> 00:16:40,640 Now, the last part of the blueprint for tapering. 311 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:44,200 Let's talk about the frequency. You shouldn't cut out the days 312 00:16:44,640 --> 00:16:50,000 of running and have that volume reduced to long days. 313 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:53,000 You should continue to run most days of the week as you have 314 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,520 before, but just for a shorter duration. 315 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,600 So the reason for that is that it maintains your routine and 316 00:16:58,600 --> 00:17:01,200 prevents you from feeling too lethargic. 317 00:17:01,480 --> 00:17:04,160 And I found this to be incredibly important for my own 318 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,319 mental health during the taper or cutback weeks, right? 319 00:17:07,319 --> 00:17:09,640 Because we have those two during training and those are kind of 320 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:12,240 mini tapers. The simple act of lacing up my 321 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:15,680 shoes, even if it's for a 20 minute jog, it reminds me that 322 00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:19,160 I'm still a runner and keeps me from going to stir crazy because 323 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:22,560 if you're not running, you know what that does to our minds, 324 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:24,240 right? All right, so with all that 325 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,520 said, let's talk about some of the pitfalls to avoid and the 326 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:32,120 psychology of phantom pains. Because even with the perfect 327 00:17:32,120 --> 00:17:35,800 plan, the taper can be a minefield of mental traps. 328 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,640 And let's talk about these common, most common ones. 329 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,160 So the first one I call the I'm Losing fitness syndrome. 330 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,960 And that's a that's a granddaddy of all taper anxieties because 331 00:17:45,960 --> 00:17:49,760 you're feeling sluggish and your legs feel heavy and your GPS 332 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,520 watch is telling you that you're slower than usual. 333 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,880 And that's all normal. Literally put a piece of tape 334 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:01,800 during taper on your GPS watch because, yeah, I mean, Garmin is 335 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,080 really hard to satisfy, right? But just remember that this is 336 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,520 normal. It's your body's way of telling 337 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:09,240 you that it's finally recovering. 338 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,440 You're not losing fitness, you're unlocking it. 339 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,480 You have to trust the process because the hay really is in the 340 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,480 barn. A good friend of mine, a 341 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:20,160 seasoned marathoner, he once told me that the sluggish 342 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,200 feeling is a sign that the bodies repair crews have finally 343 00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:26,200 arrived and set up camp and they're doing their work. 344 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,760 And the feeling that you have is your construction zone. 345 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,560 So don't get in the way of the construction zone. 346 00:18:32,920 --> 00:18:35,720 Put on your little construction helmet and walk around it. 347 00:18:35,720 --> 00:18:39,280 Really don't go out and try to prove anything to yourself that 348 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,680 you're still fit. That's the voice of your ego, 349 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:44,360 and your ego is not a good running coach. 350 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:47,760 All right, next pitfall to avoid overresting. 351 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,120 And that's a rookie mistake because runners that go from 50 352 00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:55,400 miles a week to 0 miles a week feel incredibly sluggish and 353 00:18:55,400 --> 00:18:59,120 flat because they've lost that crucial neuromuscular 354 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:01,400 connection. Your body needs to keep on its 355 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:05,040 toes, literally. So be ready to go and keep the 356 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:08,640 easy runs in your plan. Don't just quit Now when it 357 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,200 comes to another pitfall that can happen is overindulging. 358 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:15,720 When you have reduced your mileage you do have to be a 359 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:19,120 little bit mindful of your calorie intake and you really 360 00:19:19,120 --> 00:19:23,200 shouldn't need to start carb loading until the final week 361 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:28,520 before the race and instead focus on complex carbohydrates. 362 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,680 So don't overindulge because gaining that unwanted weight 363 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,640 during taper can negate some of your hard work. 364 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:39,200 My biggest mistake during early days was thinking taper is cheat 365 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,520 week. I would eat whatever I wanted, 366 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:45,280 and the reason in my head was that I was restoring myself. 367 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:48,240 And the result was that I was a little bit heavier and slower 368 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:51,760 version, I feel, of myself on race day. 369 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:54,880 So keep in mind that the goal is to refuel your body and not to 370 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,000 fill it up with junk. Stay away from junk. 371 00:19:58,080 --> 00:20:01,880 All right, So another pitfall, the rise of the taper crazies 372 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,520 and phantom pains. That's a phenomenon that's very 373 00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,160 unique to tapering because you're finally resting and 374 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:11,520 suddenly every little ache and pain that you've ignored for 375 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,400 weeks decides to make a dramatic appearance. 376 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:18,600 So you feel a slight twinge in your knee that you haven't felt 377 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:22,720 since mile 10 of a long run. And some pain in your hamstring 378 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,920 that feels like it's going to seize up and you're going to 379 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:27,760 start Googling all these symptoms and convince yourself 380 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:32,160 that you have an injury. And usually it's a mental game. 381 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:35,560 Let me take a step back if you'd never heard of a phantom pain. 382 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,080 Phantom pain is when you think you have a pain but you really 383 00:20:39,080 --> 00:20:40,640 don't. It's in your head. 384 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,800 I get phantom pains even during marathons, but let's not go 385 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:46,480 there, right? So why do these phantom pains 386 00:20:46,480 --> 00:20:48,320 happen? Well, during heavy training, 387 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,840 your brain is focused on the task at hand. 388 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,400 You're busy managing the stress and fatigue of running, and that 389 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:56,840 puts the minor aches and pains on the back burner. 390 00:20:57,360 --> 00:21:01,160 It's kind of like when if you're working in front of a computer 391 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:04,760 and you're focused on something that's important with a deadline 392 00:21:05,120 --> 00:21:07,640 that you want to get done. You have notifications popping 393 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:09,800 up, but you don't really take the time to read them. 394 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,320 You're focused on getting your actual work done, and then when 395 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,640 you're done with it and everything is at peace, now you 396 00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:21,080 have the time to look at all these tiny notifications and you 397 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,200 stop. And I guess your brain then has 398 00:21:24,200 --> 00:21:26,720 a time to catch its breath and is no longer distracted. 399 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,960 And all of a sudden these little notifications or signals that 400 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,440 you were ignoring before, they are now at the forefront of your 401 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:35,960 brain. And these are rarely injuries, 402 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,440 they're old aches and pains that your body is finally just 403 00:21:38,440 --> 00:21:41,080 getting a chance to process. I'm going to back this up with a 404 00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,440 study from the Journal of Sports and Exercise Psychology that 405 00:21:44,440 --> 00:21:46,760 found that the runners perception of their own fitness 406 00:21:46,760 --> 00:21:50,240 during taper had a significant correlation with the actual race 407 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,480 day performance, regardless of their actual data. 408 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,960 My personal experience with this was before a big half marathon, 409 00:21:57,960 --> 00:22:01,920 I swear I had a sharp pain in my toe and it made me believe that 410 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:05,960 I had a stress fracture and I was so worried that I called my 411 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,120 friend about it and the next day after Goodnight Steve it was 412 00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:10,800 completely gone. It was magical. 413 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,040 I thought the body healed itself but it's probably just a phantom 414 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,600 pain in my mind playing tricks on me. 415 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:20,200 And like I said earlier, this even happens to me during the 416 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,760 marathon that I suddenly feel like, oh, my knee hurts, but 417 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:26,520 then it's my brain doing that anyway. 418 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:29,320 The solution is to recognize it for what it is. 419 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:32,440 It's a normal part of the psychological process. 420 00:22:32,440 --> 00:22:36,040 So don't panic, stretch, use a foam roller and remind yourself 421 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:38,400 that your body is not breaking down, it's actually healing 422 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:41,360 already. It's the sound of a well oiled 423 00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:43,880 engine getting its final tune up. 424 00:22:43,880 --> 00:22:48,240 Now let's talk about the mental game and navigating that final 425 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:51,080 frontier. The physical part of the taper 426 00:22:51,080 --> 00:22:54,640 is challenging, but the mental part is, as we've just realized, 427 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,440 where the Champions are made. So this is the time to build 428 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,840 confidence and not to lose it. It is important that you trust 429 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:03,880 your training. Think about every long run that 430 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,320 you've completed, every hill you've conquered, every early 431 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,240 morning that you committed to everything that you've done. 432 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:11,120 It adds up. The taper is when you get to 433 00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:14,240 cash in on that hard work. So you really have to trust the 434 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:17,560 process because it works and your body will be ready. 435 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,960 So tell yourself, tell your brain the haze and the barn. 436 00:23:21,080 --> 00:23:23,840 The work is done. Now it's time to rest and get 437 00:23:23,840 --> 00:23:26,480 ready to run. I had a post it note on my 438 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:28,640 bathroom mirror and it said exactly that. 439 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:31,600 Every morning I would read it and remind myself that the miles 440 00:23:31,840 --> 00:23:35,480 that I didn't run were just as important as the one I've had. 441 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:38,720 At least you know you can say that to yourself once you've 442 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,720 completed the training. And when you do have these 443 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,800 negative thoughts, what you have to do is to second regular life. 444 00:23:43,800 --> 00:23:45,640 You have to redirect that energy. 445 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:49,120 You have all this extra time and this big nervous energy. 446 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:51,840 Don't let it become a source of anxiety. 447 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:55,960 Things that you can do to redirect your energy are you can 448 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,400 finalize your race logistics. You can lay out your race day 449 00:23:59,400 --> 00:24:03,080 outfit, pack your bag. You can review the course map. 450 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,600 You can read everything on the website from the race. 451 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:08,320 You can visualize what the 8 stations are, what your family 452 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:10,240 and friends will be cheering if they're coming. 453 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,720 And all that gives you a little bit of a sense of control and 454 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:16,960 you can replace that anxiety with preparation. 455 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,240 You can also redirect your energy and really embrace that 456 00:24:20,240 --> 00:24:23,160 rest and use this time to catch up and sleep. 457 00:24:23,440 --> 00:24:26,720 Sleep is a powerful performance enhancing tool as you all should 458 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,000 know at this point. And that is when your body 459 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,720 really recovers and repairs itself. 460 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,760 So take some naps, try to sleep 8 to 9 hours a night. 461 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:37,600 I'm a hypocrite because I never get that much sleep and I wish I 462 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,040 could. I, I'm a person with insomnia, 463 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:42,040 so that is really, really hard for me. 464 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:46,160 But resting can also be just sitting down, getting off your 465 00:24:46,160 --> 00:24:49,440 feet, doing something, I don't know, play Monopoly with your 466 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:50,960 kids. Do something where you're just 467 00:24:51,320 --> 00:24:55,000 chilling and enjoy that. And know that while you're doing 468 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:57,600 that, not only are you spending time with the ones that you 469 00:24:57,600 --> 00:25:00,480 love, which you know, running usually takes a little bit of 470 00:25:00,480 --> 00:25:04,240 that, but you're also really recovering and helping your body 471 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:07,200 get ready for that race. Last but not least, another tip 472 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:09,840 to redirect your energy is to harness that power of 473 00:25:09,840 --> 00:25:12,760 visualization. Some coaches say that they have 474 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:16,080 their athletes spend 10 to 15 minutes each day to visualize 475 00:25:16,080 --> 00:25:19,240 their races where they see themselves strong, hitting those 476 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:23,040 goal paces, smiling, crossing the finish line with the hands 477 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,360 in the air. And this mental rehearsal has 478 00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:28,600 shown to improve performance. It's not just a feel good 479 00:25:28,600 --> 00:25:31,160 exercise, it's a powerful tool to program your mind for 480 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:33,720 success. Now, last but definitely not 481 00:25:33,720 --> 00:25:36,240 least, let's talk about some fueling strategies. 482 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:39,480 And again, another disclaimer, I am not a nutritionist, but I've 483 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,920 talked to a lot of them. And here it's just what I do, 484 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,280 what works for me. And if you want to, you can 485 00:25:44,280 --> 00:25:46,240 apply that to your own execution. 486 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:49,360 But of course, I'm also going to include the research where I got 487 00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:52,320 this from. All right, so as we get closer 488 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:55,800 to the race, it is important to note that a nutrition is super 489 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,040 important and a critical part of that taper. 490 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,520 And of course we've mentioned this before. 491 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:03,360 The goal is to fill your glycogen tanks to their maximum 492 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:07,240 capacity without causing any digestive distress. 493 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:10,360 The final week before you erase, you really kind of want to watch 494 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:13,560 what you eat in the final days. The two or three days before you 495 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:16,640 erase, you will definitely want to increase your carbohydrate 496 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:19,560 intake and that's what we call carb loading. 497 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:23,320 And you want to aim for 8 to 10 grams of carbohydrates per 498 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:27,080 kilogram of body weight. So for 150 LB runner, that's 499 00:26:27,080 --> 00:26:33,120 about 545 to 680 grams of carbs per day. 500 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:36,400 I'm backing this up with a research study from the European 501 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,680 Journal of Applied Physiology in 2011 that shows that a three day 502 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:44,400 carbohydrate loading protocol significantly increases muscle 503 00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,320 glycogen stores and improve time to exhaustion in runners. 504 00:26:48,320 --> 00:26:51,200 So what should you eat? You should focus on simple, low 505 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:53,440 fiber carbs that are easy on your stomachs. 506 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:55,280 In other words, eat like a toddler. 507 00:26:55,280 --> 00:26:58,720 Eat rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, bagels, oatmeal. 508 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:02,480 Avoid these high fiber foods and fatty foods because a large 509 00:27:02,480 --> 00:27:06,480 amount of protein because those can be difficult to digest and 510 00:27:06,480 --> 00:27:09,440 they can lead to GI issues during race day. 511 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:13,520 Again, I've run a lot of races and I learned this the hard way 512 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,160 before a 10K. I'd had a huge salad day before 513 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,840 and I spent the entire race with some sort of stomach cramps. 514 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:23,960 So don't make that mistake. Because you've put so much time 515 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,920 into training for this marathon, you don't want to mess it up 516 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:30,880 with dumb nutrition anyway. Another big part of that 517 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,680 nutrition is to stay hydrated, so drink plenty of water and 518 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:36,960 electrolytes. You should be using the bathroom 519 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,520 frequently and your urine should be light yellow. 520 00:27:39,640 --> 00:27:42,840 Proper hydration is so, so, so important for maximizing 521 00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:46,280 glycogen storage and for optimal performance on raise day. 522 00:27:46,360 --> 00:27:50,160 Now my final words to all of you runners in tapering and that are 523 00:27:50,160 --> 00:27:54,440 still here about marathon taper. Marathon taper is not a sign of 524 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:57,200 laziness. Look at it as an act of courage. 525 00:27:57,200 --> 00:28:00,680 It's a time where you can put your ego aside and distrust in 526 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:03,520 the month of training that you've already put in, you've 527 00:28:03,520 --> 00:28:06,640 earned this period and rest and recovery and honesty. 528 00:28:06,880 --> 00:28:11,400 Every time I get to taper time, I'm mentally fatigued and I'm 529 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:15,280 almost over the whole race in general, and I embrace that 530 00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:19,320 taper like I never have before. The research is clear, the 531 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,280 blueprint is there, and the mental game is a battle that you 532 00:28:22,280 --> 00:28:24,920 can win. So embrace that sluggishness, 533 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:28,240 ignore those phantom pains, and trust in the science of super 534 00:28:28,240 --> 00:28:31,040 compensation. You've done the work and the 535 00:28:31,040 --> 00:28:35,440 taper is your final and beautiful opportunity to Polish 536 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:39,040 every single mile into a personal best or whatever it is 537 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:42,920 that you are aiming to do. So as you step into taper, I 538 00:28:42,920 --> 00:28:45,280 want you to remember that you're not running less because you're 539 00:28:45,280 --> 00:28:46,840 weak. You're running less because 540 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:50,880 you're smart and you're preparing to run your best, 541 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:53,080 whatever that is at the time of your running. 542 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:56,280 Thank you so much for tuning into the Marathon Running 543 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,440 Podcast. I hope this is helpful and if it 544 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:03,040 is, give us a like or subscribe to our channel wherever you're 545 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:06,840 listening to that. Now get some rest and refuel and 546 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:09,120 get ready for the race of your life. 547 00:29:09,520 --> 00:29:11,880 Until next week, have a great week of running. 548 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,520 Thanks for tuning in. For more information, go to 549 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:21,240 www.marathonrunningpodcast.com or check us out on all channels.