Tapering????

[Blistersister78]

Can someone please tell me what tapering is? Thanks

[Dunder2004 Graduate]

Tapering is done at the end of a training plan for an event. It will normally be a period of two weeks or so where the runs are easier/shorter than what has gone before in order to reduce fatigue.

[Blistersister78 Graduate in reply to Dunder2004]

OK so I'm running hm in 5 weeks so it's best to do short runs the last week or so.? thanks

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

Also for the longer events it is used to help with the fuel for the race. You carb load.(eat higher quantities of easy carbs ie. White pasta and rice). While you are eating the carbs it helps not to expel too much energy and use the carbs you are eating so the body can store the extra fuel for when it is needed on a longer event.

[Blistersister78 Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

So is it best to carb load before the race i.e last week before? I'm confused!!!!!!

[Realfoodieclub Graduate]

I started carb loading three days before my HM and I am a slow runner I needed fuel for 3 hours. I found this article that can explain things a lot better than me. Good luck.

runnersworld.com/nutrition-...

[dottiemay Graduate]

Why don't you search for M/HM Training plans online, where you should be able to find all the information you need. I know Hal Higdon plans are used by lots of marathoners but there are loads out there.

Check several so you get a full picture, rather than just relying on answers to specific questions, from people who don't know you or at what stage you are in your training.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate]

I agree with what Dottie says above. Have a good look round at various plans to get an idea of tapering and what's involved, and from that, take what suits you best and apply it to your training. I've got a marathon four weeks today and I've not been following a plan, just upping the distances myself, but I've been looking at a number of plans, to use the tapering principles for my own needs, in the final two weeks before the race.

I'm doing a sort of taper this coming week as I've a half marathon a week today. It's a case of easing off and conserving energy, and also eating tasty carbohydrates. Nom.

Good luck with tapering and your race. 🏃

[Rignold in reply to Miles_Yonder]

Hey Miles! Long time no see! Welcome back, chap.

[Miles_Yonder Graduate in reply to Rignold]

Hey up, Rig, old chum! Thank you. ☺ How ever are you, good fellow?

[Rignold]

The Tapering principle is that you reduce workload in the week or two before a race, to allow your legs to recover from the workload of training and to be properly rested for the run. The length of the tapr depends on the length of the race and the training you have put in. Some marathon/ultra runners taper for 3 or 4 weeks. HM or marathon usually less, a fortnight. You don't stop altogether but reduce load to about 60% in W1 and 40% in W2. Drop the long run.

As regards carb-loading, it depends on how carb-based your diet is to begin with. Your need for extra fuel only kicks in after about 90mins, so for most of a HM you will have no need, and iff you take on carbohydrates during the race, such as gatorade the effect of pre race laoding is minimal at best. There is no one-size-fits-all carbohydrate ratio that is right for everyone. If you are following a metabolically efficient nutrition plan which promotes the use of your internal fat stores to be used as energy then stuffing yourself with pasta the night before a race then an overload of carbs is liekly to trigger gastrointestinal distress which will do you no favours at all. If you are planning on a carb-based fuelling startegy then you need to implement it throughout training not suddenly at the end. No big changes on race day is rule number one.

[Blistersister78 Graduate]

That's what I'm doing just upping my distance on my long run up to 12km now but thought carb loading was a bit of a myth. Shows what I know. Lol. Thanks for the advice all. Good luck with Half's, marathons, 10km whatever your doing xxxx