Meredith’s Workout Diaries: How to Survive the Horrible Cutback

Welcome to Training Diaries , a Lifehacker series about my journey to the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon. This series will chronicle all the ups, downs and hills of repetition on my journey to the world’s biggest marathon. Ahead of race day on Sunday, November 5th, I’ll talk about proper fueling, injuries and setbacks, treadmill tips, wardrobe malfunctions, the logic of long-term running, and just some thoughts on what it takes to cross the marathon finish line. I live by a mantra that is simple and true: a marathon is actually hundreds of miles; Race day falls in the last 26 or so.

I have officially completed my max mileage week leading up to the New York City Marathon. For me, that meant I ran just under 50 miles—more meager for most marathon runners, but I’m happy with it. And now it’s time to taper.

Marathon tapering—the roughly two-week period of reduced training in the final weeks before a big race—is a mentally challenging period for runners. After months of training hard, you’ll suddenly find yourself running less, and the natural temptation is to worry about your fitness deteriorating. Or that you’ll go crazy. I understand, but I’m forcing myself to learn to love the cone.

My guiding philosophy to help overcome constriction is that “the hay is in the barn.” This saying means that all the hard work has already been done and there is nothing more to do, even if you want to. Here’s why a taper is important for your fitness and how you can mentally survive when running becomes impractical.

Why you need to reduce your load before a marathon

A taper is essential for recovering from previous workouts without adding stress. There are several key reasons why tapering is so important before a marathon:

• To Rest Tired Muscles: Marathon training breaks down your legs throughout the miles. Proper taper allows time for damaged muscle fibers to fully recover before the race.
• To reduce overall fatigue: Cumulative fatigue accumulates over several weeks of training. The taper period gives the body and mind a chance to relax and absorb all the hard work. This will help you feel fresh on race day.
• To help inflammation subside: Heavy workouts can cause micro-tears and inflammation. The taper allows this to dissipate so you don’t have to run 46.2 miles on swollen, bruised legs.

In addition to physical recovery, a taper can provide a mental break after intense workouts. As race day approaches, runners often feel a new sense of excitement. Or they may go crazy with the sudden availability of free time. On that note, let’s dive into some tips for making the most of your taper period.

Tips for surviving a recession

• Keep to the plan. Your training plan is your bible . Do not increase your mileage while reducing your dose, even if you feel fine. Remember, the main purpose of a taper is to give your body a rest and absorb all the fitness progress you made during your peak workout.
• Cut back gradually. During tapering, reduce your weekly mileage by no more than 30-50% to give your body time to adjust. Changing too quickly from a high mileage to a low mileage can leave you feeling sluggish on race day. This is a mistake I made during my first marathon and I paid the price for it.
• Reduce intensity before increasing volume. During the first weeks of tapering, continue to perform key workouts, but reduce your overall mileage. In the last 1-2 weeks, avoid intense activities, but continue to run at an easy pace for mental focus.
• Take more rest days. Listen to your body and take extra rest days if necessary to stay healthy. Now is not the time to overcome pain and fatigue.
• Stay active. By running less, you can still cross-train to stay fit and sane. Swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities will help you stay in shape without tiring your running muscles.
• Eat well. Do not change your diet while reducing your dose. Stick to the same healthy eating plan that helped you during your peak training sessions.
• Visualize success. Use the slowdown time to mentally rehearse how to confidently cross the finish line. I like to virtually view the course if your race has the option.
• Trust your learning. I think this is the hardest part, but like I said above: the hay is in the barn. Trust that all the months of hard work you put in will pay off on race day. Avoid last minute panic.

Bottom line: Trust your learning.

Marathons appeal to all people, but I believe that many people who are disciplined enough to run more than 26 miles are also prone to anxiety. At the same time, everything about marathon training forces you to put things into perspective. There’s a reason people use the saying “it’s a marathon, not a sprint” to describe the importance of consistency, patience, and delayed gratification. Taper is one of your most valuable sources of mental toughness, teaching you to trust your training and accept that a few days before a competition it is no longer possible to achieve fitness.

Personally, I view dose reduction as a reward rather than a restriction. I earned this taper. You deserve this cut too. In fact, Lifehacker senior health editor Beth Skwarecki has a great article with even more tips on how to stay sane while tapering.