Taper Week Race Pace
Workout - Taper Week Race Pace
- 2.0km @ 6'00''/km
- 3 lots of:
- 1.5km @ 4'15''/km
- 500m @ 7'30''/km
- 5min @ 10'00''/km
to import the workout after you install it.
Intro
This breakdown draws from The Week Before Your Marathon - A Day By Day Guide by The Running Channel. If you haven’t seen it, it’s worth watching – here’s the core strategy to try out. For full context and additional details, check out the complete video.
Key Points
- Taper strategy: Drop your weekly volume sharply (say, from ~90 km down to ~15 km), but keep your legs engaged through low-intensity activity like easy cycling, swimming, or walking.
- Body awareness: Rest when you’re genuinely tired, but don’t sit idle – maintain easy movement throughout the week.
- Eating for race day: Stick with foods you’ve trained with, bump up carbs somewhat, drink enough to keep your urine pale yellow, and skip anything with high fiber the day before racing.
- Race logistics and mindset: Organize your gear now, lay out your race kit, and do a short activation run to settle the nerves.
Workout Example
Monday: Easy 3–4 mile run (about 5–6 km) at a pace at least 60 seconds slower than your marathon goal – just enough to get the legs moving.
Wednesday (mid-week session):
- 2 km easy warm-up
- 3 × 1.5 km at your goal marathon pace (roughly 4:15 per km if you’re targeting 3:00) – wear the exact shirt, shorts, and shoes you’ll race in.
- 500 m easy recovery (float) between efforts.
Thursday & Friday: Skip the running; use these days to eat extra carbs (pasta, rice, potatoes, oatmeal) and steer clear of fiber-heavy foods.
Saturday (night before): A very light 2–3 km jog to wake up the muscles (optional).
Closing Note
Give yourself permission to ease back, trust that your training got you ready, and adjust the paces for your own fitness using the Pacing app. You’ve done the hard yards – now get out there and race.
References
- The Week Before Your Marathon - A Day By Day Guide - YouTube (YouTube Video)