If you’re running this year’s London Marathon, I’m sure you’re fully aware of how quickly the big day is approaching. With just two weeks to go, there’s not much time to improve your performance, but there is a huge amount of time to mess up your months of training.
These two weeks are both the hardest and easiest part of your training. You’ve spent months racking up the mileage and then suddenly in the last two weeks you have to suddenly cut down the mileage and actually rest! Some of you may love it, some will hate it.
Before tapering starts, you think you’ll relish in being able to slow down the pace after a long few months of training however when it comes to, it might not be so easy to relax. You may find that you’ll become a bit impatient, feel like you want to demolish the whole supermarket and feel a bit sluggish. Tapering isn’t about stopping completely, it’s about preparing your body for the challenge that lays ahead. Wind down, let any niggles heal and prepare your body ready to take on the 26.2 miles! You may have gotten ill or not run as far as you were hoping on your longest run and you may be tempted to cram in a long run this week. Don’t.
Nerves that were once squashed under the confidence of your training may find themselves creeping back up to the surface. Your muscles will start to relax and may begin to ache – don’t mistake this for needing to do more training. Resist all urges and stick to your tapering schedule.
Tapering is also a good time to focus on you energy stores. Your body can only store a limited amount of energy in your muscles which will be used in your training. During the tapering weeks it is important to maximise your energy levels by taking on a fair amount of carbohydrates! You may not think it’s possible, but you will become bored of pasta, bread and potatoes eventually! Remember in the last few days before race day, you want to up the carbohydrates but don’t mix them with sauces that are rich – you don’t want any dodgy stomachs come race morning!
If you’re worried about your cardiovascular system losing the stamina it has built up over the last few months, you can be rest assured this won’t be affected during your tapering as long as you keep up some training, although at a decreased volume and intensity. Why not head to the gym and instead of pounding away on the pavements, try the rowing machine, weight machines or even go for a swim. Swimming won’t put too much pressure on your body but will still give you a great CV workout!
Think about replacing one of your runs with yoga. Not only is it an excellent complement to your training plan, it’s also a great way to wind down and relax your mind. It’ll give you an hour or so to clear your mind and focus on something other than the marathon (no doubt it will be all you can think about for 90% of your days in the lead up to the run!) whilst giving your muscles a stretch and loosening them up in preparation! Why not head down to one our local activeNewham leisure centres and try one of our yoga or hot yoga sessions? Head to our website for all our timetables!
