Taper Week — space camp.

photo 3.jpg — Taper Week

*It’s going to suck.*

Doubt starts creeping in…

“Did I do enough speed training?” “God, I’m getting fat again" “Am I even a runner?”. You’re alone with nothing but your thoughts and all of them say you are not good enough. You’ve come to rely on a good run to clear your mind but that option is off the table. Welcome to taper week.

I’d like to say things aren’t all that bad but that’s honestly not how I feel. I’ve spent the last 12 weeks of my life doing nothing but running 40-60 miles a week and the better part of two years doing some form of exercise every day. I’ve become dependent on it, much like a safety blanket, that life is in order. I am lucky that we live in a world where all of human knowledge is now nestled safely next to our butts and obsessing over marathon training videos on YouTube has prepared me for the mental suckfest that is the week leading up to the race.

Here’s what I’ve learned from my own experience:

Embrace the suck.

One of the top reasons to become a runner is the mental relief that it provides. Much like meditation, running enables you to get in better touch with your thoughts and overcome mental barriers. In the last year, running has helped me live a happier life by giving me focus, perspective, and even kick out some bad habits. There’s also a crazy therapeutic release that comes when you shut down the world and your mind to only focus on your present actions. More so than any drinking, weed, or a night out - running has become what keeps me balanced.

This isn’t as healthy as it sounds. The thing is, you shouldn’t center your entire mental well-being around a single action or ritual because life will throw a monkey wrench your way the moment you get comfortable. I’ve had a good perspective on this and have learned to be more self-aware and manage stress, anxiety, and depression in a way that doesn’t rely on anything but myself (to the best I can, at least). Most runners get anxious during this taper period because they’ve become dependent on running as a release.

Spend this time pursuing some of your other passions or get a new hobby. It doesn’t even have to be all that constructive; if you love playing video games use this time to catch up on that. This is an excellent time to find other healthy ways of coping with the stress of the outside world, but most importantly, learn how to cope with your own mind. It’s the only thing that will carry you through that finish line when you hit The Wall.

Don’t be a slob.

Look, this is supposed to be a recovery week but that doesn’t mean it is a good idea to be a couch potato. Save that shit for the week after the race. If this is your first marathon then go on a walk for a mile or two. If you’ve been running for longer then light jogging/running is all good baby! You won’t lose all your fitness in a week. As a matter of fact, it is best to run slightly undertrained than overtrained. However, you aren’t doing yourself any favors by binge-watching Narcos and eating like trash leading up to the race. Stay active mentally and physically.

Here’s a couple things you can do this week that will really benefit you on race day:

Memorize the race route. It will really come in handy when you’re tired and wondering where your next water break will be (or when nature calls).
Plan your next race. For whatever reason, you decided to give competitive running a try, you might as well start planning your next training period to give yourself something to look up to.
Prep your race-day kit. I like to go over my Gu rotation and neurotically overthink the right mix of nutrition that will fuel my next PR attempt a day or two before the race. A better weather forecast also helps me decide on what to wear. Wear an old hoodie during the start of the race that you don’t mind losing if it’s going to be cold. Most races will pick up these clothes and donate them to the homeless.
Pack your drop-bag. All of my focus goes into visualizing a positive race experience and the last thing I want to worry about is planing what I’ll be wearing after the race is done. Prep your drop bag the day before and leave it by the door so it’s one less thing to worry about.

Mind your diet.

One of the greatest joys of running is that it gives me an excuse to eat all of the pasta, croissants, and donuts I can get my grubby little fingers on. Also, waffles. And bacon. God, I am so hungry right now.

This is actually my point - there’s a myth that runners have this perfectly healthy diet but our dirty little secret is that most of us are actually fat kids that are constantly hungry. Your metabolism spikes up a ton when you do any form of exercise that has you burning 5k+ calories per day and, luckily, most of our bad decisions are forgiven because of the exercise.

Except that this is Hell Week and you are saving all your energy for the race. If you’ve been doing it correctly, your metabolism is still relatively fast and you want to eat everything. Keep it clean, continue to eat the same types of food you would during any other training week but keep it proportional to your energy consumption (which unfortunately is nothing). You will more than likely definitely gain some weight this week but that’s actually a good thing. I threw my scale away (and cried… a lot) after “gaining” 7 pounds after a day of not running. I hear the screams about all of this being water weight and I know that, but there’s still something super disheartening about seeing a weight gain in a sport that rewards being as light as possible on race day. You don’t need that type of negativity in your life, especially this week. Throw that scale away and make sure you don’t eat like shit.

You’re about to run 26.2 miles at full capacity - that added weight is key in making sure you don’t die.

There are moments when negative thoughts flood my mind and I wonder if I will even finish the race. They ignite a fear inside of me that, just for a moment, makes me consider quitting. It is during those moments of doubt that I remind myself that the race doesn’t begin at the starting line. My race began months ago with the Mississippi River at my side and the skylight of downtown Baton Rouge on the other struggling to complete 10 miles in 90-degree heat. It carried through all the times I wanted to slow down but pushed on and all the times I was lifted by the support of other runners that gave me a nod as we crossed paths and in some cases even threw me an encouraging high-five.

The real race isn’t the one we’re running at the end of taper week but the one in our heads. It is the equivalent of the physical and mental shutdown people experience when they hit The Wall. You are alone. You’ve been alone all this time and it didn’t stop you from getting this far. So shut the fuck up and keep going; the next marathon is only 14 weeks away.