I have often advocated for the 4 week taper on this list. There is much scientific evidence to
support it. Studies have shown that we retain the ability to run long for roughly 16 weeks after the
last lengthy effort! Additionally, research indicates that most runners require 4 weeks to recover
from the muscle damage incurred by runs longer than about 11 miles. I've used the 4 week taper for
my last 10 marathons. Most people taper for 3, believing they'll lose their edge--that their body
will lose its capacity to "go long"--if they taper any longer. However, they'll never know if they
might have performed even better with a 4 week taper. There are many examples of quality elite
runners performing well after unexpectedly long tapers. Probably the most well known such example is
that of Emil Zatopek, who was injured prior to the 1952 Olympic Games and could not run much prior
to the Games. Then he won the 5k, 10k and marathon! Also, the men's marathon champion in the 1984 LA
games, Carlos Lopes, was hit by a car prior to the Olympics that year, which limited his training.
An acquaintance of mine who has discussed this issue with some Kenyan elite runners told me that
they looked at him somewhat incredulously and indicated that their bodies already knew how to run
long--what they needed to do late in their training sequences was fast and not long running! Anyway,
I submit that the 3 week taper tradition is a myth that has been elevated to the level of "fact," or
"best practice," bolstered by the dominant voices in the running community over the years. I believe
that no one tapering program--three, four or even two weeks--is "right." Everyone is different and
no one regimen works for all. Anyway, right now I'm in the third week of my taper for Boston!!
Best of luck in your first marathon! To increase your chances of having a good experience, remember
to: carbohydrate load (4g per lb of body weight each day) for 3 days prior to the race; drink 12-14
oz of gatorade prior to the start; start out a few seconds slower than goal pace in the first couple
of miles; drink 20-24 oz of gatorade every hour during the race and stay away from water and solids
like gu--you don't need them.
Dave
Satish K wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I will be running my first marathon on May 4th. I already ran my last 20 miler on Apr 6th. Now I
> am in taper mode until my marathon and my remaining long runs are 15, 8 , 6 and the marathon. Is
> it okay to deviate from traditional 3 week taper rule? My aim is to just finish the marathon
> (anything under 5 hours will be great).
>
> Thanks,
>
> - Satish
