Marathoning Start to Finish

Tapering and Loading

Tapering

The final phase of training is tapering or resting prior to the event. Each runner responds to tapering approaches differently and there are many personalized schemes used. The following physiological principles apply, however, and should be considered when selecting a tapering method.

Rebuilding depleted nutrient stores in the body (such as glycogen) to their maximum requires 2 to 3 days of lowered activity.
Rebuilding minor injuries in muscle or connective tissue takes a minimum of 5 days.
The body's store of oxidative enzymes diminishes in 72 hours if not stimulated by aerobic exercise.
Any training effect you get from hard activity during the last 10 days before the race will be minimal.

To summarize the conclusions drawn from all this, you should back off before the event, but not totally. One recommended approach to marathon tapering is given below. Begin the week before race week. During this week the final sharpening will be done and the last hard workouts. No long run should be done the weekend before the race, instead an easy run of less distance, 10 - 15 miles, should be run. Four days before the race a normal length easy workout is run possibly incorporating a few accelerations (essentially an easy fartlek run), to loosen up the legs. The next two days easy workouts of about half the normal length should be run. The day before the marathon an easy run of about 15 minutes is useful in keeping the legs loose and burning off excess nervous energy.

Carbohydrate loading is an important part of this pattern with the last three days before the marathon the time for the runner to increase carbohydrate intake while avoiding fats and protein. Typical tapering schemes are shown below. The last week of sharpening is shown for comparison.

Beginning Marathon Tapering

Goals: Last long run 2 weeks before to allow complete recovery. Mileage cut to less than half during the last 4 days for rest and carbohydrate loading.

Mileage Progression

	Week     S     M     T     W     T     F     S    Miles/week

 	 25     16     2     4     8     4     8     -        42
 	 26     10     2     4     4     2*    2* short jog*  25
 	 27  Marathon

The short jog is done at a very easy pace for 10 - 15 minutes. 
All other runs are done at and easy pace (75-80% effort).

*Carbohydrate Load

Intermediate Marathon Tapering

Goals: Last long run 2 weeks before to allow complete recovery. Mileage cut to less than half during last 4 days for est and carbohydrate loading. Some short accelerations in workout 4 days before marathon to keep legs loose.

Mileage Progression

	Week	 S     M     T     W     T     F     S     Miles/week
	 25     20     6     6    6T     6    12     6        62
	 26     12     6     6    6EF    3*    3* short jog*  38
	 27 MARATHON

The short jog is done at an easy pace for about 15 minutes.

The short EF run is an easy paced run (75-80% effort) with 6 -
8 marathon race pace strides of around 200 yards interspersed
throughout.

All other tapering week runs done at an easy pace (75-80%
effort).

*Carbohydrate load

Advanced Marathon Tapering

Mileage Progression

	Week     S     M     T     W     T     F     S     Miles/week
	 25     25     7     7    7T     7    14     7        69
	 26     15     7     7    7EF    3*    3* short jog*  44
	 27 MARATHON

The short jog is done at an easy pace for about 15 minutes.

The short EF run is an easy paced run (75-80% effort) with 6 -
8 marathon race pace strides of around 200 yards interspersed
throughout.

All other tapering week runs done at an easy pace (75-80%
effort).

*Carbohydrate load

Carbohydrate Loading

You have learned about the major energy sources and have, hopefully, experienced using them in running. Your training experience has lead you to run better on fat metabolism and store more carbohydrates (CHO) or glycogen to be used. You also remember that some glycogen metabolism must be happening for fat metabolism to easily occur. It is possible to store even more carbohydrates through a process called carbohydrate loading. Normal stores will last for 1 1/2 to 2 hours of running, but CHO loading can be a useful tool for events that last longer than this such as the marathon.

Carbohydrate loading has been studied intensely by many exercise physiologists. The original plan involved a six day program with a 3 day depletion phase which could trigger supercompensation by the muscles to store glycogen. David Costill, Ball State Human Performance Lab, has done extensive studies to show that an intensely training endurance athlete depletes his muscles to low levels daily and does not need dietary induction of the depletion phase. This athlete normally needs a high CHO diet to replenish his/her muscles. Costill's studies showed that eating a high CHO diet (70%) following a normal 50% CHO diet leads to almost the same muscle glycogen stores as 70% CHO following 15% CHO (depletion phase). The high CHO diet must be accompanied by a reduction in exercise. This information leads us to the following recommended loading scheme.

                        Marathon Week  
          M   |   T   |   W   |   T   |   F   |   S    |   S   
   
          Regular Exercise    | Low Exercise           |  RACE
          Regular Diet        | High Carbohydrate Diet |       
   
          (50-60% CHO)        | (70-80% CHO))          |

Costills' research has also revealed that for over 48 hours of loading, complex carbo's produce greater muscle glycogen storage than simple carbohydrates. The daily requirement for protein and fat should be fulfilled, but the more carbohydrate eaten, the more that will be stored. Storage is facilitated by two large meals rather than smaller ones. Our recommended plan is:

Carbohydrate load for 3 days before the event accompanied by a period of reduced exercise.
The first day of loading is the most important. Begin with a big carbo breakfast , such as pancakes or French toast. This is the day for the traditional pasta dinner of spaghetti and bread. Try to stuff in as many complex carbohydrates as possible in these two meals.
Taper off bulk and switch to more simple CHO's as the days progress. Do not load on large quantities of fruit or any other foodstuffs that you don't normally eat.
The last major meal should be 12-15 hours before the race and should not include too much bulk. It should be easily digestible so that it will pass through your system before the race. Experiment with this meal before your long training runs so that you know what and how much of the desired food works best for you. We have found 1 or 2 bean burritos with very little cheese works well for us. We always take our own pre race dinner with us after bad experiences from eating untried food in strange restaurants.
If you plan to eat on race day morning and are used to doing so, a light CHO meal such as toast may be consumed 2-3 hours before the race. This meal is certainly a matter of personal preference and should be done only if this is usual for you. No carbo's, especially simple sugars, should be ingested within 2 hours of the run; this could lead to an blood insulin reaction causing weakness and fatigue.

How will you know if you are effectively loading? If you are keeping a record of your daily weight, you will notice a 2-5 or more pound weight gain over the 3 day period. As the CHO is stored, water is also stored in the muscle leading to the weight gain. This water storage may make your legs feel sluggish during your few miles of easy runs, but it may well come in handy during the marathon as a source of sweat etc. You may also feel sleepy, cranky or tired due to the blood sugar and insulin responses to all the carbohydrate. During the race however, you should feel superpowered and ready to go.

Carbohydrate loading without the depletion phase should be safe for most healthy individuals. Diabetics and others with particular health problems should consult their physicians before any radical diet changes.