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The Training Blog

How to Taper Like a Champion for Race Day

  • Mar 28
  • 5 min read

Updated: 7 days ago



So, you've put in the work, you've crushed your long runs, and now it’s time for the taper. But wait... What exactly is tapering? Should you be nervous about it? Is it OK to feel a little off during your taper? Does feeling bad during your taper mean you'll feel bad on race day too?

I’ll be honest—I didn’t always trust that running less could actually help me run faster on race day. The first time I tapered for a race, I was so obsessed with not losing fitness that I couldn’t let go of the idea that if I wasn’t running, I wasn’t improving. I didn’t understand how the fitness adaptation process and timeline worked. I thought, "If I stop running now, all that progress will disappear!" So, I resisted cutting back, thinking that MORE miles meant I was more prepared.


Me in my first marathon, thinking that I needed to train right up until race day to "be ready" (nope!)
Me in my first marathon, thinking that I needed to train right up until race day to "be ready" (nope!)

Looking back, I now realize that my body needed that time to recover and recharge—the taper was doing exactly what it was supposed to do. But at the time, I was so anxious about feeling sluggish and not being "race-ready" that I questioned the whole process. The result? I didn’t trust that running less would help me run faster, and I almost sabotaged my own success. But once I fully embraced the taper, I showed up on race day feeling fresh, strong, and ready to race my best.


Tapering for Race Day Explained

Tapering is the practice of reducing training volume in the final days/weeks before a race. It’s the secret sauce that lets your body recover and super-compensate, so you hit the start line fresh, not fatigued. Research shows that most athletes improve their performance with a proper taper—on average about 2-3% faster in their races. In other words, tapering helps you race faster!


Why Taper? (Fitness vs. Fatigue)

Intense training makes you fitter and tired. A taper sheds that fatigue while keeping your fitness. Think of it as letting your training “sink in.” It takes roughly 7-10 days for your body to fully adapt to any hard workout, so workouts in the last week before race day won’t boost your fitness further—they’ll just tire you out. By cutting back now, you allow your body to recharge and reveal the peak fitness you’ve built. The result? Maximized performance when it counts.



Your Body When You Taper (Physical Benefits)

During a taper, your body undergoes powerful positive changes:

  • Higher Oxygen Delivery: You gain blood volume and red blood cells, meaning more oxygen gets delivered to your muscles, boosting your endurance capacity.

  • Refilled Energy Stores: Your muscles top up their glycogen stores (carbohydrate fuel), ensuring you're fully fueled for race day.

  • Muscle Repair & Strength: With rest, your muscles repair micro-tears from training, leading to increased strength and power as they heal.

  • Improved Efficiency: Tapering can improve running economy—you’ll use less oxygen at the same pace after tapering, making you more efficient.

These changes mean you’re rested, stronger, and more efficient—exactly what you want at the start of your race.


Hormonal Reset for Performance

Tapering also rebalances your hormones for optimal performance:

  • Cortisol (Stress Hormone) Down: Cortisol, a stress hormone that breaks down muscle under heavy training, decreases during taper, meaning less muscle breakdown and a stronger immune system (lower risk of pre-race illness).

  • Testosterone Up: Testosterone, important for recovery and muscle repair, increases when you taper, shifting your body into a more anabolic (building) state.

  • Better T:C Ratio: The ratio of testosterone to cortisol improves, signaling reduced fatigue and better recovery.

  • Balanced Adrenaline: Catecholamines like adrenaline normalize, meaning you’ll feel energized and alert at the start line, rather than flat from stress.


The Psychological Side of Tapering

Tapering doesn’t just help the body—it also refreshes the mind. Expect some positive mental changes: better mood, lower perceived effort, and higher energy as you shed exhaustion. Tapering is often accompanied by reduced mood disturbance, fewer nagging aches, improved relaxation, and even better sleep quality.


That said, many runners experience the “taper crazies.” When you cut back on training, you might feel restless or anxious because you’re used to a higher activity level. It’s common to notice phantom pains or random aches that weren’t there before. This is usually your body repairing itself (micro muscle repairs causing odd twinges). You might even feel sluggish or heavy in the days right before the race. Don’t panic! Storing extra glycogen (which holds water) can make your legs feel heavier, but it means you’re storing energy for race day. Many runners report feeling a big rebound once tapering is complete, so trust the process!


 

Taper Truths vs. Myths

Let’s bust a few myths about tapering:


Myth 1: "I’ll lose fitness if I taper."

Truth: You will not lose your hard-earned fitness in a week or two of tapering. Studies show no drop in VO₂max (aerobic capacity) during a well-executed taper. In fact, a reduction in training can unlock your fitness by reducing fatigue, allowing you to perform better on race day.



Myth 2: "I feel worse during taper, so it isn’t working."

Truth: Feeling sluggish or heavy is actually a sign that tapering is working. It’s normal to have heavy legs as your muscles heal and carbohydrate stores top up. Any lingering fatigue will disappear as you fully recover—come race day, you’ll feel fresher and stronger.



Myth 3: "Maybe I should squeeze in one more hard workout."

Truth: Last-minute cramming is counterproductive. Adding extra miles or intensity during the taper will exhaust you by race day. Studies show that runners who taper properly outperform those who continue training hard until race day.



Embrace the Taper

Tapering is not about slacking off—it’s a strategic part of training that ensures you perform at your best when it counts. Physically, your body is repairing, refueling, and strengthening itself. Mentally, you’re recharging your motivation and focus. Trust the process: less is more.


So, when race day comes, you’ll be rested, strong, and ready to crush it. 🌟



 

Ready for Your Best Race Yet?


Bottom Line:Embrace tapering as your bridge from hard training to peak performance. With the right taper, you'll be fitter and fresher than ever before, ready to tackle your 5K, half marathon, marathon, or any race ahead!


Good luck and happy racing! 🏁



References

Haugen, T., Sandbakk, Ø., Seiler, S., & Tønnessen, E. (2022). The Training Characteristics of World-Class Distance Runners: An Integration of Scientific Literature and Results-Proven Practice. Sports medicine - open, 8(1), 46. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40798-022-00438-7


Hug, B., Heyer, L., Naef, N., Buchheit, M., Wehrlin, J. P., & Millet, G. P. (2014). Tapering for marathon and cardiac autonomic function. International journal of sports medicine, 35(8), 676–683. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1361184


Smyth, B., & Lawlor, A. (2021). Longer Disciplined Tapers Improve Marathon Performance for Recreational Runners. Frontiers in sports and active living, 3, 735220. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.735220


Spilsbury, K. L., Fudge, B. W., Ingham, S. A., Faulkner, S. H., & Nimmo, M. A. (2015). Tapering strategies in elite British endurance runners. European journal of sport science, 15(5), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2014.955128

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