You’ve logged the miles, pushed through the tough workouts, and made it to the two-week mark. Whether you’re preparing for your first half marathon or setting a PR in the full, this is a pivotal point in your training cycle. With race day right around the corner, mental preparation becomes just as critical as physical conditioning. To help you navigate these final weeks, we’re breaking down four key topics every runner faces leading up to the starting line: The Taper, Carb Loading, Weather Planning, and The Myth of Banking Time.
1. The Taper
The taper can be harder to follow for many runners than the most daunting training weeks prior to it. Some runners find it hard to cut back in their training because they feel they might get flat. Yet others will cut back too much because they have been beaten up for weeks and are worried that their legs will not bounce back. The MIT program is designed toward a gradual two-week taper that emphasizes a reduction in weekly mileage with a modest decline of the long run. The workouts begin to change from the strength building workouts to a shorter quicker pace that will give you a bit of a psychological boost.
There are many approaches to a taper but the one mantra that needs to be going through your head is the following: “Trust the Training!” You have two weeks left to stay fit and really begin to focus on the approaching race, and it all begins with having confidence that you will be ready to go on race day. Whether it is the half or full, the first step in preparing for race day is going to be the battle in your head. Confidence in your abilities is paramount to your success in two weeks so keep the positive thoughts rolling.
2. Carb Loading
This term has been kicked around since the 1970’s and has taken on a whole new meaning in today’s running circles. Carb loading was originally designed as a legit means of “performance enhancing” prior to a big race. Runners would take in little to no carbs while training for a marathon then the last few weeks they would go FULL carb diet. Their bodies would adapt to the heavy training without carbs then the influx of the carbs would give them a sense of freshness and rejuvenation for their race. The main problem became that training would suffer due to the depletion of carbs which equated to poor race performances even with the carb loading on the back end. When one cannot train at an adequate level or get out of their comfort zone due to a lack of energy, then it is not really helping in the long run.
Over time, it was then surmised that a 70% increase of carbs during the last three to four days before a marathon without increasing overall caloric intake does help increase glycogen stores for the big race. The confusing piece of the puzzle is that a taxing workout about a week from the race will help convert more carbs to glycogen than fat, which is why we are still doing a decent long run about a week out from the GCM.
What does this mean for you? During race week, make a concerted effort to pay attention to your carb intake from Thursday until the race and shoot for 70%. This should not be that difficult to achieve because over half of your calories should be from carbs when training for a marathon.
3. Preparing for Unpredictable Weather
The one thing you can’t control...the weather! There are all possibilities available in late April from snow to heat, so you have to be prepared with your warm-up prep. You also have to prepare with hydration and nutrition if there are extreme conditions. Heat requires constant fluid intake that is hard to keep up with on an abnormally hot day. If it’s cool or raining, you have to be cognizant of hydration early on even if you don’t feel the need for it. But the biggest issue will be pace!!!
You will need to strongly consider adjusting your goal time or pace if there is a weather issue such as heat, rain, and/or wind. If your goal is to run a four hour marathon but the weather is calling for temps in the 70’s, you would need to consider backing off on the paceto avoid serious problems later in the race. The same goes for a steady rain or high winds...be prepared to alter your plan if there are extreme weather conditions.
4. The Myth of "Banking Time"
This is the notion of running below your goal pace early in the race while you feel fresh and strong and is an interesting school of thought. To me, there is more to lose by gambling on banking time rather than running a little conservatively and maintaining pace. In a perfect situation, you would be able to get quicker in the later stages of the race, but here are a few tips that I have learned over the years:
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As others are fading in the later stages of a race because they have gone out too fast, you will be able to pass them and that is a huge confidence booster. Even if you maintain pace, long distance events are races of attrition, so it will seem like you are picking it up as you go by those that are falling below pace.
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The minimal time that you may bank early is not commensurate to the time lost in the later stages of the race due to fatigue from going out too fast. Once the wheels begin to come off at the end of a distance race, it usually isn’t pretty. This may not happen to all of you but to risk that chance is not worth it after all the time you have put into training.
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Lastly, starting out conservatively keeps you sharp and has you mentally focused because you feel strong and are able to be in control of what you want to do later in the race. There are going to be struggles and pain later in the race but when it is minimized, you are able to keep in the race longer and push through it with confidence.
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Most long distance world records have been set with negative splits. They know the secret of starting out smart and finishing strong when the finish line is in sight.
The goal is to have a positive and successful race, and I believe that the odds are more in your favor by going out within your limits.
