This is the second season of Training notebooksa Lifehacker series about my journey to the 2024 Philadelphia Marathon. This series will cover all the ups, downs and hill repeats leading up to race day on Sunday, November 24th. I’ll go over proper fueling, injuries and setbacks, treadmill tips, wardrobe malfunctions, long-term logic, and just generally speaking. think about what it takes to cross the finish line of a marathon.

I’m writing this post while bouncing my leg furiously with nervous energy. My marathon is in two days and all I want to do to deal with the anxiety and excitement is go for a nice, long run. Unfortunately, in the days leading up to a race, this is the first thing I’m not allowed to do.

When I wrote about survive the dreaded cone Last year I focused on tips for mental challenge. Today I’m bringing you more concrete tips to make your taper work for you, so all your months of training can shine through on race day.

Why the cone is important

Tapering is not just a break before the race, it is a scientifically proven strategy to optimize your performance. Tapering is all about allowing your body to recover, refuel, and prepare for peak performance on race day. During this time, your body repairs damaged tissues, replenishes glycogen stores, and reduces fatigue without sacrificing fitness. Research shows that a proper cone can improve running performance by 2-3%. So let’s take a look at what a proper reduction entails.

The Perfect Tapering Timeline

You’ve been pushing yourself for months and now, as race day approaches, it’s time to step back and focus on your final preparations.

A week before

• Reduce your weekly mileage by 40-50%.

• Maintain the intensity of the workout but decrease the duration.

• Complete your last “long” run (8 to 10 miles).

• Focus on getting quality sleep (aim for more than 8 hours).

4-5 days before

• Reduce mileage to 30-40% of peak training.

• Include short periods of running.

• Start carb loading.

• Avoid trying new foods or activities.

2-3 days before

The day before

• Do a short 15-20 minute shaking session (optional)

• Stay away.

• Prepare running gear and supplies.

• Go to bed early.

Nutrition during the reduction week

Oh, how I I love loading up on carbs for a specific purpose.. In the days leading up to the marathon, you want to gradually increase your carbohydrate intake. This doesn’t mean overdoing it, but rather focusing on quality carbs like pasta, rice, oats and sweet potatoes to fuel up for race day. Do it over a few days rather than the day before the race. Focus on foods that are familiar and easy to digest.

What to eat the day before a marathon

• Load of carbs! For the three days before the marathon, increase your carbohydrate intake to 70% of your total calories. Good sources of carbohydrates are whole wheat pasta, potatoes, rice, oats, etc.

• Eat familiar foods to avoid gastrointestinal problems. Now is not the time to try new exotic dishes. Stick to regular meals that your body can tolerate.

• Hydrate well in the preceding days. Aim for 12 to 16 cups of water per day to store water in your muscles. Reduce your fiber intake to avoid gastrointestinal problems.

• Have a big, high-carb dinner the night before. Pasta primavera, rice and beans, pizza, etc.

What to eat the morning of the marathon

• Eat two to four hours before tee time. Set your alarm early so you have time to digest.

• Opt for easy-to-digest carbohydrates and a little protein. Oatmeal, whole wheat toast, banana, peanut butter, eggs.

• Drink 16 ounces of water or sports drink. Hydrate well in the morning.

• Avoid foods high in fiber, fat or protein, which can cause gastrointestinal upset.

Common cone traps to avoid

Significantly reducing your mileage does indeed bother you. Over the past five marathons, here are all the pitfalls I’ve learned to avoid.

Phantom pains. Don’t panic at every new pain: reduced training often makes runners hypersensitive to normal sensations. Trust that your body is healing.

Excess energy. Resist the urge to use your extra energy on activities other than running. Now is not the time to rearrange furniture or start a home improvement project.

Compensatory feeding. Maintain normal portions despite reduced training. A slight weight gain due to glycogen storage is normal, but overeating can impact running performance.

Problem foods. My most common culprits are high-fiber foods eaten the day before the race; large, fatty meals; new or unfamiliar foods; and excess caffeine.

Training doubt. Shrinkage often triggers anxiety related to loss of fitness. Remember: you can’t improve your fitness in the last week, but you can sabotage it by overtraining. My guiding philosophy for getting over the hump is that “the hay is in the barn”: all the hard work is done and there is nothing else to do, even if you want to.

Final Thoughts

View the discount as a reward, not a restriction. View your training logs to build your confidence and connect with other runners for support. I like visualize all the possibilities race day scenarios and set process-focused race day goals. For example, I really paint a picture in my mind of myself digging deep to tap into my inner reserves of strength.

Consider this time an essential part of your marathon journey. Trust the process, stay patient, and remember that it’s much better to feel fresh on race day than to feel overtrained.

Remember: you can’t improve your fitness while running, but you can arrive at the starting line rested, recovered, and ready to achieve your marathon goals. Focus on controlling what you can control and trust that the hay is already in the barn.