There is nothing you can do to gain fitness but there’s plenty of opportunities to wreak havoc on your hard-earned fitness if you don’t play your cards right. The old adage, “the hay is in the barn,” rings true at this point in your training schedule. During the day, practice meditation (15 to 20 min) to decrease stress and reduce cortisol (stress hormone) levels.ġ week out (7 to 4 days): Dial in the Specifics Avoid bright screens before bedtime, keep the bedroom cool and dark, and get in bed 30 minutes before you want to fall asleep. If you can swing it, aim for an extra hour of sleep each night during this phase. Mind/Body: Sleep is fundamental to proper recovery, allowing the body to adequately repair and improving mood and energy levels.

Resist the urge to overeat during your taper and avoid eating within 2.5 hours of bedtime if your schedule allows. Simply by reducing your training volume and eating the right balance of nutrients, you will be filling your glycogen stores. A big plate of pasta alone isn’t balanced and won’t give your body the nutrients it needs to repair and recover. Make sure meals and snacks have a balance of veggies, lean protein, whole grains, and fruit. (Treats will taste much sweeter after the race). Eat smaller, more frequent meals, eliminate calorically dense, nutrient deficient pre-packaged foods, and cut out or decrease sweets. Nutrition: With your training load decreasing, you’ll need to adjust your caloric intake. Your body needs to recover and prepare for race day. At this point, it can be tempting to add mileage or workout days, but now is not the time to ramp up training. Walk breaks help relieve fatigue, reset run form, lower heart rate, and provide an opportunity to fuel and hydrate. Make sure to include brief walk breaks to simulate slowing down at aid stations or managing heart rate on inclines. Training: The last long run is your final chance to practice race day fueling and pacing. Here are some simple ways to stay on track so you can perform your best on race day. As your mileage winds down, you might find yourself fighting cravings, feeling jittery, and channeling your newfound extra energy into late-night DIY projects (remember when you alphabetized your book collection or photo documented all your kids’ school projects?). Let’s dive into the details of your training, nutrition, and mental tactics so you are ready to toe the starting line with confidence and ease.Ģ weeks out (14 to 7 days): Tame the Taper Craziesįor first-time endurance athletes, running less as race day approaches, aka “tapering,” isn’t quite the vacation from tough training it sounds like it should be. You’ve made it this far so hang tough since navigating this part is critical to your race day performance. With the long months of training behind you, it can be hard to manage the emotional roller coaster before your first marathon.

Day before marathon