{"id":24,"date":"2025-09-22T14:03:30","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:03:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/?p=24"},"modified":"2025-09-22T14:03:30","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T14:03:30","slug":"what-is-tapering-in-running","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/what-is-tapering-in-running\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Tapering in Running?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever trained for a marathon or half marathon, you\u2019ve probably heard about the<br \/>\n<strong>taper.<\/strong> It\u2019s a crucial phase of training that takes place in the final weeks before race day.<br \/>\nBut what exactly does tapering mean, and why is it so important?<\/p>\n<h2>Tapering Meaning<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Tapering<\/strong> is the process of gradually reducing your training volume in the weeks<br \/>\nleading up to a race. The goal is to let your body recover from hard training while maintaining fitness,<br \/>\nso you arrive at the start line fresh and ready to perform your best.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Do Runners Taper?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Recover from training:<\/strong> After months of high mileage, tapering gives your muscles,<br \/>\njoints, and nervous system time to heal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Build energy reserves:<\/strong> Reduced training helps your body restore glycogen, which is<br \/>\nessential for endurance events.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Sharpen mentally:<\/strong> Less fatigue means better focus and reduced burnout before race day.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How Long Should a Taper Last?<\/h2>\n<p>A typical <strong>marathon taper lasts 2\u20133 weeks<\/strong>, while a half marathon taper can be 1\u20132 weeks.<br \/>\nThe exact length depends on your training plan and experience level.<\/p>\n<h2>What Does Tapering Look Like?<\/h2>\n<p>During a taper, runners gradually cut their weekly mileage by 20\u201350% compared to peak training.<br \/>\nIntensity (speed workouts, intervals) may remain in small doses to keep the legs sharp, but<br \/>\nlong runs and overall volume are reduced.<\/p>\n<h2>Common Mistakes in Tapering<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Cutting too much:<\/strong> Completely stopping running can make you feel flat on race day.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Not cutting enough:<\/strong> If you keep training at peak volume, you\u2019ll arrive tired and risk injury.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Overthinking:<\/strong> Many runners feel restless during taper \u2014 trust the process!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Tapering and Shakeout Runs<\/h2>\n<p>Tapering doesn\u2019t mean zero running. Many runners include a light<br \/>\n<a href=\"\/blog\/what-is-a-shakeout-run-why-marathoners-do-it-before-race-day\">shakeout run<\/a> the day before their race to keep their legs loose<br \/>\nwithout adding fatigue.<\/p>\n<h2>FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Do all races require tapering?<\/strong><br \/>\nShort races (5K or 10K) often don\u2019t need a long taper \u2014 just a few easier days before the event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How much mileage should I cut?<\/strong><br \/>\nMost plans suggest reducing total mileage by 20\u201340% per week during the taper.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Why do I feel \u201cheavy\u201d during taper?<\/strong><br \/>\nIt\u2019s normal to feel sluggish when reducing mileage. Your body is repairing and storing energy \u2014<br \/>\nyou\u2019ll feel sharp on race day.<\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfc3 Preparing for a big race? Keep track of your race results with<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/runninglog.app\">RunningLog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve ever trained for a marathon or half marathon, you\u2019ve probably heard about the taper. It\u2019s a crucial phase of training that takes place in the final weeks before race day. But what exactly does tapering mean, and why is it so important? Tapering Meaning Tapering is the process of gradually reducing your training [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-training"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24\/revisions\/25"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runninglog.app\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}