Taper

A taper is the easier stretch before a race: less running, the same rhythm and some speed kept, so you arrive rested but sharp. Longer races get longer tapers.

Fitness built over months doesn't vanish in two weeks, but tiredness does. That's the whole idea of a taper. A meta-analysis of 27 studies in competitive athletes found the best results came from about 2 weeks of cutting training volume by 41 to 60% while keeping the intensity and how often you train.

Marathons seem to like a little longer. In training data from more than 158,000 recreational marathon runners, a strict 3-week taper, with volume dropping week by week, went with the fastest finishes: a median 5 minutes 32 seconds quicker than a minimal taper.

Pajdo's plan tapers 3 weeks for a marathon, at 80, 60 and 45% of your last building week, 2 weeks for a half at 55 and 45%, and the last week at 50% for a 5K or 10K. Every run day stays, and the workouts switch to race pace. Race week has no long run, at most one workout and none in the 2 days before the race. Feeling restless is part of it.

This is general wellness information, not medical advice. If a number worries you, or stays away from your usual for a while, talk to a doctor.

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