{"id":16192,"date":"2025-10-13T08:55:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:55:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.racefinder.pt\/?p=16192"},"modified":"2025-10-13T08:55:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T07:55:09","slug":"tapering-the-art-of-resting-before-the-lisbon-marathon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/tapering-the-art-of-resting-before-the-lisbon-marathon\/","title":{"rendered":"Tapering: The Art of Resting Before the Lisbon Marathon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The countdown has begun.<br>With just days to go before the <strong>Lisbon Marathon and Half Marathon<\/strong>, the hard training is behind you. The long runs, early mornings, and tempo sessions are done. Now comes the hardest part for most runners \u2014 <strong>doing less<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This phase is called <em>tapering<\/em>.<br>And while it may seem like \u201cnot training enough,\u201d it\u2019s one of the most important parts of your entire preparation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udd70\ufe0f What is Tapering?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tapering is the <strong>gradual reduction of training volume and intensity<\/strong> before a race.<br>The goal: to let your body recover from accumulated fatigue, restore muscle glycogen, and reach peak condition on race day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In short, it\u2019s about training smarter, not harder \u2014 giving your body the time it needs to absorb all the work you\u2019ve done so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Think of tapering as the bridge between training and racing: where the body rebuilds, the legs recharge, and the mind refocuses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcc5 How Long Should It Last?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The ideal taper depends on your race distance and training load:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Marathon (42 km):<\/strong> 2\u20133 weeks of gradual reduction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Half Marathon (21 km):<\/strong> 7\u201310 days is enough.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The rule of thumb:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>Reduce your total weekly mileage by 40\u201360%, but keep some intensity with short intervals or controlled tempo runs.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Your body still needs movement \u2014 just less stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 <em>Example:<\/em><br>If you\u2019ve been running 60 km per week, drop to 35\u201340 km. Keep one light interval session and a shorter long run (around 16\u201318 km for marathoners).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddec What Happens to the Body During Tapering<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Tapering is proven to <strong>improve performance by 2\u20133%<\/strong>, which can mean several minutes off your finish time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During this phase, your body:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replenishes glycogen stores.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repairs micro-tears and inflammation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduces stress hormones.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Improves muscle efficiency and focus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll feel lighter, sharper, and stronger on race day \u2014 if you trust the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\udd57 Nutrition and Hydration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Your nutrition should reflect your reduced training load \u2014 balanced, familiar, and focused on recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the last 3 days before the race, slightly <strong>increase your carbohydrate intake<\/strong> (pasta, rice, bread, potatoes, oats) to top off glycogen stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 Don\u2019t overdo it \u2014 the goal is to fuel smartly, not overeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca1 <em>Pro tip:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Stick to meals you know work well for you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Eat your pre-race breakfast during this week to test digestion.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drink water regularly and include electrolytes, especially if it\u2019s warm.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\ude34 Sleep: The Invisible Training<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During tapering, recovery is your best workout.<br>Aim for <strong>7\u20139 hours of sleep per night<\/strong>, and if possible, add short naps on rest days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sleep is where your body rebuilds muscle, restores hormones, and consolidates motor memory \u2014 it\u2019s where your training truly sinks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udca4 <em>Tip:<\/em><br>Don\u2019t panic if you sleep poorly the night before the race \u2014 it happens to everyone. Focus on sleeping well <strong>in the two nights before<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83e\uddd8 The Mental Side: Resting the Mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When the kilometers drop, the doubts rise:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cAm I losing fitness?\u201d<br>\u201cShould I squeeze in one more long run?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>No \u2014 you shouldn\u2019t. The work is done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tapering isn\u2019t just for the body \u2014 it\u2019s also a mental reset.<br>It\u2019s your time to slow down, visualize the race, and reconnect with your purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Picture the <strong>Lisbon Marathon course<\/strong> \u2014 the blue sky, the Atlantic breeze, the rhythm of footsteps through Cascais, Bel\u00e9m, and along the Tagus River.<br>Imagine crossing the finish line at <strong>Terreiro do Pa\u00e7o<\/strong>, hearing the crowd, and feeling everything fall into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is tapering: less effort, more focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83c\udfc1 Final Days Before the Race<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2705 Cut mileage but keep your legs moving.<br>\u2705 Don\u2019t try new shoes, clothes, or nutrition.<br>\u2705 Hydrate consistently throughout the day.<br>\u2705 Keep meals simple and familiar.<br>\u2705 Prepare your gear and visualize your pacing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On race weekend, soak in the city\u2019s energy \u2014 the excitement, the community, the sea breeze.<br>When the starting gun fires, trust your training and let your body do what it knows best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcab Lisbon Awaits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>Lisbon Marathon (October 25)<\/strong> and <strong>Lisbon Half Marathon (October 26)<\/strong> aren\u2019t just races \u2014 they\u2019re celebrations of endurance, resilience, and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The tapering phase is the calm before that celebration \u2014 the final stretch where rest turns into strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ve done the hard work. Now it\u2019s time to breathe, recover, and get ready to run your best race yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\ud83d\udc49 Discover more race guides and running events across Portugal at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.racefinder.pt\">racefinder.pt<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The countdown has begun.With just days to go before the Lisbon Marathon and Half Marathon, the hard training is behind you. The long runs, early mornings, and tempo sessions are done. Now comes the hardest part for most runners \u2014 doing less. This phase is called tapering.And while it may seem like \u201cnot training enough,\u201d [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":16193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-running"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/racefinder.pt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}