Tapering 101

Photo by Andrew Scott

Emily Brown is preparing to run the NYC Marathon this weekend. She took some time to share with us her approach to tapering for the race:

“If you don’t know it by now,” my professor rattled off, “You don’t know it – so put up your damn note cards and show me what you got.” His words crushing the looks of stressed students cramming, quieting voices of last minute questions all hoping to secure fragments of knowledge before an exam.

Preparing for a successful marathon is much like preparing for a test. There will be many factors you cannot control – the course, the variables, the day-of jitters. The point is, however, the day and even week before the race are not the times to cram in what you haven’t done already; doing too much prior to your race can cause more damage than not doing anything at all.

Here’s a “cheat sheet” to crafting an effective tapering plan:

T-rim down your mileage. Run less. Rest more. It can be harder than it seems. You will notice every runner outside, and you will covet their run. Instead of running more often in the last three weeks, schedule fewer runs that pack higher quality. Shave off overall miles, but tack on strides and intervals, and add more tempo runs. Each week you will see your total mileage wane, but this overall rest period stabilizes glycogen, hormones, antioxidants and enzymes high-mileage has slowly depleted.

Anticipate crossing the finish.

A-nticipate crossing the finish line. What are your challenges ahead? Build a mental plan about how you will handle them. It could be rain. It could snow in a place that you would never think breaks freezing (i.e. Orlando at Disney in January).  Rehearse in your brain how you will respond to these challenges.

P-lan ahead. The week before may not be the best time to plan your child’s birthday party or start playing pick-up games of basketball. Minimize your chance of stress and injury by resting as much as possible. For practical matters, check the race course map. Know what course nutrition will be served. If you can’t stomach a certain brand of gel, you may need to carry your own. Mentally knowing the locations of water stations and bathrooms can help you while on the course. Running with NFE makes race preparations much easier, and the staff will make sure to help allay any concerns you have before race day.

E-at well. Many people worry about carb-loading the night before. While browsing in a Boston running store a week before my first marathon, I asked the owner, “What one piece of advice do you have to a first-time marathon runner?” His words stuck with me: “Eat well, now, not just the day before.” Build up your glycogen stores and drink lots of water. Keep your sodium in balance by snacking on pretzels and salty foods. Tip: Just as important as eating carbs, added protein helps aid in muscle recovery and tissue repair.

R-uNFor a reason. Forget the time, the course, the medal – who do you ruNFor? Thinking of what your NF Hero endures on a daily basis makes any challenge seem trite. Need inspiration? Check out our NF Heroes. http://www.ctf.org/RUN-FOR-A-REASON-NF-Heroes/ Before race day, I dedicate each mile for the NF Heroes I have met, their stories of resilience, faith and hope recalled by names scrawled on paper, tucked in a Ziplock. Carrying the bag of their names helps me to remember my reasoNFor running, even when I feel like I want to stop. NF Heroes have to keep pressing on even through MRIs, doctor appointments, feeding tubes and other complications of NF. Remember what NF Endurance is all about – pushing passed self-imposed limits and finding possibilities within obstacles.

NFE Cheer Zone

At the end of the day, as a wise friend once told me, it’s just another run, but in a new neighborhood with a lot of friends in neon waiting to cheer you on home.

And so, instead of cramming for a taper, try this: Trim mileage, Anticipate success, Plan ahead, Eat well. RuNFor a reason.

Anna’s Six-Pack Circuit

“Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned”
-Peter Marshall

FAQ: Why is core strengthening beneficial for runners and what are the best methods to improve core?

Answer:
It is important to understand that core strengthening refers to creating stability of the entire torso region of the body; the abdominals, back and gluteus. As stated by Michael Boyle, core stability is “the ability to create extremity movement without compensatory movement of the spine or pelvis.” This is extremely important for runners who constantly absorb ground reaction force and must maintain stability of the core, hips and shoulders.

The primary exercise that must be obtained to strengthen the core is activation of the deep abdominals (transverse abdominals). This is first achieved by learning how to perform draw-in exercises, which is simply creating a hollowing effect of the torso by pulling the belly button inward towards the spine. This exercise must set the stage for any other exercise performed for core strengthening.

There are several exercises prescribed to strengthen the core muscles of the body. Remember that while performing each of these exercises it is important to focus on the draw-in exercise to activate the deep abdominals that support the spine.

Try the following exercises in this short video to strengthen the core:

• Lying Scissor Kicks
• Lying Scissor Bicycle kicks
• Sidewinder Twists
• Side Plank with Lift
• Spider Crawl

Are you in the San Diego area? contact Anna for a more personal plan: (Enable Javascript to see the email address)

The Daily Mile

Dawn Lowell is currently training for her first full marathon, the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Marathon, in June. After four months of training and what seemed like endless running, she received a tip from a friend, revolutionizing her training. Introducing the Daily Mile (www.dailymile.com). The Daily Mile has crafted a fitness niche in the online world by letting users log their miles from pavement to the pool.  “I was thinking, ‘Oh another Web site I need to check up on,’” said Dawn. “Well I looked into this dailymile.com and signed up.”

Dawn and her reason for running with NF Endurance, daughter Ava.

Here is why Dawn has fallen head over sneakers for this online training log.
1. Twitter-like Training – “It is very much like Facebook or Twitter but for athletes!  You can log running, cycling, swimming, weights, walking or cross training. You can connect with other athletes in your area and even make ones you know your ‘friends.’” Be warned, said Dawn, “Once you have friends it becomes sort of competitive because you will receive weekly e-mails on how you stand with your friends…You can even map your routes and even sync with your Facebook or Twitter if you so wish.  The best part for me is looking back on past weeks and looking at all of the miles I have logged, how I felt and my comments on each run.”

2. It’s F-R-E-E.

3. It does the math. “For me now as soon as I get home from a run, I immediately go to the computer, log on and log my run (sweating and all!).  All you have to do is put in your miles and how long it took you and it will calculate everything for you and even give you your calorie burn.”

4. Find new routes. Users can search for new routes based on location, mileage and sport.  An events schedule shows a plethora of opportunities to stay active all year long.

And, if you are interested, add Dawn as a friend. “It has made this rookie marathon runner’s training a bit more fun and motivating!”