Toddler Tantrums or Taper Tantrums?

You’ve Survived Toddler Tantrums but What Can You Do About Your Own Taper Tantrums? Are you a week or two out from your big event and thought the hardest parts of your training were behind you. And while you are excited for your fast approaching race you’ve also found yourself a little snappier than normal  with your people? Maybe you’re bouncing between a sudden need to rearrange your entire kitchen and wanting to rot into the couch eating costco sized bags of chips? Perhaps you’re a little freaked out because runs that on paper looked very easy have felt hard or you're starting to notice random niggles in new places?

If any of this sounds like you, you’re not alone, you’re having a taper tantrum. Don’t worry, just like you figured out what to do when you cut your 3 year old’s sandwich wrong, you can figure this out too. 

First let’s get clear on what a taper is. 

The taper is a window of time (usually 1-2 weeks) before a race where a runner decreases their training volume (mileage) to allow their body to recover from the chronic stress and fatigue piled on during training. Think of it like finally plugging your phone in at night when you were on low battery all day charging just enough here and there to get by. Hard training actually breaks your body down and the purpose of the taper is to allow your body time to repair so you are ready to perform on race day. 

Key Benefits of the Taper: 

Muscle Recovery: Muscles have a chance to recover from the chronic fatigue of training and fix the micro traumas created by training. This actually allows them to build back stronger than they were before training.

Replenished Energy Stores: Allows time for your body to replenish glycogen stores in your muscles and liver. Glycogen is your body’s storage system for glucose (the primary energy source used during running). 

Mental Break: After a big training build it’s not just your body that feels the fatigue, your brain also needs a break. This recovery period will allow you to be more mentally tough on race day.

So if tapering equals more recovery time,  WHY does it feel so crummy? 

Short answer, your body and mind have become used to a certain amount of training and initially that change in routine just feels wrong. You're out of routine, you're getting less of those feel good endorphins flowing through your blood stream, and the energy you usually give to running has nowhere to go. These changes in hormones and your body switching into repair mode can cause you to be more aware of little issues (niggles) you weren’t noticing before or your legs to feel heavy on easy runs. 

This might make you feel like you are losing your fitness (and maybe your mind) but the repair process is at work. If you give your body the time it needs you will feel primed and ready to go come race day.

So what can I do to manage taper tantrums and actually get the most out of this critical recovery period?

Schedule it. Work with a coach or follow a plan that incorporates a taper into your race prep. While your training volume overall should decrease it can be beneficial to continue with focused quality speedwork to keep your fitness fine tuned. Having this all planned out can help you mentally as you’re still executing your plan. 

Look back at your training log. Your brain often falls victim to a phenomenon called recency bias where you remember recent events and give them more weight. (For example this week or two where your training volume and intensity are lower might make you feel like you are undertrained)  Reflecting on your training can be a good reminder and confidence boost that you did in fact put in the work.

Phone a friend.Talk to a supportive friend or family member, fellow runner, or coach that has been there. Just talking through the fears or nerves with someone who gets it helps. Avoid the friend or family members who just think you're crazy for running anyway.

Visualize the day. Imagine what the day feels like and the story you want to be able to tell yourself when it’s all over. Think of an easy phrase or word to lean into when the race feels challenging.  If your mind likes to run wild with crazy worst case scenarios, picture those and what you will do to solve it. 

Plan what you can. Spend the extra time to map out the details of race weekend, finalize your fueling plan, double check your gear, and spend a little time ironing out the little things that will make race day more enjoyable like your post race brunch spot.

Find something else to pour your extra time and energy into. Just make sure it won’t put too much stress on your body that it interferes with recovery mode. This can be a good chance to slow down or prioritize things that took a backseat during training. Here are a few of my favorites.

-Explore a new park or place with your family.

-Find a new coffee shop or just enjoy a weekend of staying in your pjs and having that slow coffee on the couch

-Family walks or playing with the kids at the park

-Make a big batch of soup or breakfast burritos to have on hand when you’re recovering from your race and will be hungry but might not feel like cooking

-Binge a series with your partner or start a good book

Release the pressure valve and put it in perspective. You truly are one b@d@$$ mama for putting in the work to be able to show up to that start line. This race is a chance to go out and celebrate that work no matter the outcome of the race. (If your kids are 6 or younger, they will just think you won regardless ;) ) 

I’d love to hear from you! Let me know at coachkatlyn@run-resilient what has helped you get through your taper tantrums or what race you’re getting ready to run! 

Keep getting out there and running yourself resilient!

Katlyn