You have done the hard work. The long runs, the tempo sessions, the early mornings, the tired legs. All of that is in the bank now and nothing you do in the next seven days is going to add to your fitness. That ship has sailed.
What this week IS about is protecting everything you have built, showing up to the start line healthy, rested, and ready to run the race your training deserves.
Here is exactly what I would do, day by day.
Sunday (7 days out): Your last real run
If you have one more medium effort run on your plan, do it today and do it easy. This is your last chance to shake the legs out before things get dialled back significantly. Keep it comfortable, finish feeling like you could have done more. That is the goal.
This is also a good day to lay out your gear, check your race kit, and make a list of anything you are missing. Better to know now than Thursday.
Monday (6 days out): Easy movement, big sleep
Short easy run or a walk. 20 to 30 minutes maximum. The goal is blood flow, not fitness. Your body is starting to consolidate everything from the past few months of training and the best thing you can do is get out of its way.
Start prioritizing sleep tonight. Not just this night, but every night this week. Two consecutive great nights of sleep before race day has a bigger impact on performance than almost any other variable you can control right now. Start building that habit today.
Tuesday (5 days out): Get on top of your body
This is the day to address anything that has been nagging at you. A bit of tightness in the calf, some stiffness in the hip, a heel that has been grumbling. Do not ignore it and hope it goes away. Get on the foam roller, use a massage ball, book a massage if you can get one, elevate your legs in the evening.
We carry a full range of recovery tools at Frontrunners including foam rollers, massage balls, and compression gear. Come in if you need anything. This is not the week to tough it out.
What to look for:
- Foam roller for quads, IT band, and calves
- Massage ball for plantar fascia and glutes
- Compression socks for travel or long periods of standing
- Bodyglide or anti-chafe balm if you have not sorted this yet
Wednesday (4 days out): Start your carb load
A lot of runners make the mistake of doing their big pasta dinner on Saturday night. By then it is too late for your body to fully convert and store that energy as glycogen. Start loading carbs on Wednesday or Thursday.
This does not mean eating until you feel sick. It means making carbohydrates the main event at every meal and reducing fibre-heavy foods that can cause gut issues on race day. White rice, pasta, bread, potatoes. Keep it simple and familiar.
Stay well hydrated. Urine should be pale yellow throughout the week. If it is dark, drink more water. If it is completely clear all day, you may be overdoing it.
Thursday (3 days out): A short shake-out
Three or four kilometres at an easy conversational pace. The goal of this run is entirely mental. You want to feel your legs move, remind yourself that you are a runner, and shake off any anxiety that has been building. Some people feel heavy and sluggish during taper week and panic. That is completely normal. It does not mean anything is wrong.
Do not check your watch every kilometre. Just run easy and come home.
If you have not finalised your race nutrition plan, do it today. Whatever you have been using in training, write it down. Gels, chews, sports drink, caffeine timing. Do not try anything new on race day. This is not the week to experiment.
Friday (2 days out): Rest, prep, and pack
This is a rest day. A real one. If you want to go for a 10 minute walk, fine. But no running, no gym, no spontaneous decision to help a friend move house.
Use the time to:
Pack your race bag the night before, not the morning of. Lay everything out and check it twice. Race bib, safety pins, timing chip, shoes, socks, race kit, warm-up layers, post-race clothes, nutrition, your phone charger.
Sort your morning logistics. What time do you need to wake up? How long does it take to get to the start line? Where are you parking or catching transit? Where are your supporters meeting you? Know all of this before you go to bed.
Eat a normal dinner. Not a huge feast. Something familiar, carbohydrate-focused, easy to digest. This is not the time to try a new restaurant.
Saturday (1 day out): Stay off your feet
The single biggest mistake people make the day before a marathon is walking around too much. Expo visits, sightseeing, standing in line. Your legs do not know the difference between a 5km walk and a 5km easy run. Stay off your feet as much as you possibly can.
A short 10 to 15 minute walk or jog to loosen up is fine. Beyond that, sit down, put your legs up, watch something easy on Netflix, and sleep as early as you can manage.
Eat your last big carbohydrate meal at lunch rather than dinner so your body has time to digest before bed. A light dinner in the evening is fine.
Drink water consistently throughout the day but do not go overboard in the evening or you will be up all night.
Race morning: The non-negotiables
Wake up at least 3 hours before your start time if you can. This gives your body time to fully wake up and gives you time to eat, digest, and deal with nerves without rushing.
Breakfast: Eat what you have practised in training. For most people that is oats, toast, a banana, or something similarly familiar and easy to digest. Aim to finish eating at least 2 to 2.5 hours before the gun.
Caffeine: If you use it, time it right. Most people perform best when caffeine peaks around the start of the race. That typically means having your coffee 45 to 60 minutes before the gun.
Warmup: For a marathon you do not need an extensive warmup. A short 5 minute walk or easy jog, some dynamic stretching, and you are good. Save the legs.
Mindset: You are ready. The work is done. Your only job now is to run the race.
What we carry at Frontrunners for race week
If you are missing anything before race day, come in this week and we will sort you out:
- Compression socks and sleeves for recovery and race day circulation
- Foam rollers and massage balls for taper week body maintenance
- Bodyglide and anti-chafe products because kilometre 35 is not the time to discover you needed this
- Race belts and nutrition vests for carrying your fuel
- Nutrition and gels from brands including Precision Fuel and Hydration, Maurten, and Gu
- Socks because the right pair on race day matters more than people think
We have five locations across Vancouver Island and we are here all week. Come in, tell us what you are running, and we will make sure you are ready. Or shop on our site and we can ship all across Canada.
One final thing
Taper week is mentally hard for a lot of runners. You feel like you should be doing more. Your legs feel weird. You second-guess your training. This is all completely normal and it happens to almost everyone.
Trust your training. Trust the process. You have put in the work and now the work is done.
Go run a great race.
Batu Frontrunners Victoria frontrunners.ca
