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Feeling MORE achy during the marathon taper (Read 1203 times)

    I started to taper for my first marathon - which is in 8 days - after my last long run, which was on Oct 21 - almost 2 weeks ago. I've noticed something strange - I've actually felt worse in some ways this week, when I was expecting to feel better. I've got more aches and pains than I ever had during the most intense weeks of my training. I googled this, and found an interesting article at Runners World about Taper Traps that actually mentioned this as one thing that can happen. The author calls this "Phantom Pains" and quotes a doctor (Dr. Smurawa) who says "During a taper, tissue repair on the microscopic level causes muscle twitches and sometimes muscle cramps as the body adapts". My symptoms have been sore knees, sore calf, and just general overall soreness in various places - soreness that wasn't present when I was running 60 miles per week. I feel better now that it appears this is normal, but it is still kind of disconcerting and surprising. Has anyone else experienced this?
      Yup. Very normal. If you feel great a week before the marathon it means you tapered 1 week too much. You want to feel great on race day, not today.

      Runners run


      Go Pre!

        There's a lot to say out there aout too much tapering. The most recent runners world has anintereting article on it. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-238-244--12123-0,00.html
          Has anyone else experienced this?
          Yes!! If I do a serious taper, I have so many physical (and mental) aches, pains, and worries, that I'll question whether I'm really ready for the race. I've worked out a 2 week taper I use for any race of 13.1 or longer that works good. The second week out I do all my usual runs (speed, easy, long) but I only do 50-60% of what my biggest week was. The last week until race day, I do every other day runs of 5-6 miles but only 3 on the last run prior to the race. I do these runs at easy pace but I put in a few pick ups of 30-45 seconds.

          At the end of the day, be happy with where you are and what you've accomplished.

            Yup. Very normal. If you feel great a week before the marathon it means you tapered 1 week too much. You want to feel great on race day, not today.
            That's great to know, cuz I feel like crap and I have 1 week to go.

            Go to http://certainintelligence.blogspot.com for my blog.

              That's great to know, cuz I feel like crap and I have 1 week to go.
              What are you running? (I have a marathon next week too!) Totally normal. I feel simultaneously sluggish and high-energy when I'm tapering. You are doing what's right --- trust your training, trust the taper.
              2009: BQ?
              seeEricaRun


              Awesome

                Taper madness!