Race week is here! You've logged the kilometres, pushed through the early mornings, and earned your spot on that start line. Now comes the part that trips up more runners than any hard workout ever will. The final 7 days. Most people overcomplicate it. Some panic. Some try to cram in "one last long run." Let's talk about what actually works.
This isn't a strict prescription. Your plan may look slightly different depending on the distance you're racing. But the philosophy is the same across the board: protect what you've built, and show up fresh.
First things first. Your legs are going to feel weird this week. Heavy, sluggish, maybe even sore in places that make no sense. Your motivation might dip. You might convince yourself that you haven't trained enough and should add a bonus run. This is called the taper crazies or taper tantrums, and it is extremely normal.
What's happening physiologically is actually great news. Your body is consolidating the fitness gains from your training cycle. Glycogen stores are topping up. Muscle micro-damage is healing. Your nervous system is recovering. Feeling flat doesn't mean you're losing fitness. It means the process is working.
The fitness is already in your legs. Race week is about delivering it to the start line intact, not building more of it.
Resist the urge to test yourself this week. A strong tempo run on Wednesday tells you nothing you don't already know, and it costs you energy you need on race morning.
On The "Doing Nothing" Feeling
Race week is not the week to catch up on steps. Sightseeing on your feet, standing at concerts, or doing a spontaneous hike burns glycogen and taxes your legs the same way running does. Treat your feet like they're race assets this week. Because they are.
Race week looks meaningfully different depending on what you're toeing the line for. Here's how to adjust your approach based on your distance.
Your taper is shorter: 3 to 5 days of reduced volume is plenty. You can keep a bit more sharpness in the legs with a short tune-up run or strides early in the week. Recovery needs are lower, but sleep and hydration still matter enormously. Don't overthink the carb load. A normal, balanced diet does the job at this distance.
Aim for a full 7-day taper with reduced volume across the board. One short quality session earlier in the week is fine. Carbohydrate intake in the 2 to 3 days before the race should increase slightly but doesn't need to be dramatic. Focus on sleep, hydration, and dialing in your race morning logistics.
Your race week is the most structured. A proper carb load starts 2 to 3 days out, meaning high-carb, lower-fibre meals to maximize glycogen storage. Avoid anything new on your plate. Cut strength training entirely this week. Your shakeout run should be very easy, 20 to 30 minutes max, the day before.
Nutrition in race week is about consistency and strategy, not magic. The runners who nail it stick to foods they know, drink water all week (not just the night before), and don't wait until the pasta dinner to think about fuelling.
Chugging a litre of water the night before does very little. Hydration needs to happen across the whole week. Aim for consistent, steady intake daily. Your urine should be pale yellow. Dark yellow means you're already behind. Clear means you've overdone it and flushed out electrolytes.
Race week anxiety is real. Your brain knows something big is coming and it's going to do its thing. You might sleep poorly the night before the race. That's okay. Research consistently shows that one bad night of sleep before a race doesn't significantly hurt performance. The two or three nights before that? Those matter a lot more.
So protect your sleep earlier in the week. Ditch the race-week doom scrolling at midnight. Stop reading finish time calculators at 11pm. Get off your feet earlier. And give yourself permission to feel nervous. Nerves aren't a sign that something is wrong. They're a sign that you care about something.
Spend time this week reviewing your race plan. Not obsessing over it. Know your target pace. Know your fuelling plan. Know where your support crew will be. Know the course. When you've thought it through in advance, your brain has less to spiral about on race morning.
Race morning is not the time to make decisions. Everything should already be decided. Your kit is laid out. Your breakfast is planned. Your bag is packed. Your alarm is set (with a backup). Morning chaos creates cortisol spikes that burn energy you need later in the race.
Wake up at least 2.5 to 3 hours before your gun time. Eat your breakfast early enough to let it settle. Sip water steadily but don't overdo it. Get to the start area with plenty of time so you're not rushing to bag drop, port-a-potties, or the corrals.
Do a 10-minute warm-up jog before 5K and 10K races. For a half or full marathon, a light walk to warm the legs is usually enough. Your opening kilometres will warm you up naturally.
Bib attached to race kit.
Chip or timing tag confirmed.
Race shoes set out.
Headphones charged.
GPS watch charged.
Nutrition and gels packed.
Breakfast ingredients ready.
Bag drop bag prepared.
Course map reviewed.
Phone charged.
Alarm set.
Now rest.
Somewhere in the last few months, you ran when you didn't feel like it. You got up early. You trusted the process on the days it didn't feel like it was working. Race week isn't where you build fitness. It's where you honour everything you've already built.
Your job this week is simple: sleep, eat, rest, and stay calm. Let the taper work. Trust your training. Get to that start line ready to run the race you've prepared for.
I'll see you at the finish. 🏅
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