Hey Reader!

I recently recorded a podcast with a trail runner named Ben Burgess. He is a wonderful guy who didn't grow up a runner but has used the pursuit of joy as his catalyst for chasing adventure and performance, though the latter is a by-product of enjoying what he does as a hobby.

If you have a moment, I recommend listening to the episode. Many beautiful takeaways apply to life as a whole, not just trail running. You can listen here on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify.

Ben Burgess | Always going... Apr 18 · Peak Pursuits 95:24   ​

Also, before we get into this week's article on tapering, could you consider sharing the newsletter with a friend if you are enjoying it?

The goal is to help more people feel stronger, faster and enjoy running regardless of where they are on their journey. If you know someone who might be looking for that, I would really appreciate it.

Thank You!

How to feel great on race day

We focus so much on training — nailing long runs, getting race-specific — only to show up on race day feeling flat, tired, or heavy-legged.

Sound familiar?

This happens to first-time 10km runners as much as it does to people chasing their 20th PB. In fact, it probably happens more to newer runners. Because getting fit is one thing. But feeling your best when it counts — that’s called peaking. And it’s more art than science.

Here’s how I approach tapering with my runners so they feel fresh, confident, and ready to perform.

What's the Goal of a Taper?

At its core, a taper is about reducing stress — so your body and mind can adapt and recharge to hit race day feeling good.

But there’s a fine line:

• Too little rest → You show up tired and sluggish.
• Too much rest → You feel flat and unresponsive.

That “hibernation mode” you might’ve felt before a race — where your body suddenly says, “Cool, we’re done! Let’s shut down” — is often a sign the taper was too aggressive.

Tapering vs Sharpening: Two Approaches

In modern language, tapering is more commonly associated with peaking, which is getting your mind and body in peak shape for the event. There are two ways to peak: "Tapering" or "Sharpening."

• Tapering: More of the traditional approach where there is a big drop in mileage whilst maintaining, and even adding, short, intense workouts.
  • Who it suits: Shorter events (5k, 10k) or fast-twitch, speed-based runners.
  • Risk: If you're training for longer races, you can lose some aerobic endurance.
• Sharpening: What we are seeing more commonly, especially for the longer distance events, where we keep mileage pretty steady, only doing incremental reductions in volume, but reducing the intensity and volume of your workouts. More rest days between harder efforts.
  • Who it suits: Most everyday runners, especially for half-marathons, marathons, and other endurance events.
  • Risk: For speed—and power-based athletes, this may not be enough time for the body to recover and adapt to training.

For most runners, I prefer sharpening. It keeps your body familiar with your normal training routine, reducing the risk of feeling flat. However, it's often a blend and varies depending on the runner and the event they are doing.

Muscle Tension

Muscle tension might sound negative, but it’s actually key to feeling good. It determines whether you have "bounce" or feel heavy and flat.

• High muscle tension: You feel springy, bouncy, and quick.
• Low muscle tension: Your legs feel heavy, flat, and slow.

Your body continuously adjusts muscle tension based on the workouts you are performing. During the taper, we precisely manage tension to ensure it is optimised for your race.

To bring a quote in from Steve Magness:

How to adjust muscle tension:

Here’s how I help runners fine-tune their muscle tension:

Key taper guidelines

When it comes to any taper, there are a few key guidelines and considerations to follow:

• Your past experience → What’s worked before? Don’t start from scratch if you’ve got good notes.
• Your physiology → Are you someone who rebounds fast from hard efforts? Or do you need a longer recovery? This information can shape how oyu approach a taper
• Your physical and mental state → Tired? Undertrained? Mentally cooked? That all shapes your taper.
• The event you’re racing → Peaking for a 5K is very different from a 100K trail race.

How to find your peak

The best advice I can give?

Keep notes. Reflect. Learn.

What worked for one race might not work again, or it might. What didn’t work might tell you exactly what to do differently next time. This is where a journal or running log becomes gold — and where working with a coach who knows your history can really fast-track the process.

What is truly optimal depends on the person and the event. When it comes to peaking for specific events, I have found this framework helpful:

• Shorter events (like a 5k or 10k):
  • Higher tension helps you feel fast and powerful. A bit closer to race day, you might include short, fast intervals.
• Longer events (half-marathon, marathon, trail events):
  • You need a moderate level of tension—enough to feel responsive but relaxed enough to run efficiently for a long time.
  • Keep hill strides and some tempo-style efforts in. This maintains tension, keeps you feeling smooth, but lets the body refresh for the specific demands of longer events.

Example: Taper for a 5km runner

• 7 days out: Short intervals at a fast pace (like 6 x 400m at 3K -> mile pace).
• 3 days out: Short intervals at race pace (like 1 mile Steady, 8 x 200m).
• 1 day out: Quick strides to keep your legs sharp.

Example: Taper for a Marathon runner

• 21 days out: Last main long run
• 14 days out: Reduce the training volume by 10-20%
• 10 days out: Last bigger workout. This is the last time any fitness gains could be achieved in time.
• 7 days out: Moderate run, finishing with a few minutes at your marathon pace.
• *3 days out: Short intervals at marathon pace or slightly faster.
• 1 day out: Easy strides just to maintain a little spring in your step.

*This one is very individualised and will let some runners feel great, and others will cash their chips in before race day. Unless you are feeling "slow" or have experience that a tune-up session works for you, I wouldn't do this part

Brett's 5km taper

First, we have Brett's last two weeks before a 5km time trial back in February. Brett had a relatively normal week before, then brought the volume down with a mechanical rhythm-focused session. We kept the same frequency of runs, too.

Jake's marathon taper

This time, we are looking at Jake's last 3 weeks, at the time of writing, for his Ballarat Marathon. As you can see, though everything I have spoken about provides a framework, how it's applied to each athlete is still very individualised. This approach will work for Jake (to be determined, but so far so good), but if copied exactly, it won't work perfectly for you.

Jake is also a very advanced athlete, so please take this as an example only.

Don’t Forget Life Stress

Your daily life matters, too. If work, family, or life stress is high, we keep the taper more gentle to ensure you feel emotionally and physically ready to race. If you feel anxious about losing fitness, we keep a bit more training volume to maintain your confidence.

Physically, we need to feel good; mentally, we need to feel great. That is the order of importance for being to push on the day.

Closing Thoughts

Most runners I work with — especially those who got into running later or haven’t been lifelong athletes — lean toward being more aerobic in nature. That doesn’t mean every taper should be long and slow, but it does mean a bit more volume (at a lower intensity) tends to work well.

But again: there’s no one-size-fits-all.

You’ll likely find your best taper approach is somewhere in the middle. A bit of a blend. A rhythm that’s specific to you, shaped over time, considering the stress of life at this moment.

That’s the beauty of the taper — and of the sport.

If you've enjoyed this edition, consider sharing this newsletter with a friend or training partner who’s chasing their fastest, strongest, happiest running self. Have a fantastic day! James Sieber Run & Strength Coach ​Website | Email​ Looking for run nutrition? Head over to Bix and use code JSC for 20% off. Head over to 2XU and use code JAMESSIEBER20 for 20% off. Save 20% at forRunners. Unleash your running potential with personalised, physio-designed pilates workouts AND yoga. ​​​

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