You’ve done the training — your fitness is “in the bank” — and now it’s time to ensure you arrive at the starting line fresh and sharp. Although there is no one-size-fits-all approach to tapering, the key rules are to decrease your volume while maintaining or increasing intensity.

If you’re racing distances from 10K to 30K, then plan for a one-week to two-week taper before your target race. If you’re racing marathons or ultramarathons, then plan for a two-week to three-week taper before your target race.

This 3-week training block provides a blueprint to help you shape your own race taper. If you’ve gone through the Alp Fitness training block progression, then use the coupon code found in the Endurance Training, Lactate Threshold Training, or VO2max Training plans to add this plan to your calendar at no cost.