Let’s talk about tapering. In the final two to three weeks before your race, you reduce training volume significantly, and your body will have opinions about that. Your legs might feel heavy. You’ll get phantom niggles. You’ll wonder if you’ve somehow lost all the fitness that you spent months building – spoiler, you haven’t! This is completely normal.

Tapering isn’t about doing nothing, it’s about helping your body absorb the training, reduce fatigue, and prepare for peak performance. The hard work is done. Now your job is to arrive at the start line rested and ready, not exhausted from one last desperate training session.

What to do this week:

• Keep runs short, easy, and infrequent - two to four sessions is plenty
• Prioritise sleep above almost everything else
• Avoid alcohol and excess caffeine, which disrupt rest and hydration
• Spend time on mobility and foam rolling rather than strength training
• Start hydrating and taking in electrolytes in the days ahead of the race

This is one of the most misunderstood parts of marathon prep. Carb loading is not an excuse to eat an entire pizza on Friday night and call it training. It’s a deliberate, strategic process of
filling your muscle glycogen stores to the brim so you don’t hit the wall at kilometre 30.

Here’s the science: your body will first utilise glycogen for energy to fuel the run. When your muscles run out of glycogen, you’ll start burning fat, and you’ll feel that in the form of hitting the dreaded ‘pain cave’.

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 10 to 12 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight in the 36 to 48 hours before the race, because glycogen stores are limited and used up sooner than other sources of energy in the body.

Crucially, one meal won’t adequately fill your glycogen tanks. Start carb loading between three and six days in advance of your event.

What to eat:

• Plain pasta, white rice, bread, oats - easy to digest, fast to absorb
• Reduce fibre and fat intake in the final 48 hours (yes, this means eating fewer vegetables - temporarily)
• Avoid anything new or unfamiliar that could cause stomach issues
• Simple carbs like plain pasta or rice are recommended in the three days prior to the race, because they’re easier to digest
And don’t forget protein. While carbs are taking centre stage, protein helps you build and maintain mitochondria (your cells’ energy factories) improving endurance and supporting the
muscles you’ve been building all training block. Our Triple Chocolate Protein Crunch Granola is an ideal base; oat-based, with real chocolate chunks, 20% protein, and high in fibre when eaten a few days out (switching to lower-fibre carbs closer to race day). It’s fuel that actually tastes great.

Race-day success is decided largely the night before. Here’s your checklist.

Kit
Lay everything out the night before. Race bib, shoes, socks, GPS watch, gels, headphones - everything. The last thing you want is to be hunting for a safety pin at 5am on race morning –
in fact, add them to the list!

Eat early, not late
Eat a carb-heavy meal that’s easy to digest, avoiding spicy foods or anything that could cause an upset stomach. Aim to eat 2-3 hours before bed so your body has time to digest.

Hydrate smart
Avoid drinking lots of water in one go - instead, sip water throughout the day to ensure you’re properly hydrated.

Sleep
This one is free, and runners consistently undervalue it. Your body heals, repairs, and restores during sleep, so aim for 8-9 hours, especially in the days before the race. The night
before a marathon is notoriously difficult for sleep, so bank extra rest two nights before instead. Don’t stress if you’re awake with nerves, it’s normal, and it won’t tank your race.

Start conservatively. The most common marathon mistake is going out too fast. You will feel incredible in the first 10km. That feeling is a lie. Stick to your plan.

• Fuel regularly. Hit every aid station or carry your own gels. The ‘pain cave’ doesn’t announce itself - it arrives quietly around kilometre 30 when glycogen stores are depleted. Consistent fuelling is the only defence.
• Hydrate, but don’t over-hydrate. Sip water with electrolytes before, during, and after. Too much water without electrolytes can flush them out, causing cramps.
• Trust your training. Everything feels harder in the final miles. That’s not weakness - that’s 26.2 miles. You’ve done the long runs. You know what hard feels like.

You’ve done it.

Now the real work begins. What you do in the first 30-60 minutes post-race has a significant impact on how quickly you recover over the following days.

The post-race window:
Protein intake begins muscle repair immediately, hydration improves blood circulation, and light stretching reduces stiffness - even in the first hour. Don’t skip this window just because you’re relieved it’s over.

Protein for muscle repair:

Runners who consumed 20-40g of protein after workouts had faster recovery markers than control groups. Research demonstrated that creatine kinase, a metabolic marker of
muscle damage, was elevated by 2000% following the Boston Marathon and remained elevated for four weeks. Your muscles have been through something significant. Feed them.
Carbs + protein together:

Having protein alongside your post-race carbs helps you refuel faster. Our Protein Crunch Granola (Triple Chocolate or Peanut Butter) with milk or yogurt is a solid recovery meal - real food, real protein (20%), real carbohydrates, and real chocolate. Recovery shouldn’t taste like punishment.

The days after:
Endurance athletes are recommended a daily protein intake of 1.8 to 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight during recovery. Keep eating well, keep hydrating, rest when you can, and resist the urge to jump straight back into training.

Real Food Fuel isn’t just something we put on the packet. It’s the whole point. Whether you’re using our High Protein Porridge the morning of your race, our Protein Trail Mix as a pre-run snack, or our Protein Crunch Granola to kick-start recovery, every product is built around the idea that real ingredients fuel real performance.

Because 26.2 miles starts the night before - and it ends with a very well-deserved bowl of granola.