The Road to Race Day: Taper, Expo, and Race Day Success

In this episode of Extraordinary Strides, Coach Christine dives deep into the final weeks leading up to race day, focusing on tapering, expo prep, and race day strategies that will set you up for success. Whether you’re a first-time marathoner or a seasoned runner, this guide has everything you need to know to arrive at the starting line feeling confident and ready to crush your race. Tune in for practical tips, expert insights, and answers to the most commonly asked questions about preparing for your big day!

In This Episode, We’ll Cover:

• How to effectively taper your mileage while maintaining sharpness
• The do's and don'ts of race expo strategy to avoid common pitfalls
• Race day preparation tips, including pacing, fueling, and hydration
• Post-race recovery and celebration tips

Related Resources:
For more detailed tips and strategies, check out the accompanying blog post: The Ultimate Guide to Taper, Expo, and Race Day Success.

Free Download:
Want a comprehensive guide to help you prepare? Download The Ultimate Guide to Taper, Expo, and Race Day Success right here: Download the Guide. This guide is packed with everything we discussed and more, ensuring you have a stress-free lead-up to race day.

Chapters

• 0:00 Mastering the Taper
• 6:13 Optimizing Nutrition and Tapering Strategies
• 17:17 Race Day Logistics and Preparation
• 26:53 Race Day Success Strategies
• 33:45 Race Day Resources and Community Support

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey friends, welcome to Extraordinary Strides. I'm your host Coach Christine. I'm also known around here as a fairy run mother. Today we're diving into a topic that's crucial for every runner, especially after those long endurance runs of summer, because we are officially in race season, which is always so exciting. So, whether you're gearing up for your very first endurance race or you've crossed countless finish lines, I'm talking about the final few weeks leading up to race day, the taper expo, preparation and everything you need to know to execute on race day. Now, I know this time can bring up a lot of questions, a lot of excitement and maybe a tad or two of some nerves, but my goal today is to break down everything so that you feel confident, prepared and ready to have your best race yet. So grab your coffee, lace up those shoes if you're going out for a run, or just relax while we get into the nitty-gritty of tapering, navigating the race expo and nailing race day. My friend, let's go. So let's start with Taper Town. I want to officially welcome you to Taper Town if you're a new resident here.

Speaker 1: 1:14

It's quite different than what you've been experiencing in your peak mileage or as you were building in your training. This time it's all about, and being a resident of Taper Town and tapering down. It's a bit of a mental challenge for a lot of runners, because you have spent those months building up your mileage, working really hard, and now here you are. People are telling you to pull back and run less. It feels really counterintuitive. You start to doubt every aspect of your training. Did you do enough? And I know that these questions are completely normal. There's a lot of fear and excitement that surrounds it. I need you to trust the process because this is where your body gets the recovery and starts to fine tune and tweak all of the different components so that you can be fully primed and ready to go for race day.

Speaker 1: 2:05

The question that I get asked most often is how much should I cut back during the taper? And the general guideline is reduce your mileage by 20 to 30% each week for the last two to three weeks before race day. Now this is where it starts to get a little funky. Some folks will have a two week taper, some folks will have a three week taper. Really depends on the plan that you've been using. Also depends on knowing your body and what works best for you to keep you fresh, keep you moving, keep you going for our actual race. So look at it from this perspective. You're doing just enough during that taper town period to push yourself to stay sharp, but without pushing yourself into fatigue. So I'm going to give you an example If you're at a peak of, say, 40 miles per week at the top of your peak mileage, three weeks out, you would reduce that weekly mileage to 32 miles.

Speaker 1: 3:05

Two weeks out, about 24 miles, and then race week closer to 16 miles. And this is where you're likely thinking what do I do with my hands? I feel like there's so much time and this is such a beautiful opportunity for you to tackle some tasks that maybe have been put on the back burner during those heavy weeks of training. I'm going to talk a lot about that, but tapering is about fine tuning a piano or an incredible musical instrument. Your training has built up all this potential and now tapering is going to make sure that everything is in perfect balance. I cannot stress this enough. Less is more when it comes to running and, specifically, a lot of exercise during your taper. However, more is more when it comes to resting and recovery. I want you to really prioritize that, seeing that shift into prioritizing that good sleep, which you should be doing during your entire training, but maybe a little bit more so during this time.

Speaker 1: 4:03

This is not a time to push yourself to try a new activity. Please don't try any new activities as you're getting closer to your race day. If it's not something that you haven't done throughout your training, this is not the time to tackle it. So another big question that I get is what about my long runs? Because people panic about losing fitness. Let me be clear You're not going to lose your fitness as you go into taper. Again, the purpose of tapering is allowing your body to consolidate all of those gains, all of that fitness that you made during your training. So again, looking at your taper would be at two to three weeks, your long run should be dropping to about half the distance of your longest long run and, for example, so if you've done a 20 miler taper, that down to around 10 to 12 by the week of the race, you're looking at a really short, maybe six to eight mile long run at the most. That's it, and that drives folks a little nutso and I get it. So this is where maybe we start looking at if you are a fan of knitting or reading, honing in on that time and really focusing on getting in some extra recovery, some extra social time and getting to that aspect where you're not focusing so much on your running at this point.

Speaker 1: 5:23

Another question that comes to mind is can we still do speed work? Yes and no, we want to make sure that our speed work is something that allows us to keep our legs sharp but not to overtax or overpush. A little few race pace intervals or strides are perfect to keep things ticking without overexerting ourselves, and generally the last workout that you really want to do that's a hard, hard effort should probably be about that 10 day mark from race day. It shouldn't again not overexerting ourselves, but from that point moving forward from like that 10 days out, start to go into those easy conversation, pace, nice lemon squeezy, just enjoying yourself when you're out there, because, again, you've worked really hard to get to this point. So that's a really good one to keep in mind.

Speaker 1: 6:13

Another component about tapering that tends to happen a lot is nutrition, where folks think I'm running less miles, so I need less fuel, and I cannot advise sufficiently against that mindset. My friend, this is not a time to go into a caloric deficit. This is not a time to try to drop a few pounds before race day. You really need to continue to top this glycogen stores, prioritizing some really good, delicious and nutritious fueling, on and off the runs, of course, so that you do have all the nutrients and micronutrients and all the powerhouse energy that you need come race day. Now this does not mean we now know that carbo loading isn't what we once thought about. It's not stuffing yourself with pasta for days and days on end though I'm not hating on the fact that you want pasta, go for it, my friend. But if you weren't consuming a whole lot of pasta throughout your training, you don't have to add in nothing but pasta dishes or nothing but carb dishes.

Speaker 1: 7:15

Close to marathon training, you want to just have a continued balanced approach towards your fuel and especially continuing to lead up to that race week, during taper, not trying too many new foods, which can be difficult if you are traveling for a runcation or a destination race. So we're going to talk a little bit about that. But balance is key. Keep your meals rich in nutrients, avoid heavy or greasy foods, and hydration is going to be paramount. Hydration and balancing our hydration also needs to be key, because I don't want you chugging gallons of water and potentially throwing off your electrolyte and sodium level. So, please, if you haven't again really honed in, if you're still working on your like, you're working up to your peak mileage.

Speaker 1: 8:04

This is the time to really start honing in these best practices that when you get into taper, you continue to execute those strategies. So, focusing on good nutrition, continuing to practice good hydration and, of course, getting in some really good sleep Feels like a lot right. Well, see, that's what you're going to be doing with all of your extra time, that you're no longer having to go out for 20 plus miles. Now, one of the things that I suggest that you do during the last couple of weeks of taper again being more mindful of our energy, being very mindful of being in situations where, during cold and flu season, you may be around some germs, so really good hygiene practices, washing your hands, being mindful of crowded places and, of course, continuing to take your vitamins if you've already been consuming them and just staying really aware to not overtax your immune system, especially again if you're going to be traveling. So some folks are a bit more into it than others. Some folks will mask up those last few weeks of tapering. Some folks won't, but whatever works for you as long as you're able to stay healthy to get you to race day feeling your absolute best Some of the things that I love to do.

Speaker 1: 9:18

In my last couple of weeks leading up to taper I tend to be a bit more mindful about where I'm going to be going. I don't put myself in overly crowded situations. That does not mean that 100% of the time it works, but that's what I try to do. So I probably limit my personal experiences to the theme parks or not necessarily getting into as many of those closed rides or elevators. I'll grab the stairs instead of an elevator for the most part anyway. And then I keep myself busy by maybe catching up on some of those blockbuster movies that came out that I didn't have time to watch, reading some really good books I always love some inspirational reading, which, of course I have my top 100 reading list. If you wanted to get some ideas from that, you can head on over to the blog and catching up with my incredible friends and running partners that I've trained with off the run.

Speaker 1: 10:08

So meeting for coffee or going for a walk or actually seeing each other for an occasion where we get to have our hair brushed and wearing regular clothes instead of our running clothes. It may be a wonderful opportunity for you to tackle some really great tasks or some projects with the family. So maybe some puzzle putting together. I know those Lego kits are incredibly popular and I feel like everyone is knitting nowadays. So a little bit of that just keeping your hands and your mind a little busy without again overtaxing yourself, not deciding to throw yourself into like a new row class or tackling trapeze flying anytime during taper. So again, kind of practicing what you've been doing throughout your marathon training, just not as much of it. We're pulling the volume down and adding in some good quality sleep, nutrition and social time. Just staying mindful of those germs. You don't have to put yourself in a bubble suit, but if you are prone to injuries, do keep that in mind as well Whenever you go out and about, especially since we're right around the timeframe, where are the time changes and it may be darker. So just being a little bit more intentional with how we keep ourselves healthy and happy.

Speaker 1: 11:18

Now, this is also when we start to have a lot of phantom pains, aches and a little bit of just concerns. You have to know your body, you have to know your mind. If it's been something that's been ailing you throughout your entire training, then it's something you need to discuss with your doctor, potentially talk to your coach. If it's something that kind of just cropped up out of nowhere, again giving yourself that rice period, resting, icing, compression and elevation, and seeing if it is a little bit of just your mind playing tricks on you, because that does happen. The taper madness and taper crazies are for sure going to be entered into the DSM diagnosis book at some point, I'm sure. But for now, just again knowing yourself and really taking that time.

Speaker 1: 12:02

This is a wonderful time to hone in, if you haven't already. On breath work and meditation, there's some really great visualization meditations that you can find on YouTube. I even have some on our channel for extraordinary strides. So you want to again really harness that power of your mind in a positive fashion, instead of letting that imagination run wild and all the what ifs that could potentially happen for race day, which brings me to the next thing. This is the time that I want you to minimize your social media. That's right. I love social media. I love the aspect of the internet brings us together, but between Facebook groups that are honing in on that specific race that you're going for, be it New York City or Marine Corps, or Wine and Dine, or if it's Instagram. You start to kind of really doubt yourself when you see what everybody's posting and you kind of feed off of the anxiety of others if you get too into those posts. So reduce your social media time.

Speaker 1: 13:03

This is a great time to again prioritize off-screen usage and quit thinking about all the things that could happen by not checking that race weather continually. Just know that it's going to change. And looking at it maybe just from a packing purpose, a week out or when you're packing, is great, but beyond that, not obsessing about what the weather is going to be because guess what, even if you obsess about it, it's still going to do what it's going to do. All you can do is be prepared for it from a gear and in your training, clothing wise, which means if you haven't yet found what works for you during your training, it's OK. Don't panic, however. Use what you know has caused you minimal chafing or minimal issues that you are able to either wear or get another one that you can launder before race day. So that's something that you should definitely be doing during this taper time.

Speaker 1: 14:03

If you don't already have your leggings or your run shorts or your run skirt or your sports bra, if you don't already have it picked out, go with a brand that you have utilized, that you know. Go with a style you have known and used. Launder it, use it a couple of times throughout those last few runs, or even for lounging around the house. Break it in a little bit. See if there's any hot spots that you need to take into consideration, and by hot spots I mean those areas or those seams that maybe rubs against certain areas that you have to be able to apply a lot more body glide or anti-chafing towards so that you can reduce that on race day. So this is a time to do that, and this is where I get into.

Speaker 1: 14:40

It can be super tricky for folks that are going to a destination race that may be trained in one climate but are going to a completely different climate for that specific time frame. You're maybe going to have to use a completely different training season to remember. Oh yeah, when it's colder I am able to wear this brand of leggings and it does okay for me and it doesn't I don't know ride up or it doesn't necessarily sag too much. Whatever the case may be, it feels good. Or if you are training in cooler weather and having to go to a hotter climate, thinking back to maybe your training that was during those hotter months and using stuff that worked during that timeframe, I will say worst case scenario, if you are having to layer for weather and you were training in a hotter climate, go with the layer that is touching your body the most as what you already know and then layer on top of that so you can again minimize that potential friction. So I do have a travel run occasion packing checklist and if you are interested in it, just shoot me a message and I am happy to get it your way. I do feel like that is something that you can also be doing. Those days or that week leading up during your taper town. It's starting to pack, making sure that you have all the things that you need in terms of your fueling, your hydration, your gear and your recovery so that you feel very confident as you board your plane, train or automobile toward your destination race.

Speaker 1: 16:13

Let's talk about expo, let's talk about those destination races, let's talk about traveling to a specific race, because this is where I generally see the potential for really wearing ourselves out the most. If it is your first big expo that you've gone to, or maybe your very first expo, there's a lot to see, there's a lot of excitement, there's really cool gear, there's a whole community of runners. There's like photo booths. It is incredible and I definitely think you should experience it. But I don't want you to go and be there all day long on your feet the entire time, skipping your hydration, skipping your fueling and getting so caught up with Expo that you're not able to do what you need to do to make sure that you feel your best for race day. This can be tough, especially depending on when you go to Expo. Now, some of like the majors, they have their Expos over the course of two, three, sometimes even four days, or some of the bigger races do.

Speaker 1: 17:17

Sometimes you're going to a race that has a minimal time for Expo. So be super mindful of when you go to Expo, knowing that if you go in, there's going to be some periods of Expo times that are going to be busier. One of those busier times generally the first day is always going to be very, very busy. Additionally, if your Expo spans over different days of the week, it's going to be busier on Fridays or weekends for the most part, and it's going to be busy during lunch hours when people sneak out to try to get their bibs, and or those evening hours, maybe right after work. But there's going to be lulls. I find the lulls are usually mid morning or mid afternoon. If you're going to a world marathon, major race or really big race, there's never really that many lulls when it comes to it. But keeping in mind that there are a few times that you may be able to go and see and experience more of things without as many crowds, this is again another opportunity where you're in a crowded enclosure.

Speaker 1: 18:16

So, being mindful of your immune system and not overtaxing yourself, should you get new gear at the expo? Absolutely, if you budgeted for it and it's something that makes your heart happy. Get all of the radtastical gear that you see at expo, especially if they've got some great sales. Should you wear it for race day? Absolutely not, unless if it is. Again, there is that rule, that guideline. If it's something that you know that you have utilized, that specific brand, that specific style, maybe it's just a different color and it works for you during your training Okay, cool, you can absolutely use it. Or maybe, if it's an outer layer, like a tutu, or you get something that's a little bit more fun on that outer layer, that's absolutely fine. Just make sure that you're keeping that base layer that's closest to your body, something that's tried, trued and that you can utilize, that you know will cause you minimal issues for your race.

Speaker 1: 19:12

You do not want to be like me in New York City, and I think I still have scars from the chafing that I had on that specific race. But it's okay. I have learned from many years of experience on what not to do, which is why I'm bringing you this conversation, so that you don't follow in my footsteps. Of all those do nots, let's focus on the do's. So, yes, feel free to buy new gear, definitely buy something that commemorates this incredible achievement, but please do be mindful of what you actually wear for that race day. Same with nutrition or gadgets you probably don't. Even if you try it for a quick shakeout run, you don't know how it's going to impact you for a longer endurance a half, a full or beyond. So let's stick to what you tried, what you tested, what you know works during your actual race training. So this is not a time to add in a lot of that new stuff. Again, really depends on your goals too, though, so take that into account.

Speaker 1: 20:11

Not every race is going to have the same objective. If you're going to race really strong, you're looking for a PR, you're looking to race for time, you're looking to do your absolute best, and sticking with what you know is going to be absolutely vital, which leads me to sightseeing. We know that PTO is at a premium. We know that there are some incredible destinations that we're able to explore because of running. We also know that one of the things that you can do to absolutely ensure that you're fatigued on race day is to decide that you're going to sightsee and do all of the things leading up. So, whether you're coming to Disney and you want to hit up all the amusement parks, or you are traveling to a really big destination city like London or New York City or Savannah, take into account that your sightseeing is best done after the actual race day, and sightseeing afterwards or taking advantage of some of those really incredible sights is best after race day, because it can absolutely help you with a little bit of that light recovery. So keep that in mind, please. Great ways that I have in the World Marathon Majors podcast episodes and in the blog to sightsee If you're in a town that has a little bit of like a river cruise, that's a great way. Or maybe a bus a hop on and off bus Also a wonderful way.

Speaker 1: 21:36

You want to try to sit and minimize again that time on your feet so that you're not getting any swelling, you're not getting exhausted or additional fatigue. Which leads us to the night before and race day. We know there's going to be some jitters. It's going to be a little tougher to sleep on race night, and that's okay. So if you don't get in too much sleep that night, you're still going to be fine. Because, why? Because you prioritize resting and recovery throughout your taper right? Make me that pinky promise right here and now. Because, likely, the night before race day you're going to be excited, you're going to have some nerves. It's not going to be your best quality sleep. However, I can guarantee you that once you get up and moving at race day, all that energy is going to make you forget all about that tiredness that you may have a little bit of from not sleeping perfectly well the night before.

Speaker 1: 22:27

So it's really important that you try again. This is where breath work, meditation, visualization comes in place. You're staying calm, you're sticking to your routine, you're still having a post dinner or you're having a dinner the night before. That works for you, and you're also planning putting out your clothes, picking all of your fueling, all of the making sure your bib is on its race bib belt or pinned to your shirt so that in the morning you can minimize any of those issues that may come up and then going with the race day breakfast. That has been what you have practiced during training. Again, I cannot iterate this enough. If you have not found what works for you, this is your time, before you get into your official tapering, to make that happen, my friend.

Speaker 1: 23:13

So race day breakfast should absolutely be something that you've practiced during training. Simple, easy to digest carbs with a little bit of protein are ideal because you want it to have something that helps with satiety and kind of sticks, without it necessarily being something that's too heavy or very difficult for your body to digest. So I'm a big fan of like an English muffin or a bagel with peanut butter and a banana. Oatmeal is fantastic with a little bit of nut butter. You have those wonderful Justin's individual nut butter packets or just little individual containers, so something that's portable, easy to make in your hotel room if you're staying in a hotel, or your Airbnb, whatever the case may be. You want to take that into account as well. Again, you're going to want to have some hydration beforehand, if at all possible.

Speaker 1: 24:01

Being able to use the bathroom before you head out to the race would be fantastic. But if not, do not fret my friend, you absolutely will have access to porta potties before your race starts. What's important is to know that you have to pack your patients along with your antibacterial and your wipes or toilet paper, because those lines can be really long. So when you get to your race day situation, you don't want to go to the very first bathroom that you see. Those will likely be the longest lines. Go a little bit further in, maybe even closer to the corrals at times. Those usually are a little shorter.

Speaker 1: 24:41

Do know a couple of things. If your race is starting very early in the morning, usually those porta potties are not well lit. You really can't see what's going on in there. Sometimes you don't really want to see what's going on in there, but it is really important that maybe you have some form of light. Be careful of what you have in your pockets as you go into the Port-au-Potty. We really don't want you losing any of your nutrition and or your cell phone into that Port-au-Potty stall. So being really intentional, even though you're excited, maybe even if you're traveling with folks, having them hold on to all of your things is always a great thing, or making friends with folks in the line and chatting with them about them holding it.

Speaker 1: 25:20

I am going to give a shout out to a friend of the podcast, kristen, right here and now, because she has one of the best hacks I have ever seen for race day, which is she carries just a plastic grocery bag with her. It folds down, super tiny If you prefer to have like a recyclable tote, you're welcome to do that too Folds down super tiny, takes up no room whatsoever in one of her pockets, and when she goes to the porta potty she can put all of her stuff into this bag, close it up, leave it outside her stall without her worrying about it going into the porta potty with her, and then, when she's done with that, she takes everything out, puts the plastic bag back into her pocket so when she's done with the race and she's going through that incredible finish line, she can also use that plastic bag for her post-race nutrition that's handed out or post-race goodies that are handed out. So absolutely amazing hack that I forget to do quite often, but absolutely incredible hack. So I will suggest that and give a shout out to Kristen for giving us a little bit of that knowledge. Again, though, staying in that porta potty line, being very mindful that it's going to take a little bit longer, having that patience, having some wipes with you, having some antibacterial Some of them are a little bit more luxe than others and have access to hand washing stations. Some of them do not. If you're in some of the, maybe like Berlin, who is known for having their urinal stations for women as well being mindful of how comfortable you feel utilizing that.

Speaker 1: 26:53

So, again, from there, you're going to want to head on over to your corral, but not too excessively early, because you don't want to be standing around for hours on end. So, heading into your corral, maybe having a good sit this is where that plastic bag comes in handy. Again, you can take it out and sit on it if you need to, and just taking that as an opportunity to remind yourself you've put in the training, you are ready for this race. You're going to execute your race day plan, so let's talk about pacing. 99.99% of runners go out way too fast because it's so exciting, so keep that in mind, please.

Speaker 1: 27:37

If you haven't been practicing being a bit more conservative out of the gate, this is a wonderful opportunity to do so Again. If you're getting into those ladder miles, knowing that it may not translate into race day, this is where setting your garment or your GPS, your Coros to beat with like a little pace range for you so that you are able to hone in and stay more conservative. Remember you're in an endurance race, it's not a sprint. You really do not want that kind of out of the gate super duper, top of the speed chart for you to happen, because you're likely going to result in a little bit of positive splits. If you've been a fan of the podcast or you've been listening for some time, you know we've talked about positive splits.

Speaker 1: 28:20

There are some races, due to course cutoffs, that you may have to utilize a positive split strategy, but I will tell you, from an energy demand, it doesn't usually feel its best. Positive splits mean that progressively you get slower as the race goes on. Really, having a progression strategy or an even split or even effort strategy is one of the best ways of feeling great from start to finish with your race. So running the first half with your head and the second half with your heart is really important. So don't let that passion and that excitement boil over in that first half of your race so that you are too tired to push and keep your legs moving forward.

Speaker 1: 29:07

Now, on the race course, do what you've executed time and time again during your long runs, meaning fueling around the same time frame that you have developed during your training runs, hydrating around those same time frames held. Should I take a water belt? Should I take a camelback? Depending on what your specific race allows, if it provides you with comfort, if it provides you with more confidence, if you have experienced, or you are concerned that you may experience, water or hydration or fueling, running out towards that back of the pack, of course, feel free to do so, but being mindful that one of the wonderful aspects of running these races is that we don't have to pack all those things that we do for our training runs. We don't have to self-support. So being able to take advantage of that race hydration or that race day fueling stations always fantastic to do so. I have found personally that the race day fueling stations are a little further out than I need, so I always pack my fueling. I tend to rely on course hydration for the most part. I usually also find out what it is ahead of time and train with it, make sure that it settles well.

Speaker 1: 30:28

So keep that in mind when you're finishing up those peak mileages, that you want to have that honed in, and that how often you should fuel or hydrate really depends on what you have found that works best for you. It needs to be a fueling and hydration strategy that keeps you feeling good from start to finish. So if you're only fueling after you feel exhausted already or you hit a wall, it's too late. It takes your body way too long to process it. So if you're only fueling after you feel exhausted already or you hit a wall, it's too late. It takes your body way too long to process it. So trying to get to that before, trying to get our fueling before we get to that point, is absolutely like a vital component.

Speaker 1: 31:04

Afterwards celebrate. That is exactly what you're going to do Huge, big smile, take every single photo you can with that gorgeous medal and, of course, if you have a little bit of emotions and you want to cry it out, feel free to do so as well. Whether you nailed a PR or you potentially didn't do your best, crossing that finish line is an incredible feeling and one that should be celebrated because, again, it's not just the distance you covered on race day, it's the hundreds of miles you covered to get you through to that point, and that should always, always, be celebrated. But I'm going to say a few things to be mindful of taking into account. Again, we have some race day etiquette that needs to be taken account, and I have a podcast for that as well. If you want some information on that, let me know, I'll send it your way.

Speaker 1: 31:57

But post race, when you are done, don't stop at the finish line. Keep going, because you don't want folks coming past or coming in running into you. Also, take advantage of what's being offered. Get that hydration, get that post-race fueling snack box, start that recovery process by rehydrating, refueling, getting that good balance of carbs and protein to to just really nail in on what you've done and then the days following, staying lightly active to keep all of that recovery benefiting you is a wonderful way to ensure that you give yourself the rest you deserve to set yourself up for success for your next big, audacious goal.

Speaker 1: 32:48

Now I know that I covered a lot and likely didn't even cover it all, so if you have questions, feel free to reach out to me at Christine at extraordinarystridescom, because this is such an incredibly rich topic between tapering and what to do leading up race day and post. I also want to remind you a little bit about those post-race blues. That's a wonderful opportunity for you to give yourself a chance to continue to really appreciate all of the work you put in during training before you go right into your next training season, letting yourself kind of think it through as to what you would like to do next. So, with that said, I hope that this has been a great resource for you for tapering, expo and race day success. And then I also want to ensure you to have the confidence to crush your race goals, because every race day is a celebration of the training you've done.

Speaker 1: 33:45

Now, if you found today's episode helpful, be sure to check out our website for more resources, including those blog posts, fueling strategies and, of course, the full list of our top 100 running books. If you need something to do during Taper Town, don't forget to share your race day stories with us on social media. We love celebrating your wins. Until next time, I'm going to ask you to keep striding toward the extraordinary and remember my friend you've got this.