Leslie Grommersch, Kimberly Olsen, and Desiree Essler The taper is an essential aspect of training that many new runners need to remember to incorporate into their training program. Tapering means reducing your training load before a competition to optimize performance on race day. It's the rest period before race day to reduce the effects of muscle fatigue brought on by … [Read more...] about How tapering maximizes your potential on marathon day