Taper Crazies Are Real: How to Taper Without Losing Your Mind Before Race Day

Tapering for Race Day: How to Trust Your Training, Beat the Taper Crazies & Arrive Ready to Race | Women's Running Collective This week on the Women's Running Collective, Hayles and Jussie are deep in Gold Coast Half Marathon preparation and officially entering taper mode. They chat through a big week of training, including a challenging long run featuring two race-pace efforts, a tough Mona Fartlek session, and the reality of managing tired legs, niggles, and pre-race nerves. The girls dive into one of the most misunderstood parts of running: the taper. How much should you cut back? Are you losing fitness? Why do your legs suddenly feel weird? And why does every runner become convinced they're injured the week before a race? Hayles and Jussie break down exactly how to taper successfully, why recovery becomes your most important training session, and how to navigate the infamous "taper crazies" so you can arrive at the start line feeling confident, fresh, and ready to run your best. They also chat race-day mindset, handling tough moments during a race, goal setting, favourite taper-week quotes, and share their weekly recommendations. In This Episode 00:00 Welcome Back to the Backyard Studio 00:50 Gold Coast Half Marathon Training Update 01:17 Long Run Recap: 6K Easy + Two 6K Race Pace Efforts 02:13 Mona Fartlek Session & Rearranging Training Around Life 03:47 Why Tapering Matters More Than You Think 06:03 What Is a Taper? The Basics Explained 09:20 How to Taper Properly Before Race Day 11:02 Taper Crazies, Recovery & Trusting the Process 14:48 Mental Tapering & Preparing Your Mind for Race Day 17:01 What to Do When Racing Gets Hard 17:30 Mantras, Mindset & Remembering Your Why 18:45 Race Week Essentials: Sleep, Nutrition & Recovery 21:03 Running Playlist Banter 22:51 A Better Way to Set Race Goals 23:43 Our Favourite Taper Quotes 25:00 Race Travel, Event Week Energy & Managing Nerves 27:15 Weekly Recommendations 30:33 Harbour 10K Meet-Up & Community Catch-Up   Jussies Jumper recco ASICS JUMPER Hayleys Camera recco DJI ACTION 5  Whether you're preparing for your first 5K, a half marathon, or your next marathon, this episode will help you understand how to taper, trust your training, and get to the start line feeling your best.  HARBOUR 10km race we are doing 💛 Remember: The hardest part of tapering isn't running less it's believing you've done enough.