A way to ensure that mileage gains are rapid and lasting. For most people, the expectation should be to increase distance and duration by about 10 percent per week. If you’re walking or running 10 miles this week (a good mileage to start), don’t do more than 11 miles next week, 12.1 miles the week after and so on. When you feel ready to increase the intensity / duration of your workouts, you become more at risk for injury.  If you’re planning on increasing your intensity during the week, you should back down your weekly mileage by 10 percent. The body doesn’t often like increasing volume and hard efforts at the same time.

Taper refers to the practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition. Tapering is customary in many endurance sports. For many athletes, a significant period of tapering is essential for optimal performance. This activity begins immediately upon completing your last long training run, which is usually between 20 and 23 miles. Tapering helps to reduce the volume of your weekly training mileage during the final two to four weeks leading up to the marathon.