⚡ Big things happened this weekend

🏃 Josh Kerr broke the world mile record. 3:42.66 in London. El Guerrouj's record had stood for 27 years — since 1999. Project 222 delivered, in front of 60,000 fans at London Stadium. This deserves its own edition — and it'll get one. After the MMB we'll talk about what we can learn from Kerr: calling your shot months out, building the plan, executing. He trained at altitude in Albuquerque, N.M. There's a lot to apply.

⚽ Spain won the World Cup. Great final yesterday. We can learn from that team too — but that's also for later. Right now we have a taper to run. 😄

Taper works by reducing volume 40-60% while maintaining intensity. A systematic review and meta-analysis in PLoS One confirms this approach measurably improves performance in endurance athletes. (PMID:37163550)

What's happening in your body: muscle damage biomarkers (creatine kinase, myoglobin) — elevated after weeks of hard training — are normalizing. Your neuromuscular system is recharged. Glycogen is saturating. Those fresh legs are real. (PMID:41922043)

The risk: 60-80% of athletes experience "taper madness" — unexplained fatigue, irritability, loss of confidence, urge to train more. It's psychological, it's normal, and it almost always passes before race day. (PMID:36696042)

TODAY

MON

D-6

Last quality session · 45-55 min max

20-25 min easy warm-up → 4-6 x 200m at goal race pace → full cool-down. Nothing more. You're reminding your neuromuscular system what's expected on Sunday.

TUE

21

D-5

Active recovery + hydration

30-35 min conversational jog. Mobility 15 min: hips, ankles, hamstrings. Increase fluid intake. 8+ hours of sleep tonight — this night matters more than the night before the race.

WED

22

D-4

The mind day — taper madness strikes here

25-30 min jog + 4 x 100m strides. Write down 3 training sessions that went well. Visualize the course. If you feel fatigue or anxiety today — that's taper syndrome, not a real signal. Change nothing.

THU

23

D-3

Carb loading + Kit pickup at Corferias Expo

8-10g carbs/kg. Rice, pasta, bread, oats. Reduce fiber and fat. Easy 20-25 min jog or full rest. At the Expo: don't stand around for hours — get your bib, check it out, leave. Your legs are for Sunday.

FRI

24

D-2

Activation + full logistics

20 min jog + 6 x 30s at goal pace. Lay out everything: bib, shoes, socks, gels, kit. Lock in your pacing strategy. Sleep at a reasonable hour — this night matters more than tomorrow night.

SAT

25

D-1

Less is more · No ibuprofen

15-20 min very easy or complete rest. Familiar food only, nothing new. Pale yellow urine = good. No ibuprofen or NSAIDs — they mask signals and damage the gut under stress. The nerves you feel today are energy for tomorrow.

Day

Training

Focus

D-6 Mon

4-6 x 200m @ goal pace

Neuromuscular activation

D-5 Tue

30 min jog + mobility

Recovery + hydration

D-4 Wed

Jog + strides + visualization

Mind · taper madness

D-3 Thu

Minimum or rest · Expo

Carb loading

D-2 Fri

20 min jog + pace strides

Logistics + sleep

D-1 Sat

15-20 min or rest

Final mental prep

📚 Spanish vocabulary · Running terms you'll hear in Bogotá

Taper is not what you do. It's what you don't do with enough discipline. This week, your best training tool isn't your GPS. It's patience.

Coach Henri 5x MMB · USATF Coach · PMPRunning

References: PMID:37163550 · PMID:41922043 · PMID:36696042 · PMID:12840640

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