Running: Tapering can bring on a case of the crazies

On Nov. 3, Brandon Hamilton will be running the New York City Marathon - his 33d marathon overall. So it's safe to say that for this 45-year-old from Westmont, Camden County - who was president of the South Jersey Athletic Club for nine years - the 26.2-mile experience is old hat.

But still, he's fallen into a common pre-marathon trap.

"Every sniffle I think will turn into the flu. Every minor ache and pain seems to surface. I start having dreams about oversleeping and missing the start," he says.

He has the taper crazies, a condition that's not technically diagnosable, but known to every runner who uses a traditional marathoning schedule that requires a roll back in mileage about two to three weeks before race day.

"The taper is to marathoning as rest is to life," says Jenny Hadfield, author of Marathoning for Mortals and a coach with Pear Sports. "It is a gradual decline in running volume and intensity to allow the body to heal from the demands of the training season and gain strength for the race."

So after running anywhere from 50 to 70 miles a week, Hamilton, when closing in on race day, drops back to as little as 30.

"It's one of the most challenging aspects to marathoning," said Hadfield, who, before running her first marathon in 1993, kept having nightmares that she got lost on the eighth floor of Macy's and couldn't find her way back to the course. "It's easy to actively train, but hard to rest as you get closer to the race."

Plus, after pushing yourself to the brink while training, runners suddenly have more free time, which isn't always a good thing. "We're resting more and running less, which results in a lot more time on your hands to think," said Hadfield. And overthink.

When I was tapering for the New Jersey Marathon, I worried so much about a bit of soreness in my knee that I almost bought a knee brace before the race - a big no-no, since I had never run in one before (and the pain disappeared in the first mile of the marathon).

The first step to dealing with taper crazies, says Hadfield, is to "acknowledge its presence," she said. "The key is, ground yourself in all the things that bring you peace and confidence," like reminding yourself of all of your hard work, having dinner with some of your training buddies, and visualizing race day. She also suggests asking yourself, "What's the worst that can happen?"

She's not talking about the sky falling or breaking your leg on the course, but simple things like going out too fast or someone steps on your shoe, and how you'd deal with it. Even better if you play it with running friends.

"There are a lot of worries and concerns that aren't valid," she said, i.e. my fear someone would break my legs because they didn't like my shirt color - a real dream I had during my last bout with taper crazies.

For Hamilton, he knows taper crazies are coming, so he's prepared, and also knows it will go away.

"A few days before the race, I start to feel fantastic and feed off the extra energy," he said. He also knows that the taper does really work, even though cutting back mileage and resting might not feel right. Some of his best races have come after he took an extra long taper to deal with nagging injuries.

"I know two weeks before the marathon, the work is done and the money is in the bank," he said. And he's taking it all the way to New York.

Mother Matter 5K run/walk. 9 a.m. Washington Lake Park, 626 Hurffville-Cross Keys Rd., Sewell. Fees: Prerace: $20 individual; $50 per family (up to 5). Race day: $25. All proceeds benefit laurenslegacy.org

10th annual Northeast 5-mile run, 2-mile walk. Starts and finishes inside the NE Philadelphia Airport. Registration/fees: Prerace: adult, $15; 14&under, $8 by Oct. 13. Then: adult,$20; 14&under, $10. Walk starts at 8:15 a.m. Run at 9. (Ashton Road entrance off Grant Avenue.)

Brain Injury Challenge Race for Recovery, 5K run/ mile fun run/walk. Tyler State Park in Newtown, Pa. 5K starts at 9 a.m., fun run: 9:30. Registration opens at 7:30. Fee: $25. Benefits Drucker Brain Injury Center and the Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania. biapa.org

8th annual Browning Ross, Bob Kupcha 5K run and 1-mile Walk, 9 a.m. Start at Hessian and Grove Streets, National Park Firehouse, National Park. Entry fee $20 pre, $25 post. runsignup.com

4th annual Spirit Run 5K, St. Andrew School, Drexel Hill, 7:30 a.m. on-site registration, 8:30: 1 mile Fun Run, 9 a.m. 5K. Friday pre-registration at 6- 7:30 pm at St. Andrew. runtheday.com

Poverty Resolutions 5K Race Against Poverty Central Park in Doylestown (425 Wells Rd.). Starts with 5k at 9 a.m. and 1-mile fun walk at 9:15. Reg: $30 to run, $20 to walk, T-shirt included. povertyresolutions.org/5k up to the night before the race.

Brandywine Battlefield 5K, Brandywine Battlefield Park, 1491 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, Pa., Start: 8:30 a.m., fee: $20. brandywinebattlefield5k.com

13th Annual Philadelphia City 6 5K

9 a.m. Starts at 33d and Market Streets (Drexel Recreation Center). $20 pre-reg. Benefits Coaches vs. Cancer. Many of the City Six basketball coaches will be there, including Bruiser Flint and Fran Dunphy.

Run the Bridge 10K run, 2-mile walk. At the Ben Franklin Bridge, Camden side, 8:30 a.m. Fees: 10K: $45, registration closes on Oct. 20 or when cap of 4,500 is reached. No 10K race-day registration. Walk starts at 8:35 a.m, fee: $25. Walk is free for children 10-and-under but must be registered and accompanied by an adult. Walk caps at 1,000. There is no in-person registration at running stores. Youth event starts at 8:45 a.m. at Campbell's Field, fee: $10.

Runners Chai 5K. Tyler State Park Art Center, 10 Stable Mill Road, Richboro, Pa. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m., race at 9. oheveec.wordpress.com

Puma 5K & 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk. Willow Dale Elementary School, 720 E. Norristown Road, Warminster, Pa. Mile Fun Run begins at 9, 5K begins at 9:30. Registration at 7:30. Fee: 1 mile $5 ($10 race day) 5K $10($15 race day) for those 18 and older. Under 18, 5K is $5 ($10 race day). centennialsd.org

Miles for Medals, 5k and 1 mile Fun Run, Rowan University Rec Center. 11 a.m. Benefits Special Olympics. Fee: $15 before Nov. 4, then $20. Contact bakerga@rowan.edu

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation's Lemon Run 5K, Memorial Hall, Fairmount Park. 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Fees: $35 for 5K, start at 8:30 a.m.; $25 for 5K walker (not timed), $15 for 100-meter Kids' Dash (10-and-under, not timed), starts at 8 a.m. alexslemonade.org.

 Health&Fitness Expo. Convention Center, Hallway F, free, open to public and includes numerous activities, vendors and seminars. Friday: noon-9 p.m., Saturday: 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Marlton Lakes Fall 5K, Marlton, N.J., 9 a.m. start, $15 preregister, $20 post. SJTiming.com

Rothman Institute 8K, 7:30 a.m. 22d Street&Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Kids Fun Run onsite registration begins at 9 a.m., races begin at 10:30 a.m.

Gore-Tex Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon. Wheelchair and handcycle competitions begin at 6:57 a.m.; Runners begin at 7. 22d Street&Benjamin Franklin Parkway, near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Winter Wonder Run 6K at the Institute Woods, Princeton Friends School, 470 Quaker Rd., Princeton, N.J. Check-in 8:45 a.m. 6K starts at 10. Limited to 150 participants. Walkers welcome. Prereg. online only till Nov. 23 is $29 including T-shirt, after is $35. Discount for no-shirt option. Day-of registration credit card only, $35 not including T-shirt.