Taper Volume Reduction
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A taper is a planned reduction in training volume in the weeks before a goal race, allowing the body to recover from accumulated training fatigue while retaining fitness, so you arrive on race day fresh rather than carrying residual tiredness from recent hard training.

Research and common practice suggest reducing total volume by roughly 40-60% over a 1-3 week taper, while keeping some sessions at race-like intensity but shorter duration, since intensity maintains fitness while reduced volume allows recovery.

Maintaining some higher-intensity, shorter efforts prevents the loss of neuromuscular sharpness and fitness that can occur if training drops too much in both volume and intensity simultaneously, which is a common taper mistake that leaves runners feeling flat on race day.

Marathons typically call for a longer taper, often 2-3 weeks, given the higher accumulated training load and longer recovery need, while shorter races like a 5K or 10K need only a few days to about a week of reduced volume, since the preceding training load is generally lower.

Yes, many runners experience 'taper crazies,' a mix of restlessness, phantom aches, and doubts about fitness as accumulated fatigue fades and energy levels rise faster than the sense of readiness. This is a well-documented and normal psychological response, not a sign that fitness has been lost.