u/reginaphalange88

First time marathoner here. Just had my first 18 mile run yesterday (next week is 12, then 20, then taper). It was….ok. The last five miles were rough where I just felt so tired I had to take walk breaks. It was the first time I started doubting if I could finish the marathon in the time I was thinking, or even finish at all. For context: My average pace for the 18 miler was 2.5 minutes slower per mile than previous long runs.

My question for all you marathon finishers, how did you feel on those 18/19/20 milers before race day vs how did you feel on race day?

I’ve heard about the magic of taper, but how much of a gap do you all actually have between pre taper and race day?