Racing better on tired legs?

How much do you normally cut your mileage by? Try cutting by less, or just go with what has worked and don't try to "peak."

I usually cutback around 30% that first week, but yeah, I probably should cut less.

Keep the mileage up, maybe reduce by 10%, and keep the paces easy? No pushing it. This is just a thought because I feel the same way as you, high mileage weeks definitely feel the best for me with the last day before the race pretty easy like 7:30 pace easy run like 5 or 6 miles.

How old are you and how fast? What State are you running in and how many miles a week?

I agree with the above poster, instead of cutting mileage but keeping intensity, I would keep up the mileage but reduce the intensity.

i just ran my best XC race in years today off a 76 mile week (my highest mileage week since i started running in July), and plan to run my goal race in a month off an ~85 mile week. even just an easy 5 the day before a race gets me feeling OK on race morning, even if i ran between 15 & 20 the day before.

not sure why it's always worked for me, but it does. i feel like i read somewhere that it has something to do with how an extreme taper can cause a large, rapid decrease in blood volume (and thus f'up performance). not sure if that's true, i'd be interested to hear from others about why this strategy works (or why a taper can do more harm than good).

I run around 80 mpw while marathon training. I'm 30. I'm not that fast.

30% is a pretty big first week cut in a 2 week taper if you think your a slow twitch guy.

Try 10% to freshen up withot loosing any real pattern of training, then enter week 2 at like 75% with something steep near the end.

So if you run 10 a day and 20 on sunday try,

18, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9, 9,

10, 7.5, 7.5, 7.5, 5, 0, 2.5, RACE

All of this is a suggestion, but pretty much keep your mileage up with freshing up and then steep near the end,

Good Luck