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Time to Race!

April '09

Tapering

Where many of you are racing in coming weeks, training talk inevitably turns to tapering.

Taper Do's

Continue to train!

Months of training to gain fitness, only to then stop training and "gather rest" by inactivity? Jeez.

Maintain Intensity:

Incorporating controlled doses or race pace and faster than race pace efforts keeps your body sensations alive. On the other hand, a couple of weeks of droning along will hone slow and tedious sensations.

Reduce Volume:

Assuming due diligence has been practiced in preparing for the race distance, volume can be reduced in the last week.

Maintain General Routine:

Your body enjoys a rhythm. As your event approaches, you can largely maintain this rhythm while observing the above two points. Where volume and aggregate intensity will be reduced, sessions will be shorter and you can use this time to stretch and relax.

Taper Don'ts

Eat more to store up Fuel/Carbs

Reduced training should see reduced calorie intake - logical it would seem. Fat might be beautiful, but Fat is not fast.

A few extra pounds doesn't make much difference? Carry around a half gallon of milk (4lbs) during your training runs and report back your observations.

Overdo your "taper" by making it a multiple week affair:

I recall a Thursday cycling class where a rider was spinning ever so gently along during the main set.

M2 inquired - it was explained that the rider was tapering for her IM event 2.5 weeks down the road - ahh. I had thought that perhaps the rider was resting up a bit for Saturday's Alcatraz event but this was not the case either as it would have interfered with her program's taper.

While there can be different approaches to training, it should be readily apparent to all that if a focused one hour cycling session nearly 3 weeks (ditto for 1 week) from your event will in some way harm your recovery, "taper", and race performance, then you have fitness issues of the magnitude where you should not be participating in your event.

Similarly, an Olympic Distance event 2 weeks out from an IM should pose no recovery or "taper" issues for optimal performance.

Philosophically, it seems out of context for 14-16hr IM participants to be sacrifice participation in iconic events like Alcatraz by so worrying "taper" minutiae that frankly doesn't make much physical sense.

Taper Training Myths

Myth - Training done in the last 7-10 days will not improve fitness

The above assertion was written in a book once upon a time, so it just must be true! Never mind that everyone of us practices triathlon/cycling knows that a solid ride has one feeling stronger and more fit several days later, and certainly so the following weekend.

I recall a fellow who was scheduled to race IMUSA but due to work travel had been very inconsistent in his training and was understandably concerned about his fitness. He was shy in both long runs/rides but with 3 weeks remaining, his coach had him "tapering", or as I suggested, wasting training fitness opportunities.

On a similar vein, IMC 2005 saw me underprepared in terms of long rides. Hence, my longest and hardest ride was done the weekend before the race - made no sense to squander a fitness enhancing opportunity by spinning easy for 2hrs per the regurgitated taper template. And if I couldn't recover in a week's time from a hard ride, than I really shouldn't be doing the race anyways.

My time on a tough course was 4hr45min, one of the best on the day, and the previous week's ride was a key contributor to my stamina and riding strong in the last miles.

The average age-grouper who is training 3x/week per discipline, can almost always improve fitness with proper focus.
Similarly, an Olympic Distance event 2 weeks out from an IM should pose no recovery or "taper" issues for optimal performance.

Philosophically, it seems out of context for 14-16hr IM participants to be sacrifice participation in iconic events like Alcatraz by so worrying "taper" minutiae that frankly doesn't make much physical sense.