3-2-1 Taper

OK, I think I've mapped out the last few weeks leading up to Barb’s Race.  I've heard differing opinions on how much taper time is needed for the peaking process. James says 3 weeks. Joe Friel says 2-3 weeks. Athletes in triathlon training forums say 2 weeks for a 70.3...some even said you only need a week. I have a feeling that the athletes saying they only need a one week taper for a half-iron race are probably much younger than I am LOL

According to Joe Friel…

For the triathlete the peaking process … may be modified by sport. For example, running requires a longer taper than does cycling which is usually longer than for swimming. There are other elements to also consider such as the length of the race (long races mean long tapers), how fit you are (high fitness means long tapers), how easily injured you are (injury prone athletes should taper longer), and how old you are (older often athletes need longer tapers).

Since I’m a fairly fit, old, injured athlete that will be doing a 70.3, I am opting for a longer taper.

The Plan

I would say my fatigue level is pretty high right now and I am looking forward to my rest/sauna day on Thursday. Friday will be my last, LONG Spinervals workout and I can honestly say that I am NOT looking forward to that. 2-1/2 hours on the bike trainer is mentally and physically tough.  I’m not sure what is planned for Saturday, but my guess is about 90 minutes of training.

Do you ever get the feeling you should have done more? LOL

My 3 week taper will begin on Monday, July 8. While the drop from 9 hours of training to 8 hours may not seem like a lot (11% reduction), those 8 hours include 60 minutes of sitting in the sauna and a 60 minute P90X Stretch routine.  The next week begins with the Tri for Real #2. This will be my last chance to fine tune race strategies and also my one chance to try out my new helmet in a race.

The swim workout following the Tri for Real #2 will be a recovery swim (low intensity). After that, I will start doing short, race-intensity workouts.

Friel's advice for the two to three weeks before your A-race is to do race-intensity workouts every third or fourth day, gradually shortening them as race day approaches. Weekly volume should drop significantly — somewhere between 30% and 50% per week. The key point is that the taper period isn't about gaining fitness, which takes weeks to build. It's about reducing fatigue, which accumulates quickly. The goal is to arrive at the start line fresh without losing the fitness you've already built.

I can’t really remember how I approached my taper last year. I can look up what I did and how long I did it, but I don’t remember having any kind of plan mapped out. I do remember squeezing in extra swim workouts whenever I could because I was so freaked out about the swim. This year, I am making a concerted effort to find a balance between fatigue, fitness and form.

As I said, my fatigue is pretty high right now but I will probably feel much better on Friday after a day off. As I ease into my taper, I am going to note my level of fatigue. If at any time I do not feel a reduction in my level of fatigue then I will reduce the duration of my workouts. I will also be paying attention to my Achilles and will continue all of the rehab I have been doing up until this point…even if I feel 100%.

The Hardest Part

I think the hardest part of the taper is going to be keeping my nutrition in check. My current weight is 142, six pounds lighter than what I raced at last year. At this point it is highly unlikely I will reach my goal weight of 135…if I even tried, I would probably hurt my performance more than help it, so I’m shooting for 140 by the Tri for Real #2. At this point, I will need to maintain this weight for the two weeks leading up to the race. This will be quite a challenge due to my decreased work load. Since I won’t be burning all the calories I normally do, I must be extra vigilant in making smart choices. I'm pigging out after Barb’s!