For those not familiar with the term, tapering is a period of time (different for each race distance) before a race where you allow your body to completely recover from all the hard work you've put in during the weeks leading up to the race. And to recover, means to reduce training volume and intensity. During the build period of training you're constantly breaking yourself down, while allowing mini bouts of recovery. Every workout is structured to break you down just the right amount to allow you to recover just enough for your next workout. The taper period allows your body to catch up to all that breaking down you've been doing during the build period and fully repair itself.
As mentioned, the period of time will vary depending on the distance of the race being tapered for and will also be different for each person. The key is finding how best you respond. Coach and I have determined that I seem to perform best with a 7-8 day taper for a 70.3 distance race. For some that might seem long and for others that might seem short. When I'm not in taper mode, I'm in work-crazy-hard-pushing-myself-to-the-brink mode and interestingly enough, at this point, my body will tell me that its time to start backing off.
Backing off. Seems like such an odd concept for those of us with type A personalities. More work the better, right? Well, wrong. (This applies to build periods as well, but we'll save that for another conversation.) More work and unstructured training is what destroyed most all of my first year of racing in this sport (2010). There are appropriate times during a well structured training plan to put in all the work needed and if you're doing it right, you'll almost be thankful for the taper.
And therein lies the kink in my relationship with the taper. I hate it and I love it. And then I hate it again. My body is ready for the recovery period and I know that backing off at the appropriate time leading up to the race will result in a better outcome, but I can't help but just feel...off...during the taper. When I'm not at work, I'm working out, sleeping or eating. To back off of what is second nature to me, is difficult to do.
Which brings me to another topic. You don't just back off from the training volume and intensity, but have to adjust your diet appropriately. Meaning, backing down the caloric intake and adjusting your diet to adapt to the reduced training stress. I love to eat and sometimes feel that I train to do just that. And eat a lot. Of everything. I tend to always reach for the healthier option, but will eat a lot of the healthier option. I certainly don't hold myself back from less than healthy options at times either. I've been known to down a pint of Ben & Jerry's on a whim, just because. Not the best idea during a taper.
I'm restless and hungry. I'm content and recovering. I'm filled with awkward tension and feel lazy.
I'm tapering.
As mentioned, the period of time will vary depending on the distance of the race being tapered for and will also be different for each person. The key is finding how best you respond. Coach and I have determined that I seem to perform best with a 7-8 day taper for a 70.3 distance race. For some that might seem long and for others that might seem short. When I'm not in taper mode, I'm in work-crazy-hard-pushing-myself-to-the-brink mode and interestingly enough, at this point, my body will tell me that its time to start backing off.
Backing off. Seems like such an odd concept for those of us with type A personalities. More work the better, right? Well, wrong. (This applies to build periods as well, but we'll save that for another conversation.) More work and unstructured training is what destroyed most all of my first year of racing in this sport (2010). There are appropriate times during a well structured training plan to put in all the work needed and if you're doing it right, you'll almost be thankful for the taper.
And therein lies the kink in my relationship with the taper. I hate it and I love it. And then I hate it again. My body is ready for the recovery period and I know that backing off at the appropriate time leading up to the race will result in a better outcome, but I can't help but just feel...off...during the taper. When I'm not at work, I'm working out, sleeping or eating. To back off of what is second nature to me, is difficult to do.
Which brings me to another topic. You don't just back off from the training volume and intensity, but have to adjust your diet appropriately. Meaning, backing down the caloric intake and adjusting your diet to adapt to the reduced training stress. I love to eat and sometimes feel that I train to do just that. And eat a lot. Of everything. I tend to always reach for the healthier option, but will eat a lot of the healthier option. I certainly don't hold myself back from less than healthy options at times either. I've been known to down a pint of Ben & Jerry's on a whim, just because. Not the best idea during a taper.
I'm restless and hungry. I'm content and recovering. I'm filled with awkward tension and feel lazy.
I'm tapering.
