Taper Talk

Let's talk about taper! We generally don't build taper into the B2G team training plan since these aren't customized personal plans (I wish we had the time to do this for everyone, but it's just not feasible!). Occasionally if it's a big team race with several people going, we will build in taper, but don't count on it for every race. Regardless, let's chat in general about how to taper for big races to show up in top form to compete. First of all, how much taper is needed? It depends a bit on the athlete and on the goals for the race, but, here are some general guidelines:

Ironman distance or longer- 2 weeks

70.3- 10 days

Sprint or Olympic distance- 3-5 days (although, if it's a big "A" race, you may want to shorten your usual "long" workouts on the weekend prior to the race)

In the beginning of your taper period, you should maintain normal training intensity but begin to reduce the duration of the workouts. Later in the taper period you need to start to reduce duration even further and reduce intensity.

The reduction in training time should free up time for more recovery oriented activities. You should use this extra time to really do everything possible to take fantastic care of your body and to plan ahead for the race to reduce physical and mental stress in the days leading up to the race. Fill your extra time with stretching, foam rolling, massages, compression boots, getting packed and organized early, carefully planning how to accomplish everything that needs to be done in the days leading up to the race, and meal planning for the days leading into the race.

Once you're on-site at the race location there's a lot to get done! Plan carefully to be able to get it done WITHOUT getting stressed or wearing yourself out!

Here's your on-site to-do list (for 70.3 and IM races):

-(maybe) Reassemble your bike after travel

-Check out ride (regardless of whether you drove or flew, you need to do a checkout ride to ensure your bike is 100% mechanically ready to race)

-Drive the bike and run courses

-Athlete check-in

-Attend the athlete briefing (if possible, watch it online)

-Organize your race gear

-Do a practice swim (it will help reduce race morning anxiety if you've already experienced the swim course conditions- temperature, currents, clarity, etc.)

-Plan your meals for the day before the race (you CAN NOT miss a meal this day in the chaos of race prep!)

-Charge all of your electronics (watch, bike computer, bike Di2)

-Bike Check-In (and possibly gear bags)

-Hydrate!

-Plan your race morning timing and parking plan

-Somehow, accomplish all this by mid-day the day before the race, and then relax the rest of the day!

-Early to bed before the race!! Maybe consider a light dose of a sleep aid to ensure you actually get some sleep.

As you can see, it's a lot. You need to plan ahead to ensure you can get it all done without getting stressed. Don't add extra stuff! Prioritize! Be selfish! And, of course, NOTHING NEW ON RACE DAY (or race week, for that matter). This is not the time to start a new supplement, take up yoga, try out a new helmet or race suit, or experiment with new cuisine. You've trained for your race, you've done all of these things before- swimming, biking, and running. It's just like in training, only faster!