On Tapering

Don't Trash Your Training 

I am by no means an expert on tapering. I tend to ignore tapers, so I found it almost humorous that I was requested to write on this.  

Also, being a Marathon Maniac (#289) recovery between marathons may be 20 hours. And if you run 4 of those events in 4 days, what is the point of a taper? And the weirdest thing about it was each day was faster than the day before. My body said it was OK to go, but my brain was totally freaking out. The lesson is much of tapering and racing is a head trip. I have witnessed discussions and laughter describing the taper as a latte before the race. 

Then again, my former coach, the famed Mark Allen told me one of the keys to a great race, not just a survival day, is dependent not only on training smart, but tapering according to rigid protocol.  I listened to him and did awesome!

Who is to say.  

BTW, if you have something you would like my opinion on, please feel free to notify me. I have an opinion on just about everything except relationships and politics.  Leave a comment below.

But, I do know this. Adding a race into anybody's life can be stressful regardless of the distance.  My buddies at Mayo Clinic have this to say about stress. http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987.  

I chuckled when I read that article knowing I have had most of those at one time or another. So have my racing pals. If you do, cheer up, your not alone! If your race is over soon, so will be a major life stressor.  

Professional coaches vary in their opinion on how to taper. If you have a coach, listen to them! 

But, here is my list of do's and don'ts.  

• Start taper for big races (like a 140.6) 3 weeks before the race day, decreasing volume about 1/3 each week. Taper less for shorter races.  
• Get extra sleep 
• Don’t graze like a pig and put on 10 extra pounds. 
• Swim, bike and run at your race pace. Now is not a good time to take up speed work.  
• There is not much you can do to increase your fitness and speed in the last few weeks before race day, but there are many things you can do to wreck it by not being careful.  
• Don't buy/use new gadgets unless your old one is totally destroyed. 
• Don’t make modifications to your bike. But, do have it checked out by a professional even if you are a great mechanic. A second pair of eyeballs can save you from greasy fingers in the middle of the race.  
• Don't panic by looking and stressing out over the weather report, other competitors in the field, or anything else. You prepared as well as you can.  Trust in that. You can only control yourself, not those circumstances. Everybody will have to deal with the same situation. However, be prudent in your choice of clothing and equipment. 
• You may have "marathon leg". That is something that feels injured or ruined by the training. It may be. So it goes. Most people do race beat up. You didn't come this far to quit now. Almost always, 40 minutes into the event the pain goes away (probably because everything else starts to hurt). Wrong time to go to the doctor and get a prescription of anti-inflammatories, pain killers and lectures about how "someone your age should not be doing that". 

The lesson: Racing is supposed to be fun. Let it be so.  Enjoy the whole experience from travel to crossing the finish line to your return home. Don't let anybody or anything wreck your good time, especially ourselves. So, in the last few weeks before the "big event", relax! Enjoy life within reason. Revisit those you ignored on those long rides and while falling asleep on dates or at the play.