the 'taper'

Forum guidelines BT super discount
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » the 'taper' Rss Feed  
Moderators: k9car363, alicefoeller Reply
2008-09-10 12:28 AM

User image

Regular
109
100
Florence, Arizona
Subject: the 'taper'
I'm finding it really hard to taper. IM is only a few days away...and it just feels wierd not to be planning the three hour workouts after work. My training partner & I are feeling the anxiety...we didn't feel like this last year, or at least I don't remember it...but both of us had DNF's too because of the weather conditions. A huge bush fire smoked us out....I got sick, she has asthma...etc, etc.

Our 30 min bike 'taper' ride turned into an hour...we've had such crappy weather this year it's hard to turn down a nice night like tonight for training, we would happily have done 112 miles tonight. Plus we'll be trapped in a car for two days getting to our IM event, leaving tomorrow.

Up & down like a roller coaster, we will finish this, we are strong, then no, we didn't train enough, we will fail...I can't stand this, lol.

But then I think, if this is all we have to worry about, we have it pretty good in life. The scenery on the course is wonderful...we will do this & be proud. And enjoy beers & nachos after...as long as someone can deliver those to us, lol.

Does anyone else feell like this days before????









2008-09-10 12:30 AM
in reply to: #1663213

User image

Subject: RE: the 'taper'

Does anyone else feell like this days before????

no one does

Enjoy the journey!



Edited by ChrisM 2008-09-10 12:30 AM
2008-09-10 12:31 AM
in reply to: #1663213

Subject: ...
This user's post has been ignored.
2008-09-10 5:03 AM
in reply to: #1663213

Champion
5615
5000500100
Subject: RE: the 'taper'

The way I approach taper is that, in the first week or so, your body is recovering and refueling from all of the work you have put in.  By the final week, your body is ready to go and your mind knows it, that is what ends up driving you nuts.  You just want to get out and race.  You want to get going.  You've been charging so hard for so long that your body isn't used to just lying dormant.

This is EXACTLY what you want.

Taper is the act of taking a dog that has roamed free and putting it on a chain.  After a period of time, that dog will start to fight the chain.  He will run as far as he can, and snarl, and bark, and get aggressive.  Then, one morning, the chain is gone and the dog runs off faster than before.

For an Ironman, your body is the dog.

2008-09-10 3:37 PM
in reply to: #1663213

Veteran
183
100252525
Subject: RE: the 'taper'
ChrisM - 2008-09-09 11:30 PM

Does anyone else feell like this days before????

no one does

Enjoy the journey!



Thanks ChrisM, you made me laugh out loud!

Taper Madness is 100% normal.

Plus, your 1hour Bike before the long car ride sounds better than 1/2 hour anyway.

It's a little ironic, because the longer the event, the less useful "Pre-Race Arousal" is, but the more likely it is to be a factor. These are events we've trained for and focused on for months, and just being there is gonna get us hyped. We actually need to DO something to counteract, and deal with that Pre-Race Arousal.

Gordon Bryn, he of "Going Long" fame includes "Superior Arousal Control – the ability to resist the temptation to deviate from optimal race strategy" amongst the keys to IM success.

Tapering and relaxing in the days leading up to the event is something else we DO as part of that strategy. Come Race-day morning we warm up, we tread water and relax, and we swim.

If during the days leading up to that, when we get jumpy we can reset our focus on DOING this tapering, re-checklist where we're at in that process, and re-focus going into the event, it is actually part of our "Optimal Race Strategy", and we are moving forward with our own plan.

Stretch, lie on that Motel Room bed and read magazines/motivational books, talk and laugh about the madness below the surface, or just watch hurricane coverage. But whatever else, like JeepFleeb says, follow your plan.
Tally Ho!
2008-09-10 11:16 PM
in reply to: #1663213

Extreme Veteran
495
100100100100252525
Horse Country
Subject: RE: the 'taper'

Trust the taper just like everything else in your plan.  Its amazing how even as I was  checking in on the Friday before the race I said the exact same things to myself even though it was way to late to do anything about it.

'I know youre supposed to taper, I know you will feel like youre going crazy, I know that the most important thing is rest, I know that all of the training has long since been banked and theres nothing else I can do to physically prepare for the race, I know I am going to doubt ALL of this in spite of everything!'

Yes we all feel this way ... REEESTTTTT.  Youve put in tens of thousands of meters in the pool, rode thousands of miles across the country, and run 15 or more marathons in your training .... all you have to do now is put in 140.6 more.

New Thread
General Discussion Triathlon Talk » the 'taper' Rss Feed