How & WHAT to tapper.

Taper is definitely different for everyone, and dependent on the things you noted. I'm heading into my IM taper shortly, here's the plan.

1. Solid two week reduced volume taper with shorter bits of intensity to keep me sane. Next week, which is three weeks out from the race, I'll be started slightly reduced volume during the week, but still having one more big weekend, albeit all low intensity (riding a fun century, doing the run leg in an HIM relay with friends). I recover very quickly and I feel very off with a severe reduction so this works for me.

2. Everything is tapering. My run is starting first, but I'm still doing a 16-miler two weeks out from the race. I'm going to do everything as I usually do, no switching to the treadmill for example (didn't know people did that).

3. I'm not blessed with good genes so I'll reduce my overall calorie intake to compensate for the lack of training, but I'll still keep my diet balanced the same way I have through the heavy training.. just a little less of it. I won't be deliberately increasing carbs, I personally think "carb loading" is BS and if you're eating a diet with enough high quality carbs to begin with you'll be fine. My diet is sugar free except for immediately before, during and after workouts so not additional Gatorade for me either.