Why not just taper down to 1-2 hours in the final week?

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2009-08-25 7:03 PM

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Subject: Why not just taper down to 1-2 hours in the final week?
Doing IMLou this weekend.  I'm planning on deviating from my program and only doing 2 "training" days in this final week, each only about 1 hr.  So 2-2.5 hours total this week.

I feel like I need all the rest I can get.  My 3hr bike last Saturday was more tiring than I would have hoped (and more lactic acid build up)... and they say you can't gain any fitness this late in the game.

So if you can't gain any fitness, what is the biological reasoning behind many programs I'm seeing having you swim, bike, run 5-6 days during your final week?  Sure, each session is short... but most plans call for ~5 hours in the final week.

Why not almost taper off completely, short of one mid-week session and one session the day before?  Wouldn't you rather risk being TOO rested than not enough?

2009-08-25 8:14 PM
in reply to: #2370517

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Subject: RE: Why not just taper down to 1-2 hours in the final week?
Its about staying loose and keeping the blood flowing a bit. I can garantee(sp) that you will feel flat going to the race without at least having done a few sessions of each sport. Plus you will want to do a few sharpening sessions during this week with FULL recovery. But stick to your plan, if you feel beat up take the day obviously at this point, but otherwise stick to the short sessions.
2009-08-25 8:16 PM
in reply to: #2370517

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Subject: RE: Why not just taper down to 1-2 hours in the final week?
If I did that I would have to be admitted to the insane asylum.  I'm close as it is....
2009-08-25 8:34 PM
in reply to: #2370517

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Subject: RE: Why not just taper down to 1-2 hours in the final week?
If you feel like cutting down to that, do it.  I'm no exercise physiologist, but from my n=1 sample, if you find opportunities to move around during the week, you should stay loose enough and probably benefit by healing up any underlying damage remaining from peak training.  My attitude about last week training was that it was mostly just working on form and staying mentally focused.
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