Please Help Me Live Through This Taper!

While this may be my first IRONMAN, I have tapered before. I tapered before my first marathon and before three half IRONMAN events. There have been other, smaller tapers here and there. I say all of this to establish the fact that I know very well that the taper makes you C-R-A-Z-Y. In fact, a mild bit of taper-related craziness from a "mini-taper" before my "The BIG Day" workout, that I wrote about here: The BIG Day Workout, prompted me to start writing this post.


With each increase in distance I have undertaken in the sports of running and triathlon, the challenges have been commensurate. Therefore, if this holds true-to-form for my IRONMAN taper, I am estimating that the taper-related craziness will be an "11" on the 10-point, Higginbottom Taper Insanity Scale*, as shown here:

1977 Higginbottom Taper Insanity Scale: Triathlons

By definition “tapering” is:

The reduction of the training load for an athlete during a variable period of time in order to reduce the physiological and psychological stress from daily training with the goal of optimizing sports performance on competition day.

That is to say that the taper is meant to help you maintain the intensity of your workouts while reducing the length or volume of the workload, allow the body to rebuild, reduce stress that negatively affects the body, and maximize muscle and liver glycogen stores (energy!).

The following are some of the generally discussed issues/challenges we face during tapering and how to handle them.

1. Everything Hurts! I'm falling apart!! Your body is healing itself. These aches and pains are usually not anything new. While some may be "in your head", more often they are the normal soreness experienced during regular training. The difference is that, during your taper, you actually have time to analyze these things... under the microscope of your taper-addled brain!

If you really want to get on top of the aches and pains and set your body up for success, here is some terrific information from Ben Keyes of the IMFL Sports Massage Team on IRONMAN Race Prep and Recovery, as it relates to massage therapy. Here, you will learn what you can do up to three weeks before your race and immediately after!



2. I Need To Do More! The training is done! The taper is not the time to do more long/hard training to try to make last-minute improvements. As hard as this can be to accept, it is a fact. Quite often, some of your final, longer sessions may be some of your worst. As you approach that tipping point of overtraining and not being able to recover enough, you may start feeling disappointed about the results of some of your sessions.


Do NOT try to squeeze in "one last, long or hard (fill in the blank with swim/bike/run)"! If the siren call to put in more yards or miles gets too loud, simply go back to your training logs or simply think back to all of the workouts you put in to get to this point. Seeing how much you have done to prepare should give you solace!



3. During Training I Have Eaten Like A Starving Hyena and Now I Can't Stop! I am the last person to be giving any kind of nutrition advice. I eat like a starving hyena even when I am not training hard. So... I am simply going to point you to a great read directly from the IRONMAN mothership herself! Taper Nutrition Basics: A 3 Week Plan. While you are doing that, I am going to order myself a pizza...




4. My Confidence Swings More Than My Mood! As discussed in number 2, above, the feeling that you have not done enough is strong. But then, you follow my advice and look at your workouts and you decide you are ready! Heck, maybe you should even drop 15 minutes from your estimated finish time? Wait, your swim has not really felt quite "there" this past week. Maybe you should add 30 minutes to your estimated finish time?! Finish time?! Who said you are going to finish? Who am I kidding? You are going to KILL this IRONMAN thing!


Sound familiar? Remember when I said the training was done?! It is. The taper is not the time to be second-guessing your swim stroke, bike pace, or running form. It is not the place to gain fitness. The taper is where you have to work just as hard at the mental battle as you have to prepare for the physical one! If IRONMAN training is all about preparing you for the physical rigors of an IRONMAN, what you go through during the taper and HOW YOU HANDLE IT is the final preparation for the mental rigors of an IRONMAN!

Again, look back at where you have been. Every stroke in the pool, pedal stroke on the bike, and step on the run have prepared you for this! Rest and relax more. Race day will be here soon enough and you will do great!


5. Stick To Your Plan! Tune out the noise of your training partners and other athletes participating. It can be hard when you hear them talking about how ready they are or how well their training has been going. Remember, this whole journey is as individual a process as the race, itself, will be. The taper is no different. It will vary from person to person. What works for others, may not work for you. Find what works for you to keep you sane and keep you from upsetting all of your hard work.



Again, trust all of the hard work you have done and all of the planning you have put into your journey. If there are any last-minute doubts, talk with your coach or with someone who has done your race before. Go over what you have done and what you plan to do on race day.



Finally, think back to what started you on this journey. Why are you doing this? You will be reminded of what brought you here. That and the study of the hard work you have done will remind you that you ARE prepared for that magical moment when you cross the finish line and hear those ever-important words that we all want to hear so badly, "(Insert Your Name Here)... YOU... are an IRONMAN!"

Follow these tips and you will live through this taper!



* - There is no "Higginbottom Taper Insanity Scale", but it sounds cool and there probably should be one!