Tapering for the “Big Race” can be a challenging balancing act. The most common issue I see among triathletes preparing for their “A race” is doing too much and arriving at the event fatigued… OR relaxing too much during the final week and giving away fitness.
Here’s my solution for getting your late-taper just right:
As you dial back leading up to the race, it’s important to maintain the intensity but keep the distances shorter than usual. Training hard and adding miles during the week leading up to the race gives you no benefit whatsoever—in fact, it usually sets you back!
Keep the intensity at the same levels you’ve been training until three days before the race. However, reduce your overall set length. Breathe hard, make your muscles work and remind yourself of the physical cues that allow you to flow.
For more of my tapering tips, checkout my full article on Designing A Perfect Pre-Race Taper
In this edition of Workout Wednesday powered by Bioastin, I outline some of my simple but effective pre-race sessions. You may do these within 4-5 days before your event. You’ll work hard in these sessions, but they should leave you feeling a little antsy. At this point, antsy is good! You want to go into your race feeling sharp and ready to give it your best!
If you give these workouts a try, let me know how they went. Get in touch with me on Facebook or Twitter.
Dave
Late Taper Workouts:
Warm Up
Allow a 10-minute warm up for each session.
Swim
For your swim, 12 x 75 m at race pace.
Bike
A set of 6 x 2.5 min on the bike at race pace.
Run
A set at 8 x 30-45 sec at your half IM pace would be just right.
Complete each session with a steady state aerobic block.
#WorkoutWednesday is powered by BioAstin, one of my top 5 recommended supplements. BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant that supports cardiovascular health and muscle recovery… perfect for athletes who are training hard.
