tapering

YMMV = your mileage may vary I'd say the answer to the original question is, yes, you should taper. However, it's difficult to assess how long the duration of your taper should be and what specifically you should do during your taper. At the very least a rest period of a few days should help. As another poster said, continue getting in the pool your normal number of days, but start decreasing the amount of yardage you do. Most tapers emphasize speed work with lots of rest more than during the middle of your training season. For the amount you're swimming I would suggest a taper of only around a week. If you start it too early your risking degrading the aerobic base you've built up over the season. Also, be careful what you eat during this time. It's natural to want to eat the same amount you have been, but remember that you aren't burning as many calories. Also, this is just from personal experience. I'm not a coach.

YMMV = your mileage may vary I'd say the answer to the original question is, yes, you should taper. However, it's difficult to assess how long the duration of your taper should be and what specifically you should do during your taper. At the very least a rest period of a few days should help. As another poster said, continue getting in the pool your normal number of days, but start decreasing the amount of yardage you do. Most tapers emphasize speed work with lots of rest more than during the middle of your training season. For the amount you're swimming I would suggest a taper of only around a week. If you start it too early your risking degrading the aerobic base you've built up over the season. Also, be careful what you eat during this time. It's natural to want to eat the same amount you have been, but remember that you aren't burning as many calories. Also, this is just from personal experience. I'm not a coach.