I've been attempting to do some reasonable 10 day-2 week taper for an upcoming meet. Perhaps this is unusual for a sprinter, but I've found I hate tapering. I'm not terribly good at sticking to a taper plan. I feel more unfit each passing day. I just want to get back to my usual workouts and cross training ...
On top of this general angst, a tri friend told me today that tapering makes you b*tchy. :bitching: I've read this in running books too. Seems somewhat true for me, unfortunately for my family.
Anyone else hate tapering or is it just me?!
Having said this, I'm sure I'll have fun at the meet.
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Former Member
So I am having the wierdest tapering experience ever. I am in my taper with about a week and a half to go before my 1.4 mile OW event. Thanks to my fellow taper-haters wonderful advice, the fact that I have felt like a slow bloated slug has not been a surprise. :D
What was very strange was that I got in the pool today to do some sprint and interval work, and right away I notice that I have settled into a 4 beat kick. Which wouldn't be so wierd execept that up until now, my kick has been HORRENDOUS. I couldn't even call it a 6 beat kick - it was more like a 6-and-a-half beat kick since I had this wierd little stutter that kept sneaking in there. So today suddenly I'm swimming with a comfortable 4 beat kick. I feel like a slug, but I also notice the pool lane below me seems to be moving by just a little faster.
So I said what the heck, and timed a 200 split - swam it comfortably and just concentrated on keeping the kick timed with my strokes. I knocked 12 SECONDS off my average 200 split time!!! Obviously, my heart rate was lower too.
Normally I'd be psyched to have a breakthrough like this! Certainly, the time away from the pool during my taper has led to some subconscious processing of how I swim. The only thing that concerns me is that I am less than 2 weeks away from my OW event, and it seems a bizarre time to suddenly change up my form.
Anyone have an experience like this before? :confused:
So I am having the wierdest tapering experience ever. I am in my taper with about a week and a half to go before my 1.4 mile OW event. Thanks to my fellow taper-haters wonderful advice, the fact that I have felt like a slow bloated slug has not been a surprise. :D
What was very strange was that I got in the pool today to do some sprint and interval work, and right away I notice that I have settled into a 4 beat kick. Which wouldn't be so wierd execept that up until now, my kick has been HORRENDOUS. I couldn't even call it a 6 beat kick - it was more like a 6-and-a-half beat kick since I had this wierd little stutter that kept sneaking in there. So today suddenly I'm swimming with a comfortable 4 beat kick. I feel like a slug, but I also notice the pool lane below me seems to be moving by just a little faster.
So I said what the heck, and timed a 200 split - swam it comfortably and just concentrated on keeping the kick timed with my strokes. I knocked 12 SECONDS off my average 200 split time!!! Obviously, my heart rate was lower too.
Normally I'd be psyched to have a breakthrough like this! Certainly, the time away from the pool during my taper has led to some subconscious processing of how I swim. The only thing that concerns me is that I am less than 2 weeks away from my OW event, and it seems a bizarre time to suddenly change up my form.
Anyone have an experience like this before? :confused:
