Drop Dead Taper

Crash tapers has worked for my swimmers often. But as a middle taper 1,5-2 months before a major meet. And I would never crash taper for 7 days. Only 3-4 days. Its a great way to swim well for a meet that is fairly important but not the championships. It also give my swimmers the opportunity to get race experience at close to best times. I would have a crash taper in the end of a 6 week cycle with 2 cycles left before the major competition. To advise you much on how to taper it would be good to get a bit more info on how you train. How a swimmer taper have to based on: - how he train - how he is build (man/woman, height, muscle mass, age...) - how he is mentally - and not least what experience he have from other tapers. One great coach once took aside at a national championship when I was a young coach and asked me what my team had been doing the last two weeks. I explained with the result of him taking a deep breathe and saying "come, lets go have a beer" That evening I learned a lot. It can be cooked down to: - last 10 days before a major competition: Relax and have fun. If in doubt swim LESS. I have worked after that since and several times other coaches have come to me and asked how I trim my swimmers to swim so well at the right time. As some one else has mentioned its also important to stay happy. When preparing for a competition focus on what you are good at. Do the things that make you feel good. Remember all the good practices and races you have done. Visualize how you are going to swim fast and maybe even beat swimmers you never thought before you would beat. In the end if you go the meet feeling confident the body will perform more or less no matter what taper you did! In general: my experience with masters is that if you swim less that 20 k per week you should taper by swimming less intensity and keep the millage up. Otherwise it can be difficult to keep the feeling with and the balance in the water. Also have in mind what kind of competition you are going to swim. Are you going to swim 2 sessions per day for 2-4 days? Then calculate how much you will be swimming all included. Warm ups, races, swim downs. You want to keep you training - also in taper - up to a level so the meet will not become a hard training camp for you. Have fun Mads - ReachELITE

Crash tapers has worked for my swimmers often. But as a middle taper 1,5-2 months before a major meet. And I would never crash taper for 7 days. Only 3-4 days. Its a great way to swim well for a meet that is fairly important but not the championships. It also give my swimmers the opportunity to get race experience at close to best times. I would have a crash taper in the end of a 6 week cycle with 2 cycles left before the major competition. To advise you much on how to taper it would be good to get a bit more info on how you train. How a swimmer taper have to based on: - how he train - how he is build (man/woman, height, muscle mass, age...) - how he is mentally - and not least what experience he have from other tapers. One great coach once took aside at a national championship when I was a young coach and asked me what my team had been doing the last two weeks. I explained with the result of him taking a deep breathe and saying "come, lets go have a beer" That evening I learned a lot. It can be cooked down to: - last 10 days before a major competition: Relax and have fun. If in doubt swim LESS. I have worked after that since and several times other coaches have come to me and asked how I trim my swimmers to swim so well at the right time. As some one else has mentioned its also important to stay happy. When preparing for a competition focus on what you are good at. Do the things that make you feel good. Remember all the good practices and races you have done. Visualize how you are going to swim fast and maybe even beat swimmers you never thought before you would beat. In the end if you go the meet feeling confident the body will perform more or less no matter what taper you did! In general: my experience with masters is that if you swim less that 20 k per week you should taper by swimming less intensity and keep the millage up. Otherwise it can be difficult to keep the feeling with and the balance in the water. Also have in mind what kind of competition you are going to swim. Are you going to swim 2 sessions per day for 2-4 days? Then calculate how much you will be swimming all included. Warm ups, races, swim downs. You want to keep you training - also in taper - up to a level so the meet will not become a hard training camp for you. Have fun Mads - ReachELITE