I'm planning on resting for a meet in Feb. As usual, I'm wondering what taper to use, how much to rest, etc. I don't feel like I've really hit on the "one" plan that works for me.
I know everyone has their own approach to taper and may taper for between 1-4 weeks. In every taper plan I've seen, the yardage always drops off gradually. Has anyone ever tried a "drop dead" taper? One where you continue to exercise at your regular level and then, say 7 days before the big meet, you precipitously drop the yardage down to 1500 or so with very little sprinting? Thoughts?
I'm wondering if this type of taper might work for me, as I feel (possibly falsely) like I lose conditioning if I taper too long.
Sometimes it sucks to train alone and go only on instinct.
Yes, I can see how that would suck. In one sense, everyone is on their own in a taper b/c people respond differently to the same kinds of practices/tapers. But it is very helpful to have a coach for encouragement, feedback...or even just to time you on 25s and 50s (where tenths of a second make a difference).
Like Ahelee Sue, I admire you and others who have the dedication to train hard on their own.
don't trust your taper, test your taper
This advice is fine...up to the point where "testing" your taper (by doing too many hard/fast swims in practice) means you don't rest enough. I wouldn't want to start doing all-out 200 fly swims every day just because I'm unsure about whether I'm holding my conditioning, even though 200 fly might be an event I'm tapering for.
I do trust my taper -- better to say, I trust my in-season training and I trust certain taper principles (no two tapers are exactly alike) -- b/c it has been successful in the past, not necessarily b/c I test it daily DURING the taper.
In fact, I often don't have my coach time me on any fast swims during the last week of taper. If I did and (say) I had some slow 50s or 25s...what in the world could I do about it at that point? And if the times were fast, I wouldn't want to get overcofident. Plus, to be honest, I don't always want to go that fast during that last week; turning the clock "off" helps me relax more for those few times I do sprint.
But these are also mind games to an extent, and tapering is as much psychological as physical. Others get pumped up differently, obviously. (In Ande's case -- if he's in the weight room lifting more than ever -- I mean that literally! :))
Sometimes it sucks to train alone and go only on instinct.
Yes, I can see how that would suck. In one sense, everyone is on their own in a taper b/c people respond differently to the same kinds of practices/tapers. But it is very helpful to have a coach for encouragement, feedback...or even just to time you on 25s and 50s (where tenths of a second make a difference).
Like Ahelee Sue, I admire you and others who have the dedication to train hard on their own.
don't trust your taper, test your taper
This advice is fine...up to the point where "testing" your taper (by doing too many hard/fast swims in practice) means you don't rest enough. I wouldn't want to start doing all-out 200 fly swims every day just because I'm unsure about whether I'm holding my conditioning, even though 200 fly might be an event I'm tapering for.
I do trust my taper -- better to say, I trust my in-season training and I trust certain taper principles (no two tapers are exactly alike) -- b/c it has been successful in the past, not necessarily b/c I test it daily DURING the taper.
In fact, I often don't have my coach time me on any fast swims during the last week of taper. If I did and (say) I had some slow 50s or 25s...what in the world could I do about it at that point? And if the times were fast, I wouldn't want to get overcofident. Plus, to be honest, I don't always want to go that fast during that last week; turning the clock "off" helps me relax more for those few times I do sprint.
But these are also mind games to an extent, and tapering is as much psychological as physical. Others get pumped up differently, obviously. (In Ande's case -- if he's in the weight room lifting more than ever -- I mean that literally! :))
