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.
Which goes to show that maybe (subjective) feelings about how fast/slow/good/bad one feels should be taken with a grain of salt! :) I've definitely also had mediocre or disappointing swims when I was feeling great in the water. Tapering is such a head game.
So true. When I have had my absolute best swims over the years it often was when I felt like crap literally till I dove in for my first race. You have to have 100% confidence in what you have done in your training and trust that your ready.
Which goes to show that maybe (subjective) feelings about how fast/slow/good/bad one feels should be taken with a grain of salt! :) I've definitely also had mediocre or disappointing swims when I was feeling great in the water. Tapering is such a head game.
So true. When I have had my absolute best swims over the years it often was when I felt like crap literally till I dove in for my first race. You have to have 100% confidence in what you have done in your training and trust that your ready.
