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.
I'd beware the 1 wk taper as 1 wk is where I feel loggy.At 3 wk I don't stop lifting,but I drop the weight and try to focus on hand and foot speed for 10 days and then stop lifting.I generally feel great(but fragile and neurotic)the last week of a taper.I like a 3 week taper,but one year there was an SCM meet I wanted to swim in 1 wk before our Association meet.I tapered as usual for the SCM meet and for some reason swam lousy.I continued the taper doing little more than warmup for the next week and had a great meet.The next taper meet I tried a 4 week taper and did really lousy,so I went back to 3 wks.
I'd beware the 1 wk taper as 1 wk is where I feel loggy.At 3 wk I don't stop lifting,but I drop the weight and try to focus on hand and foot speed for 10 days and then stop lifting.I generally feel great(but fragile and neurotic)the last week of a taper.I like a 3 week taper,but one year there was an SCM meet I wanted to swim in 1 wk before our Association meet.I tapered as usual for the SCM meet and for some reason swam lousy.I continued the taper doing little more than warmup for the next week and had a great meet.The next taper meet I tried a 4 week taper and did really lousy,so I went back to 3 wks.
