Drop Dead Taper

I do fret about longer tapers. Sometimes it sucks to train alone and go only on instinct. Part of the problem that comes from training alone is zero feedback... This can really work against some who need reassurance going into a big meet. I try to encourage swimmers who are in this situation to bring someone - anyone - like a friend, husband, person you are trying to encourage to swim, a not too young child, etc.- along with you to the pool for a practice session. Bribe them in any way that is necessary. Then, get your "coach" to time some of your swims or sets. Teach them how to start you from the blocks so you don't have to keep your head up watching the clock to go. AND - bring your video camera so they can record some of your swims. Take your times and video and analyze them all at home. Send it around to your coach in another city - or on your blog. Just one or two sessions like this will provide so much information. Especially a videotape even if it is only from above. I am all admiration for athletes who manage to train alone... its' a whole different world of dedication. But it can be done. Now better than ever. Yes, I agree. Ande is not only brilliant, but generous. Thanks to all of you for the offerings here. I had a situation not so long ago, where I asked my coach for guidance on "race-preparation week"/tapering. I was told to go look on the internet or read a book or check the ASCA website. In other words, blown-off. Lucky for us that we now swim in a time where we have access to GREAT resources to consult. And we can actually ask for solid and experienced advice. I have found most swimmers very generous and appreciate it so much. Like Ande says, ASK!

Somewhat recent work by Inigo Mujika has compelling evidence showing that an exponential taper that drops by 35 to 55% each day is better than a simple drop taper or linear decrease in yardage taper. These studies were probably published Maglischo finished his manuscript for hit latest book. You can check pubmed for his name to pull up the abstracts. As for the length of taper, a fellow named Phil Skiba and I have three seasons of modeling data showing that the optimum length of taper for adult triathletes is *usually* 3 or 4 days but I have seen outliers from as little as 1 day to as much as 8 days. The "typical" training load of these athletes is usually 3 hours of actual swimming per week. (Yes, this confirms that most triathletes don't care about swimming, but of course there are some who do:-) ) This is opposed to the data from swimmers averaging 50k per week that showed optimal taper lengths of ~ 21 days. (Hellard et al, 1996) If I were taking a stab, I'd say 6 to 8 day exponential taper would be the way to go. Drop the amount of yards by 50% every workout, keep the same frequency of working out, keep some fast swimming in the workouts as well in order not to lose your feel or stroke in the water. You can actually work these things out for yourself with 8 performance tests and a training log and know for yourself exactly how long your taper should be. If you'd like to know how to do it, send me an email off list.

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! :))

Somewhat recent work by Inigo Mujika has compelling evidence showing that an exponential taper that drops by 35 to 55% each day is better than a simple drop taper or linear decrease in yardage taper. The huge problem I have with a statement like this is that it is using yardage as the (only) metric of training volume. Most tapers have a completely distinct "flavor" than in-season training. Of course, it is harder to measure (cumulative) intensity level and so yardage is often used as a proxy measure. I have not looked up the abstracts -- I'll do so when I have some time -- so I apologize if I'm doing the author a disservice. But even so, such work tends to get "boiled down" to a statement like this that will oversimplify or overgeneralize the author's data/conclusions.

on Test your taper, during your taper you should race your actual event much or even at all especially if it's a 200 fly Mainly do fast 15's, 25's, & 50's if you have records compare your in practice times to this and previous seasons on longer events do broken swims like 50 easy speed 10 sec rest 50 easy speed 10 sec rest 50 easy speed 10 sec rest 50 easy speed or 100 fr 15 sec rest 100 fr 15 sec rest 100 fr 15 sec rest 100 fr 15 sec rest 100 fr you can play with distances, effort and rest Tapering is time to reduce yards and cut back quantity BUT QUALITY should stay high and GET EVEN HIGHER nothing gives you confidence like swimming very fast in practice Fast practice times during taper are something tangible to hang your hopes on. you don't have to get timed everytime especially in the last week 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.

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. Trusting your in season training is different than trusting your taper. I feel more confident in the former as I've trained hard lately. And workout monsters like yourself have to feel confident with their in season training! I thought maybe Ande was referring more to testing the length of your taper (and maybe fidgeting with how much sprinting you might need)? That's what seems to vary a great deal depending on your individual circumstances and your events. Does anyone feel really good at the end of taper? It seems I always hear people complaining about feeling crappy until the moment they step on the blocks. Is this an indication that they haven't tapered enough and are still in the "feeling like crap" phase of taper? Or is this just a psychological? I really haven't done enough long tapers as a master to opine on this.

on Test your taper, during your taper you should race your actual event much or even at all especially if it's a 200 fly Mainly do fast 15's, 25's, & 50's if you have records compare your in practice times to this and previous seasons on longer events do broken swims Did you mean to say "you should NOT race your actual event?" It makes more sense in the context of your post. Broken swims are absolutely a great way to prepare for 100s and 200s, trying to get a feel for the proper pace. A large part of my own taper is geared towards this goal and broken swims play a big part of that. I wouldl say that, during much of my own taper, almost everything is one of the following: -- broken swims, mostly 50s, at either 200 or 100 pace ("pace" means for 50s other than the first 50 of the race). -- fast 25s from the blocks, especially concentrating on starts and breakouts, and fast turnover -- hypoxic work to work on high efficiency swimming and to increase HR without tiring the muscles much. (Oddly, it is often these hypoxic swims that reassure me about my conditioning. Again, mind games.) -- aerobic swims to maintain fitness, but nothing hard at all (well below LT). Some of these are with paddles to maintain strength. If I were focusing on distance events, I'd probably do a fair amount of pace 100s at goal race pace. Does anyone feel really good at the end of taper? Sure. I feel good for the 2nd half of my taper, once past the dreaded "blahs." I also feel very antsy, like I have too much energy, and a huge desire to blow off my taper and get back to training. I have this image that, when you step on the block, you should be bursting with energy, like a frisky race horse in the stall before the race. Of course, you need to harness that energy intelligently with a good race strategy.

Kevin, I think what you are describing makes a lot of sense for a triathlete...but am very skeptical that this forumla will work for swimming specific races. Even a sprint triathlon is at least 4x longer than our longest distance (1650/1500)...so coming down from a much heavier training regime a triathlete would be far more concerned with any loss of conditioning from resting as much as we typically do. To me what your describing for a triathlete would be similar to a swimmer that does a 3 day taper as we've been describing. I haven't read your messagee at all Paul. However could you please add "Cardinal fan since 2009" to your avatar.

The huge problem I have with a statement like this is that it is using yardage as the (only) metric of training volume. Most tapers have a completely distinct "flavor" than in-season training. Of course, it is harder to measure (cumulative) intensity level and so yardage is often used as a proxy measure. Usually the quantity of training is quantified by using the lactate threshold pace of the swimmer and weighting the different types/speeds of swimming. Although I don't have it handy and don't know if Dr. Mujika has been doing that in his taper studies.

Sure. I feel good for the 2nd half of my taper, once past the dreaded "blahs." I also feel very antsy, like I have too much energy, and a huge desire to blow off my taper and get back to training. I have this image that, when you step on the block, you should be bursting with energy, like a frisky race horse in the stall before the race. Of course, you need to harness that energy intelligently with a good race strategy. This seems ideal, for sure. I do recall you feeling kinda crappy at one point at Rutgers though. Right before you swam an unbelievable PB. Anyone have any thoughts on weights for women? I'm inclined to lift a couple more times at lighter weight instead of taking week 1 off entirely. I just feel, with no scientific basis, that women take longer to build muscle and lose it more quickly. Also, it seems like women have less muscle mass (although I'm starting to look like Hulk, I fear) and lift with less intensity/weight than men.