Tapering...

I usually start tapering 10 days before my first event. I reduce weights to 1 x set instead of 3 x set, 2 weeks before and no weights the final week. In the pool I'll drop any morning sessions and limit the evening sessions to no more than 45 mins, with some sprinting in every session to keep my body race ready. My focus in these sessions is technique, turns and starts, but not too many starts a day or 2 before comps. Curiously, I did 2 weeks all inclusive in mexico at the start of the year. All we did was eat drink and water sports (volleyball, basketball and water polo) all short sharp explosive work. When I got back into training I absolutely flew, and felt great. Interested to hear others taper plans :)

I start my taper 3 wk before the meet.For the weights I drop the weight down,first session 80%,second session 75%,third session 70% focusing on speed.For the actual swims,for the first 2 weeks of taper I keep the distance the same but make more of it recovery swims,so like instead of a set of 10X25 on the minute sprints(for sprint day) I'd do 5X50 on the 1 1/2 or 2 min as 25 sprint and 25 slow.The week before the meet I don't lift and I swim a long warm up,a 50 at 200 pace,200 cool down,50 at 100 pace ,200 cool down,2X25 sprints with 100-200 cool down between them and then a long cool down.The day before the meet I do my meet warm up,sprint a 50(from the block if possible),and do a long cool down.

I start to taper 3 weeks out down to 1/2 distance up to 1 1/2 weeks before state/nationals - sprints in the last week before.

if you want to follow a whole season: SCY 2008 is one of my better ones it started: Tuesday Dec 4th, 2007 Friday March 28th, 2008 I did a lot of speed and strength work that season. how you taper, always depends on the work you did that season and what works best for you

Thanks for your replies!!! One of my teammates told me that our team doesn't necessarily do a taper, so I may be on my own. I swim 10 -11 times a week (2500 - 3500 yards a workout), try to ride the lifecycle 3x's a week aerobically and lift 2x's a week. Needless to say i am pretty exhausted all of the time. I take Sunday's off to rest. I really want to try to go into the SPMA scm championship meet in Long Beach rested and tapered so I will follow your examples. :bliss: As Ande (or maybe someone else) noted, the amount you taper is partly dependent on how much you train. It may also depend on your target events. If in doubt, err towards taking more rest, not less. Especially given your workout tendencies: it is far more likely that you'll tend to take too little rest, rather than too much. I would cut out the cross-training (including weights) 3 weeks out, and start reducing the yardage 3 weeks out.

if you want to follow a whole season: SCY 2008 is one of my better ones it started: Tuesday Dec 4th, 2007 Friday March 28th, 2008 I did a lot of speed and strength work that season. how you taper, always depends on the work you did that season and what works best for you Thanks for your replies!!! One of my teammates told me that our team doesn't necessarily do a taper, so I may be on my own. I swim 10 -11 times a week (2500 - 3500 yards a workout), try to ride the lifecycle 3x's a week aerobically and lift 2x's a week. Needless to say i am pretty exhausted all of the time. I take Sunday's off to rest. I really want to try to go into the SPMA scm championship meet in Long Beach rested and tapered so I will follow your examples. :bliss:

Thank you!!

I just founde this Ande: What does FAST FRIDAY consist of? Re: Ande's Swimming Blog today I ordered a pair of Speedo PRO Jammers and Speedo PRO LegSkins I'm also going to wear my Speedo Pro Hineck (that I dissed) Do some fast swims and compare times and find out what works best for me. Here's my SPEED TRAINING / Taper Plan from now till nats L = Lift ( I am going to taper down the weights, to fewer sets and reps ) 11 Fri L FAST FRIDAY 12 Sat 2,000 - 2,500 4 FAST 25'S 13 Sun L NO SWIM 14 Mon 2,000 4 FAST 25'S 15 Tue L 2,000 4 FAST 25'S 16 Wed 2,000 4 FAST 25'S 17 Thu L 2,000 EASY 18 Fri FAST FRIDAY 19 Sat L 2,000 4 FAST 25'S 20 Sun NO SWIM 21 Mon L 1,800 3 FAST 25'S 22 Tue 1,800 3 FAST 25'S 23 Wed L 1,800 3 FAST 25'S 24 Thu 1,800 EASY 25 Fri L FAST FRIDAY 26 Sat 1,800 2 FAST 25'S 27 Sun L NO SWIM 28 Mon 1,500 2 FAST 25'S 29 Tue L 1,500 2 FAST 25'S 30 Wed 1,000 EASY 01 Thu 1,000 EASY Looks like it worked for you!! Thanks

in your Taper??? Thanks!!