๐๐๐๐๐ฌ & ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ โ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐
Tapering aims to achieve a controlled reduction in your training so that your body has time to recover from training fatigue without losing too much fitness.
It aims to deliver you to the start line with maximum fitness and ‘on fresh legs’.
Itโs a balance. Start the taper too soon, and youโll miss out on training; too late, youโll arrive with tired or heavy legs.
๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ
Tapering uses two metrics:
โ
Your Stress Balance. As you approach your event, you can plan your workouts so that your Stress Balance becomes more positive.
โ
Your Ramp Rate. As you approach your event, you can plan your workouts so that your Ramp Rate becomes less positive.
Both metrics use planned numbers based on your upcoming workouts to โlook aheadโ at the numbers that will be in place on the event date.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ?
This depends on the event duration (shorter events usually need a shorter taper) and how the event factors into your longer-term plans:
๐ฏ If itโs the event youโve been training for, you might aim for a positive training balance and a negative ramp rate, ‘giving up’ some training leading up to the event.
๐ฏ If itโs an event youโre using to test fitness or race-day strategy, you might aim for a training balance around zero but maintain a positive ramp rate, scaling back your training but not giving up too much.
There are many other things you should also consider when tapering, but using your training load metrics provides a solid foundation.
๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐’๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐น๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐?
โ Questions?
๐ Getting Started