Week 15: Welcome Your Taper
Athletes,
This training cycle has been a series of mini-cycles designed to develop your aerobic fitness through the process of stress and adaptation. Your muscles and oxygen intake have been trained to not just withstand, but thrive, in endurance distances and workouts. You have battled the weather, injuries, exhaustion, and everything else life threw at you the past 14 weeks. Your body has never fully recovered throughout the cycle and that’s precisely what the taper period is for and why it’s so important. Recovery is the name of the game now and doing it right will drop your level of fatigue to zero and simultaneously skyrocket your fitness (which is why they call it peaking). Take your recovery and lack of workouts seriously. Read more taper tips here.
This whole training cycle you have developed your aerobic fitness through the process of stress and adaptation–your muscles, your oxygen intake, you’ve trained your body through movement – All the while you have battled the weather, injuries, tiredness, and all the levels of fatigue. The taper period is so important because this is when your body, which has not fully recovered at all through the cycle to – fully recover. This recovery will drop your levels of fatigue to zero and simultaneously skyrocket your fitness, which is why they call it peaking.
SPORTS PSYCHOLOGY
Process Goals
Last week you set your outcome goals. This week we’ll talk about your process goals. Process goals are not concerned with what you run in the end but with how you achieve that result. Process goals can be mental strategies, a certain attitude at one point in the race or a pacing strategy. The important thing is that a process goal is 100% in your control – no matter how bad things get in a race, you should still be able to achieve your process goal(s).
Reflection prompt:
- How would you notice that you are running a good race without looking at splits, current elapsed time or your place / position?
Your answer to this question are the possible process goals.
Guidance by Mari Dottschadis M.S.c.
NUTRITION
Adjust Your Intake for a Reduced Training Load
As you enter the taper phase, your training volume decreases but your body is still fine-tuning its energy stores for race day. Adjust your nutrition accordingly by maintaining balanced meals but slightly reducing your overall caloric intake to match your lower training demands. Focus on maintaining high-quality carbohydrates and proteins to keep your muscles primed for performance, but avoid overeating which could lead to sluggishness. Continue to hydrate well, as proper fluid balance is essential even during the taper. Use this week to solidify your race-day nutrition plan, ensuring that your body is fueled, rested, and ready to run its best.
RECOVERY
Adjust Recovery to Reflect Reduced Training Load
As you enter the taper phase, reduce your training volume while still maintaining a strong recovery focus. Continue your routine of stretching, light activity, and rest to ensure your muscles are fully recovered and energized. With fewer miles, you can afford to deepen your recovery efforts—perhaps by extending your stretching routine or dedicating extra time to relaxation techniques. This week, focus on listening to your body, and adjust your recovery practices if you feel any residual tightness or fatigue. The goal is to be completely revitalized and injury-free as you head into race day.