Cow Man Taper

SPOILER WARNING: This blog contains the inner musings of a man with far too much time on his hands.

Taper week....

As many a triathlete knows this is a time of paradox; granted the gift of time but with no idea how to use it. As someone who, when not at work, spends 90% of his time training and sleeping (the other 10% is spent trying to mollify and understandably irritated other half) this gift of time is a strange thing. As anyone who knows my training habits will tell you I have a knack for doing a little too much and reflecting on my previous tapers with club mate Clark Schofield, it seems I had always done too much.

I have had 2 races this year which were "A/B" priority and thus warranted a taper. Before Nat Champs I foolishly decided to ride half the course at race pace the day before and then run 5k at race pace 45 minutes after.

MISTAKE!

The week before Shropshire I did 4 lots of running speed work in Spanish heat, a shocking plan which lead to my legs feeling dead on the Saturday evening.

MISTAKE!

This week has been the total opposite. Following a tough Sunday at the Hillingdon race and a 2.5 hour "recovery" ride (I got lost!) the week went as follows:

Monday: 2k recovery swim + insults about being beaten and being rubbish at sprints;

Tuesday: 3k open water with 30 mins at race pace;

Wednesday 90min ride with 25 mins at race pace + 10 minute run at race pace;

Thursday: 2k open water with starts;

Friday: rest;

Saturday: TBC open water swim or 45min bike with bursts.

Will it work? I'll let you know on Sunday evening. My worry is it's too little, maybe I'll feel dull on Sunday and won't be ready to work hard. I've never done the distance before and I have been advised that too much taper is always better than too little, especially for anything over sprint.....???

Well, another 15 minutes killed before new episode of Scrubs starts and I can eat again. I did warn you I had too much time on my hands.