Taper Madness

As you approach the key race of your season, and activity lightens a little as the taper begins, it's a good chance to reflect on the training journey. As I wrote recently, I estimate 80% of triathletes have significant disruptions to their training schedule. It may be injury, illness, work, or family. Some may be by choice, some by error, some simply bad luck. The reality is that we are where we are. Life is simply like that. 

We did our best to load our bodies with adaptive stress and then supported it while it grew stronger. In the end, we arrive at the start line as ready as life has allowed. We have given ourselves a chance, an opportunity to be part of the day, celebrate our fitness, and see if maybe we can cross that finish line. And to be at that start line is a cause to celebrate in itself. Many athletes will have run into obstacles that they could not overcome and they will not be there with us. 

When the taper starts our energy needs to shift even more to cognitive matters like race day logistics and execution. We rehearse the day in our mind and on paper and make sure we have a strategy or at least resilience to overcome anything we might face, and we will face many tests on the day, that is a fact. 

There will be moments where you question yourself or worry about eventualities. This is what I call 'Taper Madness'. It's natural. This is a chance to exercise the self-talk and mantras you will need under considerable greater stress on race day. We are where we are. Keep preparing, keep rehearsing, and then on the day let's simply go for a swim, a bike ride and a run, and execute our plan. Whether we are able to cross that finish line or not, what a journey it has been.