The Untold Truths of Triathlon Taper: What Nobody Warns You About…
I originally had something different planned for today.
But since there are several Ironman races right around the corner…
Ironman Florida- November 2nd
Ironman Arizona- November 17th
Ironman Cozumel- November 24th
I thought we’d do a little Ironman-focused series this week!
So this is a follow-up to a popular post from earlier in the month- “You’ve Trained So Hard. Don’t Screw it Up Now! Avoid These Common Taper Mistakes.”
We already talked about what taper is and how it works, factors that influence taper, and common taper mistakes to avoid.
You've Trained So Hard. Don't Screw it Up Now! Avoid These Common Taper Mistakes
Today, as a little gift for my friends competing at Ironman Florida this week, I’m giving you a freebie! I’m unlocking the accompanying Triple Threat Life Club bonus post.
“The Untold Truths of Taper: What Nobody Warns You About.”
It has commentary from two triathlon coaches. The first is David Tilbury Davis, who’s worked with professional triathletes like Skye Moench, Lionel Sanders, and Ashleigh Gentle. The second is Robin Barth of Rise Up Racing, who works with age groupers- from the first-time finisher to the Kona qualifier.
Then, we’ll cover the 8 untold truths of taper- the weird things nobody really talks about…
So if you’re in taper right now, my hope is that this information gives you some peace of mind and reassurance. You’re not crazy (theoretically speaking). This is something every athlete deals with. And you can too. Everything is going to be ok.
What triathlon coaches have to say about taper
Robin Barth- Rise Up Racing
I’ve had the opportunity to chat with Robin many times for articles in Triathlete Magazine. Earlier this year, we worked on a fun piece about the different taper week personalities.
Are you the type of athlete who directs all your excess energy into color-coding the closet or alphabetizing the spice rack? If so, you’re probably The Super Scrubber.
Do you sneak in a last-minute long run to “test your fitness” or “see if the taper worked?” If so, you’re probably The Anti-Taperer.
Are you the athlete who doesn’t train at all during taper, sits on the couch, and binge-watches Lionel Sanders’ YouTube videos? You might be The Couch Potato.
It was all in good fun, but there’s a lot of truth to it as well. We all have different taper personalities, and the decisions we make during this time period are affected by our thoughts, fears, and motivations.
Robin knows this well because she’s the head coach of Rise Up Racing in Williamsport, PA. She works with athletes ranging from the first-time finisher to the Kona qualifier. She’s also a 7X Ironman and Boston Qualifier in her own right.
Here’s what she had to say about the importance of taper.
“Taper is super essential for coming into a race after you’ve had a big build. So you can come into it rested and still ready to hit the distance. A lot of 70.3 and Ironman training is also aerobic work, building capacity for doing the distance. Most of the big workouts leading to those races may not be speed based, unless your goals are to podium. It’s very much about quantifying. Taper brings you down off this huge capacity and gives you rest time so you can do the same distance, and maybe more, at a higher threshold.”
We also talked about what taper looks like for different distances.
“Usually, for a 70.3, it’s a 2-week taper, but the first week is a false taper. It’s not as big as the week prior, because the biggest is usually three weeks out. Then, we start to back off a little bit. You might still have a bigger ride, but maybe not as long as the one the week before. It’s a week you might have seen a few months ago,” she says. “For an Ironman, it’s a 3-week taper, so the false taper start 3 weeks out. Then, the last two weeks it's not no volume, but typically aerobic. If your training level is 14-16 hours, then it might drop to 8-10 hours.”
David Tilbury-Davis
I had the opportunity to interview David for another Triathlete magazine article- Secrets of the Fastest Female Runners in Triathlon, back when he coached Ashleigh Gentle.
We also talked a bit about taper and how different athletes might have different taper needs.
“It’s hugely important to remain parasympathetically stimulated as you go into a race. What happens is people cut volume and intensity on taper, and then they don't have a good race. They will say their legs felt dull or flat, and they couldn’t take it up a gear. That means they didn’t do enough training to stay sufficiently parasympathetically stimulated during taper.”
“Elite age group athletes [may] need a different taper for swim, bike, run. I’ve had athletes in the past, in terms of biking and the way their body responds to stimulus before Ironman, where the last really quality session is 12 days before the race. Then, after that it’s easy aerobic. But that same individual on the run may need to do a two-hour run six days before the race. There are physical differences between sports, and there are different stimulus needs.”
The Untold Truths of Taper: What Nobody Warns You About
While taper is important for peak athletic performance, there are a lot of weird things that can happen to your body during this time period.
People often talk about getting the “taper crazies” or not being able to relax with all the extra time on their hands. But they rarely talk about the other unusual things that can happen during taper…
1. Some weight gain is normal.
As training volume decreases during taper, many athletes may notice a slight weight gain. This is especially true during an Ironman build. This can be due to a reduction in the amount of calories being burned. Your training has been reduced, but you’re still eating more carbs in order to replenish glycogen stores and prepare for the race.
Weight gain can also be due to water retention. This is temporary and not something to worry about. Don’t restrict calories heading into an Ironman. That’s one of the worst things you can do. You’re about undertake a 9-17 hour epic endurance event. You need all the help you can get.
2. You might feel sluggish and dull.
You’ve spent a long training block accumulating considerable fatigue. So when you start to taper, you expect to feel incredible, right? This isn’t the case for most athletes.
It’s very common to feel sluggish, dull, and “off” during the taper period as your body tries its best to repair and recover. The decrease in training is a sign to your body to send in the cavalry to repair all the damage you’ve caused. Also, your body has become accustomed to high volume, so the gradual decrease and change in regular routine can cause you to feel a bit off.
3. You might have increased anxiety or feel restless.
This is what athletes refer to as the “taper crazies.” The decrease in training load, and just less physical activity in general, can cause athletes to feel restless, which quickly lead to anxiety. But part of recovering during taper and race week involves rest.
“I don’t have a 10-mile run on the schedule. I have so much time for activities!” Stop that right now.
Do not use this free time to build a shed in your backyard, renovate the kitchen, or take up pickleball. Just chill the heck out and watch a movie. You can read a book, draw, do a puzzle, practice yoga, get a massage, or walk your dog.
4. You might have trouble sleeping.
Some athletes have trouble sleeping, or experience a poor quality of sleep, during taper. This can be the result of an increase in energy levels or pre-race jitters.
Here are a few things that help me.
Not looking at my cell phone one hour prior to bedtime.
Reading a book to relax.
Wearing compression boots.
Drinking a cup of warm tea.
No caffeine after lunchtime.
Cranking down the air conditioner so it’s easier to fall asleep.
Know that most athletes don’t sleep well the night before a race. So, we try to get a good night of sleep two nights before the race to put a little reserve in the bank. Also, you can make it easier on your body by sticking to a regular bedtime and wake-up time. It helps to establish a routine.
5. You might feel phantom pains or niggles.
This is a truly bizarre part of taper. It’s something that I deal with, personally, so I know how it can freak you out!
During taper, I often experience “race week niggles.” Basically, this is when you notice minor aches and pains that you didn’t feel during training. They’re sometimes called “phantom pains,” but not because they’re imaginary. This simply means they’re usually not indicative of an actual injury. Instead this is your body’s way of responding to reduced stress. Often, they occur at the site of old injuries, which can freak you out even more.
During Ironman training, you’ve been accumulating considerable fatigue. Your body has no choice but to keep going, because you aren’t giving it enough time to repair itself. But as soon as you start taper and the volume decreases, your body rushes in to repair any areas of damage. Don’t worry. These minor aches and pains generally disappear by race day.
I focus on foam-rolling, stretching, yoga, using compression boots, and even taking an epsom salt bath to relieve any minor aches. I also use KT Tape on any sore muscles that need some extra support during workouts.
6. You might experience mood swings.
It’s very common to get moody or cranky as you conclude a big training block. You’re tired. It’s normal. Sometimes, this moodiness can be the result of hormonal changes as the body adapts to the decrease in training.
You might be more sensitive to things that normally wouldn’t bother you, or you might get easily frustrated. Give yourself some grace during this period. Also, make sure your family and friends know that this is normal, so they can provide you with some support.
7. You might get sick.
Unfortunately, some athletes get sick during taper. Again, this is a result of the body responding to the decrease in training load. Sometimes, your immune system can take a hit as well.
Try not to worry about it too much. Get plenty of rest and take in fluids with electrolytes so your body can battle whatever minor bug you’ve picked up. We try to prevent this as much as we can by not attending any big gatherings in the final weeks before a race. We also make sure to use hand sanitizer after going to the grocery store, pumping gas, or flying on a plane.
8. You might experience cravings or an increase in appetite.
This is a weird one that I experienced during my last Ironman build. I don’t typically eat a lot, but I was hungry all the time! During taper, your body needs fuel in order to repair and recover. Interestingly, my increase in appetite continued for about 2 weeks post race. Sometimes, we make the mistake of thinking about things in isolation. The race is over, so after a few days my body should get back to normal, right?
But your body doesn’t know the race is over. All your body knows is that you put it through this crazy long day of intense physical activity and stress and who knows what you’re going to do to it next!
An Ironman is a huge challenge and takes a toll. Your body responds to the incredible strain being placed on it by doing whatever it can to “survive.” This involves an increase in appetite so you eat more and take in required nutrients. For me, this dissipated after a few weeks. Also, you just did an Ironman, so honestly eat whatever you want!
I hope you’re enjoyed today’s post about the untold truths of taper. Stay tuned for Thursday’s post when we’ll talk about how to pack gear bags for an Ironman.
News & Notes
Doing a little flashback with published pieces to follow the Ironman theme for this week.
A lot of course insights in here. Hopefully it helps anyone racing this weekend! 2023 Ironman Florida Race Report
One of my most controversial posts of all time. Why? Not sure, other than people are just weird. The point was to write a guide to show how you can carry everything you need for an Ironman and not use on-course nutrition, if you don’t want to. How I Did an Ironman Without Using a Single Aid Station
Part of a 7-part blog series I wrote for Ironman last year. Advice For Your First Ironman was a compilation of different pieces of advice I received from friends and colleagues. Here’s a link to the entire First Ironman blog series.
Matt and I have another big weekend preparing for Ironman Arizona. We have our last century ride of this build and likely a big run. Not sure, haven’t looked in my Training Peaks yet…