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With the much anticipated Spartan Canada return to Mont Tremblant after 6 years away, many athletes are now going through their final preparations for this massive race weekend which features: Ultra, Beast, Super, Sprint all in one weekend, including the Age Group National Series Sprint. For many, this will be one of their "A" races (or "goal races), so nerves may be at an all time high as athletes mentally prepare to put their fitness to the test in a few day's time. We thought this would be a great opportunity to answer the question: "What should you be doing on race week?" and to make sure you are implementing one of the most important parts of your pre race prep: the taper!
WHAT IS A TAPER AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
You have been putting in weeks and months of training ahead of your goal race, so by now you know that it takes a long time to get certain adaptations and benefits from training. This is important to remember right now as it can be very easy to convince ourselves to "cram" in extra training because we "just need one more session!" because we suddenly feel unprepared. Just like trying to "cram" for a school exam, this idea of cramming in last minute training is simply a response to our pre-race nerves and the resultant anxious/negative internal dialogue. In reality, the work is done ("the hay is in the barn"), and this is the time to actually do the opposite of cram= taper!
Tapering can be defined as “a specialized exercise training technique which has been designed to reverse training-induced fatigue without a loss of the training adaptations” (Neary, et al), or “a period of reduced training volume to enhance performance” (Trappe, et al). Whichever definition you prefer, the concept is the same: reduce volume over a prescribed duration while maintaining training intensity (and frequency) in order to arrive on race day rested & sharp. By tapering we are able to reduce levels of training fatigue so that we are able to access the highest level of our physical capacity on race day. Here are a few keys to successfully tapering:
REDUCED TRAINING VOLUME
As mentioned above, the purpose of reducing your training volume is to reduce accumulated fatigue from exercise. This reduction is personal to each athlete and will depend on their training volume to date (i.e a 60% reduction will be massively different for each runner and may be too much for someone with very already very low training volume) as a reduction too massive could lead to insufficient training stress and thus detraining (Mujika, et al).
It has been found that training volume reductions of 50% to even 85% (even 90% reduction has worked for some) have been enough to retain training adaptations. (Mujika). Furthermore, studies which have evaluated various tapering styles have suggested that the most successful form of tapering is done with an reduction in volume (over 7-14 days) of 60% or more (Mujika et al).
MAINTAIN INTENSITY
The key to a successful tapering period is to reduce training while maintaining training intensity (i.e speed work, simulations, etc). Studies have found that a reduction in training intensity over a period of time (up to 15 weeks) was detrimental in maintaining “gains in aerobic power, endurance measures, & cardiac growth” (Hickson). Other studies compared the effects of a high intensity low volume taper, a low intensity moderate volume taper, & a rest only taper in middle distance runners, & noted that “total blood volume, red cell volume [...] muscle strength, & running time to fatigue were optimized only with the high-intensity low-volume taper” (Shepley, et al). The takeaway: athletes maintain high intensity (paces, hear rates, perceived exertion), but reduce their training volume (see above) in order to optimize their fitness on race day.
DURATION
The duration of the taper is personal to each athlete: their weekly volume, the race they will be competing in, etc. Athletes who have been preparing for an Ultra with very high mileage may need a longer, more aggressive taper that those who are competing in a 5k distance (although this remains very individual). Studies have found that athletes in various sports can successfully taper over a duration of 4 days-1 month with positive race day benefits. The duration of the taper will depend on how hard one has been training & their training volume., however a taper duration of 4-28 days is suggested (Mujika). It takes practice and experience to know how much taper-time is needed for each individual, so experiment with your various races and see what feels best for you for each different race distance (sprint to Beast/Ultra).
RACE WEEK CHECKLIST
Reduce training volume: take a look at your weekly mileage, kilometers, and sets on strength days. Reduce your training volume by 50-85%. Yes, you will be bored on race week with so much less training, but the purpose of the taper is to recover and arrive to the start line sharp, not fatigued from extra training.
Maintain training intensity: if you are doing intervals, race simulations, or Metcons (metabolic conditioning), keep the paces and effort the same as you normally would, but reduce the overall volume (as mentioned above). For example, if you would normally do 10x400m of running, consider doing 4-5x 400m but keep the speed/pace the same.
Trust in your training and consistency: as race day approaches it is normal to start feeling anxious (especially when the course maps are released!). Fight the urge to start to question your training and preparation. If you have been consistently working hard towards this goal, reflect back upon the sessions you did and be confident in your preparations. Do not allow yourself to start trying new things that may compromise you on race day or do massive training sessions because your mind is telling you that you are not prepared. In regards to obtaining higher levels of fitness, anything you do this week (training-wise) won't do much to better your fitness in such a short period of time...however, what you do this week can do much to harm your fitness, recovery, and energy levels before race day!
Looking for help with your taper? Click the link below to check out our 1 on 1 personalized running and OCR training plans and let us help take you to the next level!
Have more questions about tapering? Send us an email: outlawocr@gmail.com.
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