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<\/p>\nIt’s far enough into taper that the crazies are starting to come out a little bit for both of us.\u00a0 Zliten is convinced he has about 3 different major injuries.\u00a0 I’m resisting the urge to cram training I feel like I missed and\/or need more of in the last 3 weeks.\u00a0 Both of us are on the Overthinking It express train headed directly to Madness Town.<\/p>\n
However, we’ve been through this before, and to KNOW the taper crazy is the first step in conquering it.\u00a0 Below are four taper problems explained and what you can do about them.<\/p>\n
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Hello brain!\u00a0 Nice to see you have come back to me from durp-de-dur land.\u00a0 Now, if you could stop it with the crazy thoughts…<\/em><\/p>\n Taper Problem #1<\/strong> – It’s time to question EVERY decision I made during my training program, even though I trained pretty consistently.\u00a0 That 12 mile run that I stopped at 6.5 in January when my glutes flipped out?\u00a0 The fact that I only did 112, 100, 87, 80, and a bunch of 70 mile rides + more 4-5 hour long rides on the trainer instead of… more?\u00a0 The open water swim I cut by 2 laps because it was getting dark?\u00a0 I’m totally fucked on race day.<\/p>\n Why this happens:<\/strong> your brain isn’t completely consumed with or numb (I call it Ironman brain… the feeling of durrrrr…) from all the training, and now it’s awake and ready to completely overthink everything. You finally have free time, but you can’t really do anything with it because you have to rest.<\/p>\n What to do:<\/strong> Find something restful AND useful to do.\u00a0 Write blog posts about your taper crazies.\u00a0 Watch a TV series you’ve been putting off.\u00a0 Play a game.\u00a0 Go have dinner with your family (they probably miss you).\u00a0 Organize your music collection.\u00a0 It just needs to take up time and be off your feet.<\/p>\n What not to do:<\/strong> Use that extra time to get in those workouts you missed in January.\u00a0 The hay is in the barn.\u00a0 You can’t make up for it now.\u00a0 Also, don’t fill your time with projects like yardwork or renovation – if it feels like a workout, even if it’s not swim\/bike\/run, guess what?\u00a0 It’s going to hamper your taper.<\/p>\n I’ve fallen onto a cheese sandwich and I can’t get up!\u00a0 I guess it’s naptime.<\/em><\/p>\n Taper Problem #2<\/strong> – Somehow I’m getting 9-10 hours of sleep a night, and I’m training about half as much as you were during peak weeks.\u00a0 My body is still just as exhausted.\u00a0 I will never feel normal again.<\/p>\n Why this happens:<\/strong> Taper is like the ultimate rest day.\u00a0 Your body is repairing itself and making itself stronger.\u00a0 This, plus storing more carbs\/water in your muscles, which is GOOD because you want them topped off for the race, makes you feel sluggish.<\/p>\n What to do:<\/strong> keep resting.\u00a0 It will pay off.\u00a0 I find that some GENTLE speedwork nearing race day helps me assure myself that the fitness is there.\u00a0 You can feel those POPS of everything being normal even if your workouts by and large are feeling like garbage.<\/p>\n What not to do:<\/strong> resume high volume.\u00a0 I’ve done this before – “well, I’m exhausted anyway, I might as well train more”.\u00a0 You’ll hit that crappy feeling of the beginning of taper when you should be peaking on race day.\u00a0 Also, don’t stress too much.\u00a0 Chances are, you’ll feel awesome by the event, and if not?\u00a0 You’ve undoubtedly hit some training days where you felt sub-par but crushed it anyway.\u00a0 This is just another one of those days!<\/p>\n I completely overuse this picture on this blog but guess what?\u00a0 It’s applicable a lot.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Taper Problem #3<\/strong> – Everything hurts and I’m dying.\u00a0 Shin twinge?\u00a0 OMG stress fracture!\u00a0 Dry throat?\u00a0 Holy fuck, I’m getting the plague!<\/p>\n Why this happens<\/strong>: you’re shedding fatigue, and losing the overall muscle soreness while your body gets rested and stronger and ready to race.\u00a0 Niggles you would ignore otherwise stand out.\u00a0 Also, you’re completely overthinking everything because you’re nervous\/excited about the race.<\/p>\n What to do:<\/strong> pamper yourself.\u00a0 If you’re into massages, this is a good time for one.\u00a0 Relaxing in bodies of water (baths, hot tubs, floating in the lake, etc) is choice.\u00a0 Lots of time stretching, foam rolling, etc will help put your body back together.\u00a0 Also, if you have a random heel pain out of nowhere for no reason and running hurts?\u00a0 Swim and bike instead.\u00a0 I promise you will remember how to run at the race after a few days off.<\/p>\n What not to do:<\/strong> freak out.\u00a0 I’ve had limbs that I was CONVINCED were broken but magically felt better on race day.\u00a0 If you think something is seriously wrong (or if you actually ACUTELY injure yourself, like twisting and spraining your ankle), go seek professional help with a chiropractor or doctor, but you’re very unlikely to actually get a stress injury while REDUCING mileage if you’ve been fine all along.<\/p>\n It’s taper and I feel amazing!\u00a0 BRB, I’m going to totally try to break my mile PR and then go bike all those 100 miles I think I forgot to do in training…<\/em><\/p>\n Taper Problem #4<\/strong> – I have no idea what all these other things are about.\u00a0 It’s a week before the race.\u00a0 I feel amazing!\u00a0 I should go test myself at the sprint tri that’s happening this weekend!<\/p>\n Why this happens:<\/strong> taper has worked… you’ve just come out of your fatigue a little early.\u00a0 Especially, if you generally feel like crap during taper this one can catch you off guard.<\/p>\n What to do:<\/strong> rejoice that taper did what it should, and get excited for your A race.\u00a0 Hit the sprint triathlon if you want, it will be a great dry run with all your race day gear.\u00a0 Just keep your effort in check – I would recommend keeping your pacing to around 70.3 effort (or like 75-80% maximum effort) and give it a little gas on the last mile if you have it.<\/p>\n What not to do:<\/strong> race the sprint at 100% effort.\u00a0 You may PR and prove that you are indeed in great shape, but it’s possible you’ve compromised your A race doing so.\u00a0 If you can’t hold back, it’s better to just do your own thing solo.<\/p>\n The long and short of it is – you’ve prepared.\u00a0 You put in all the work you could, even if life got in the way sometimes.\u00a0 Try to enjoy the extra time you have in the last few weeks before the race and think about how awesome it will feel to cross that finish line!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/Apr7-1.jpg\")
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