Taper time: Hurry up slowly

by Erin Greene on 28 Aug, 2013 10:08 • Español

With the PruHealth London Grand Final just weeks away, it’s getting down to taper time for triathletes everywhere. You’ve spent months training, months of turning down dinner invites in lieu of an extra run, months of early alarms and icy baths. Now the time has come to reap the benefits of your hard work at your big race, but you’ve got to get through taper time first. We asked resident expert and two-time Olympian Kris Gemmell for his top taper tips, and here’s what he had to say.

What’s done is done
Now isn’t the time for last minute training. You’ve done the work, tested your limits, pushed through them and did things you never thought possible. One of the biggest mistakes you can do now is trying to fit in some last minute training for small percentage performance gains. You can’t play catch up, so don’t try.

Recover, recover, recover
Remember all those days you were exhausted mentally and physically, but pushed through a tough workout even though you were jonesing for a day off? Well now it’s time to take that day. You’ve earned it, your body needs it, your mind will benefit from it. The last two weeks are all about recovering as much as possible.

No room for newbies
It’s often tempting to outfit yourself in some new gear for the big day, but resist the urge. If you haven’t trained in it or practiced with it, it shouldn’t make your bag when packing for race day. Much the same, now isn’t the time to try a new race strategy or nutrition plan. In short, don’t change anything leading into your biggest event of the year.

You are what you eat
Caloric intake versus output is monumentally important while training. If you didn’t eat enough before a big training block, you most likely felt it in a big way. Much the same, be mindful of your nutrition during taper. Less training obviously means you are using less energy, so don’t forget to adjust your nutrition to your training volume.

Enjoy the journey
And last but perhaps most importantly of all, believe in the work you’ve done. Believe it will all come together just as you’ve been envisioning. You’ve had your eye on the prize. You’ve been focused. You’ve done everything right. Now it’s time to trust in the process and enjoy the journey.

Article tags pruhealth world triathlon grand final world triathlon series world championships tips kris gemmell

Article gallery

Related Event: 2013 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final London

11 - 15 Sep, 2013 • event page • all results

Results: 16-19 Female AG Sprint
1.	Malia Ellington	USA	01:11:42
2.	Elyse Foster	AUS	01:12:57
3.	Emma Jeffcoat	AUS	01:13:46
4.	Kirsten Vergara	CHI	01:14:14
5.	Steffie Holcroft	NZL	01:14:23

Results: 16-19 Male AG Sprint
1.	Gustav Iden	NOR	01:03:56
2.	Kyle Smith	NZL	01:04:16
3.	Dillon Nobbs	USA	01:04:25
4.	Matthew Baker	AUS	01:04:36
5.	Christopher Perham	GBR	01:04:54

Results: 18-19 Female AG
1.	Charlotte Taylor	GBR	02:00:29
2.	Brooke Saunders	USA	02:11:23
3.	Rebecca Ladyman	GBR	02:11:34
4.	Severine Bouchez	BEL	02:15:22
5.	Michelle Swarovski	USA	02:19:38

Results: 18-19 Male AG
1.	Morten Hansen	NOR	01:52:41
2.	Jessey The Elf	CAN	01:52:49
3.	Andrew Beardsall	CAN	01:54:00
4.	Robbie Deckard	USA	01:58:49
5.	Cameron Goodison	AUS	01:59:11

Results: 20-24 Female AG
1.	Kristen Marchant	CAN	01:59:01
2.	Meghan Degan	USA	02:01:42
3.	Martina Fellmann	NZL	02:02:19
4.	India Kraal	NZL	02:02:44
5.	Lisa Miksch	GER	02:03:13

Results: 20-24 Female AG Sprint
1.	Lucy Smith	GBR	01:12:15
2.	Amalia Isabel Sánchez Albo	MEX	01:13:48
3.	Lauren Babineau	CAN	01:14:41
4.	Emma-Lea Davis	GBR	01:14:58
5.	Emily Whitmore	GBR	01:15:57

Results: 20-24 Male AG
1.	Samuel Wade	GBR	01:47:23
2.	Hahasiah Yosua Cervantes Martinez	MEX	01:47:28
3.	Jaime Davies-Campbell	NZL	01:47:55
4.	Matthew Organista	USA	01:49:12
5.	Andrew Lloyd	NZL	01:49:44

Results: 20-24 Male AG Sprint
1.	Matthew Organista	USA	01:05:34
2.	Jackson Laundry	CAN	01:05:57
3.	Sergio Valenzuela Becerril	MEX	01:06:19
4.	Matthew Nelson	GBR	01:06:27
DNF.	Jeffrey Robbins	AUS	DNF