Taper time: Hurry up slowly

by Erin Greene on 28 Aug, 2013 10:08 • Español
Taper time: Hurry up slowly

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.


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Related Event: 2013 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final London
11 - 15 Sep, 2013 • event pageall 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
Results: 25-29 Female AG
1. Calah Schlabach USA 01:58:27
2. Jenny Latham GBR 01:59:55
3. Carmen Macheriotou CYP 02:01:44
4. Lydia Hale NZL 02:02:02
5. Alycia Hill USA 02:02:22
Results: 25-29 Female AG Sprint
1. Emma Holt GBR 01:10:04
2. Grace Hawthorne GBR 01:14:03
3. Amy Haddon NZL 01:15:00
4. Jemima Twist GBR 01:15:14
5. Anna Seymour GBR 01:16:29
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