Tapering Tips: Help me!!

[Hawaiiwoman]

OK…three days to Nationals, my first. I’ve trained really hard for eight months and done all the right stuff: high yardage with a good mix of endurance, sprint, and race-pace training. I also have been running and doing some strength training. This past week I’ve cut out the running and weights and I’m doing light swim workouts working on starts, turns, finishes and pacing.

It’s taper time and I am going CRAZY!!! I’m not sleeping well, I want to eat too much, and this morning I was seriously considering going out in the yard and pulling out trees! (Now, that’s nuts!) How do I keep my head together during this critical time! I need advice on how to handle the psychological aspects of tapering!!
:confused:

[Glenn]

Youv'e done everything you need to do to be ready for the meet! Now is the most imoportant time in your preparation for Nationals.......REST.

Nothing you do now in the pool before the meet will make you any faster. It's there, your body is ready. Give it a chance to rest, rest, rest.

Read, listen to music do whatever. And enjoy the fact that your body is fit and tuned and ready to go.

Good luck, you will do well!:)

Glenn

[mattson]

Originally posted by Hawaiiwoman
It’s taper time and I am going CRAZY!!! I’m not sleeping well, I want to eat too much, and this morning I was seriously considering going out in the yard and pulling out trees!

That was one thing my previous coaches emphasized: you will have more energy during the taper, but you need to make sure you don't become too active (otherwise you've just compromised your taper).

This sounds like a good time to work on stretching, (consciously) relaxing, and visualizing your race (which will help calm down the nerves).

[Leonard Jansen]

Studies have shown that "intimate relations" don't compromise athletic performance, so now would be a good time to frighten a significant other half to death by unleashing some pent-up energy. Note that anything along those lines requiring circus skills probably IS detrimental to athletic performance, however.

-LBJ

[Jeff Commings]

Sleep, sleep, sleep.

And one more thing: SLEEP!

Rest is very important. You need to store up that nervous energy for the meet. But don't sleep too much. You'll throw off your body rhythm.

Good luck at nationals.

[Hawaiiwoman]

Oh my, and here I am...between significant others...so to speak. :rolleyes:

[waves101]

Focus and channel your extra energy into the swim. Visualize your races and just try to hold back the excitement until the days of your swims. There is a danger of creating and burning too much adrenaline leading up to Nats and thus making you feel fatigued once you get there. So, just try to relax, rest and focus. Good Luck!

[ande]

becky

You've laid the foundation

trust your taper

3 days out you shouldn't do much in or out of the pool
just some easy swimming, a few drills and a little speed work
resist the temptation to do something stupid

if you can't fall asleep just lay in bed
take it easy and save your energy for your swim

as far as keeping your head together
write a script of what you need to focus on

relax, be confident, swim smart,

good luck,

ande

you'll find more at
http://forums.usms.org/showthread.php?s=&postid=45190#post45190



Originally posted by Hawaiiwoman
OK…three days to Nationals, my first. I’ve trained really hard for eight months and done all the right stuff: high yardage with a good mix of endurance, sprint, and race-pace training. I also have been running and doing some strength training. This past week I’ve cut out the running and weights and I’m doing light swim workouts working on starts, turns, finishes and pacing.

It’s taper time and I am going CRAZY!!! I’m not sleeping well, I want to eat too much, and this morning I was seriously considering going out in the yard and pulling out trees! (Now, that’s nuts!)

How do I keep my head together during this critical time!

I need advice on how to handle the psychological aspects of tapering!!
:confused:

[ande]

great tip
just don't pull a muscle or an all nighter.

ande

Originally posted by Leonard Jansen
Studies have shown that "intimate relations" don't compromise athletic performance, so now would be a good time to frighten a significant other half to death by unleashing some pent-up energy. Note that anything along those lines requiring circus skills probably IS detrimental to athletic performance, however.

-LBJ

[knelson]

Originally posted by Leonard Jansen
Studies have shown that "intimate relations" don't compromise athletic performance, so now would be a good time to frighten a significant other half to death by unleashing some pent-up energy

Originally posted by ande
just don't pull a muscle

Did you really have to hang a meatball like this out over the plate, ande? :D

[Hawaiiwoman]

Thanks to all of you for the great tapering tips and the expressions of support! I used many of them, and (hmmmm) modified one (Leonard, Ande). I’m off to the airport feeling good: strong, rested…ready!

I’ll post an update, once the meet is over.
Aloha, -Becky

“Success is never final and failure never fatal. It's courage that counts.”
- George F. Tilton

[ande]

becky,

I'm curious, which one did you "(hmmmm)" modify?
how did you modify it?
guess it helped?
you're feeling good: strong, rested…ready!
which is better than being restless and rusty

please let us know how your meet went and about the modification

best,

Ande

Originally posted by Hawaiiwoman
Thanks to all of you for the great tapering tips and the expressions of support! I used many of them, and (hmmmm) modified one (Leonard, Ande). I’m off to the airport feeling good: strong, rested…ready!
I’ll post an update, once the meet is over.
Aloha, -Becky

[Nsiceman]

If you feel tired... DO LESS
If you feel too good... Do more

I always needed a good 3-4 week taper back in my USS days, but the older I get, the less I seem to need. It is all based on how much you train. Rest is the most important thing and try and eliminate as much stress as you can, a bit tougher for Masters swimmers as many have jobs and family that may cause stress. Just rest, and if you can not sleep, it is not a bad thing, as long as you stayed relaxed. You can compete at a hi level with little rest. It is the worrying that you can not sleep that hurts the body.

This is probably too late to help you for your meet, but may help in the future.:p

[ande]

Hawaiiwoman / becky you're back
you made a statement
we asked you a few questions
we're hoping you'd give us a response and a report of how your meet went

Ande

Originally posted by ande
becky,

I'm curious, which one did you "(hmmmm)" modify?
how did you modify it?
guess it helped?
you're feeling good: strong, rested…ready!
which is better than being restless and rusty

please let us know how your meet went and about the modification

best,

Ande


Originally posted by Hawaiiwoman
Thanks to all of you for the great tapering tips and the expressions of support! I used many of them, and (hmmmm) modified one (Leonard, Ande). I’m off to the airport feeling good: strong, rested…ready!
I’ll post an update, once the meet is over.
Aloha, -Becky[/B]

[Hawaiiwoman]

Aloha Everyone!
I promised a final wrap-up on the nationals, so here goes. I had the time of my life, meet a lot of really great people and didn't do too badly, considering that this was my first shot at a National event. I took 5th in the 50 Free, 6th in the 1500 Free, 7th in the 50 Fly and 100 Free, and 8th in the 100 Fly.
I learned a whole lot about tapering (thanks to all of you!) and found out what it was like to participate in an event with over 1000 swimmers. It took a while to get the hang of it, once I was there. I learned that you need to: (1) relax while you are waiting for your event; you will have to wait, (2) make sure that you get in a real good warm-up, it’s kind of crazy with people everywhere (3) get to the blocks on time, the 50s go in the blink of an eye (4) stay cool on the blocks, breathing is good; and (5) PACE THE RACE!!! Talk about poor pacing...my 100 Fly was SO PATHETIC!!
Here's a photo of me with some of my medals; the other guy is my friend Jim Budde. We both swim for Academy Masters Swim Team here in Hawaii. Jim took first in the 1500 for the 60-64 age group!
Ande, here’s best I can do with regard to your tapering modification question. I was responding to the comments by you and Leonard regarding “intimate relations.” That's about as specific as I’m going to get!! :D

[Hawaiiwoman]

OK, here it is...really! :rolleyes:

[knelson]

Originally posted by Hawaiiwoman
Ande, here’s best I can do with regard to your tapering modification question. I was responding to the comments by you and Leonard regarding “intimate relations.” That's about as specific as I’m going to get!! :D

It seemed pretty clear to me!

[ande]

Looks like you had a great time
great tips
thanks for the update

ande


Originally posted by Hawaiiwoman
Aloha Everyone!
I promised a final wrap-up on the nationals, so here goes. I had the time of my life, meet a lot of really great people and didn't do too badly, considering that this was my first shot at a National event. I took 5th in the 50 Free, 6th in the 1500 Free, 7th in the 50 Fly and 100 Free, and 8th in the 100 Fly.
I learned a whole lot about tapering (thanks to all of you!) and found out what it was like to participate in an event with over 1000 swimmers. It took a while to get the hang of it, once I was there. I learned that you need to:
(1) relax while you are waiting for your event; you will have to wait,
(2) make sure that you get in a real good warm-up, it’s kind of crazy with people everywhere
(3) get to the blocks on time, the 50s go in the blink of an eye
(4) stay cool on the blocks, breathing is good; and
(5) PACE THE RACE!!! Talk about poor pacing...my 100 Fly was SO PATHETIC!!
Here's a photo of me with some of my medals; the other guy is my friend Jim Budde. We both swim for Academy Masters Swim Team here in Hawaii. Jim took first in the 1500 for the 60-64 age group!
Ande, here’s best I can do with regard to your tapering modification question. I was responding to the comments by you and Leonard regarding “intimate relations.” That's about as specific as I’m going to get!! :D