Tapering : HIIT vs moderate steady pace

[Mountain_Goat]

Apologies if this has been discussed before but I havent found anything in the forums on tapering off your training before an event.

 

My understanding of tapering is a reduction in the volume of training but I am unsure of when this should take place and if done too early, will it result in a loss of fitness?

 

With less than 3 weeks to go for the CTCT, I was just wondering what is the proper way to taper for an event and when should this tapering start?

 

Also, during the taper phase, would HIIT sessions be more beneficial than moderate steady rides or is it still important to get one or two long rides in for the week?

 

Looking forward to hearing some responses from the 'racing snakes'

 

Kind regards,

Mountain Goat

[Ryinc]

Normally the theory is to keep up intensity but reduce volune substantially in the taper. However i personally find just having a normal training week works best for me. I think it differs from person to person, so suggest experimenting to find what works for you. If you dont regularly ride more than 100km, then i would say definitely make sure all your long rides are done 7-8 days before the event.

 

Also, a thought: "other" things might have a much bigger influence how your legs go on the day e.g. walking around the expo for 2 hours the day before....

[Mountain_Goat]

Thanks for the reply Ryinc.

 

I usually do around 2 long rides for the week of about 100km-130km along with 3 shorter ride of about 50km.

 

Previous years I would just continue to train normally until the last week before the event and it has worked for me thus far but I was just wondering if a proper taper would be more beneficial.

[Veebee]

Don't change anything now if you don't know how your body will react.

 

Experiment at the smaller events to find out what works for you.

['Dale]

How tapering is structured depends on your training programme or goals.

 

A few key ideas:

 

Reduce volume and intensity gradually to about 60 percent

 

Tapering does not mean stop

That will lead to lethargy

 

Of course, have your rest days to allow for adaptation and recovery