Tapering training before an event
Discussion
I am part of Team PH tackling the Fred Whitton next weekend. I have done quite a bit of training for this, including a long weekend in the Alps so I am as prepared as I can be. However, should I still hammer the hills this week or should I taper off the efforts?
I am planning a long, hilly ride (well as hilly as you can get in Cheshire) on Saturday and Monday but then wondered if I should just do a few low intensity leg turners for the rest of the week? Saying that, I'm doing a 10 mile TT on Wednesday
Steve
I am planning a long, hilly ride (well as hilly as you can get in Cheshire) on Saturday and Monday but then wondered if I should just do a few low intensity leg turners for the rest of the week? Saying that, I'm doing a 10 mile TT on Wednesday
Steve
Steve vRS said:
The Saturday one, the Monday one or both?
Psychologically I feel I need to do a final 'push'.
Steve
Generally both. If you really do push, that final push will do more harm than good Psychologically I feel I need to do a final 'push'.
Steve
The way training works is to break down your body, then allow it time to recover. Long rides generally mean long recovery. At this point (1 week out) you'll add virtually nothing to your fitness. You want the body fully recovered with the minimum loss of fitness; generally it seems to be accepted that the most effective way to do that is to bring the volume right back, but keep some intensity. I'd be looking at doing 2-3 hours fairly easy on sat, maybe an hour fairly sharp (but sub threshold) a couple of times during the week. That's if you want to taper properly and hit it in the best possible form.
Massively depends on how hard you train in general, and what you have to recover from of course. But you want to be at the start line feeling like a wound spring with loads of energy, not slightly knackered from last weekend.
I'd listen to your legs - I've learned not to do much if anything for at least 4 days before an event and wouldn't do anything serious within a week. Probably. I'd much rather get up on the big day feeling refreshed and with a spring in my step, than get up thinking "Oh feck, why did I do that hard ride 5 days ago?"
I was having the same conversation with a coach last week (who is also doing the Fred), about my run-up to the Velothon Wales in a few weeks.
His advice is to taper but continue to ride right up to the event (unless you are feeling physically tired and need rest - only you will know if this is the case). There is evidence to suggest that simply stopping riding to allow non-active recovery 5 days before an event means that your body has a hell of a shock on the day of the ride, and heightens the possibility of injury. It does not make sense to allow your neuromuscular system to be lulled into a sense of security and then shaken with an unexpected hard effort.
Following your usual training plan but drastically reducing the intensity is the current BC way of thinking, then 2 days before the event do a couple of sessions of cadence pyramids with extremely low intensity (not allowing your HR over Z2) keeps the muscles active but not stressed.
Truth is, if you are not ready for the event a week before, hard training to try to make up lost ground won't do you any favors!
Good luck with the ride, I look forward to hearing about it
His advice is to taper but continue to ride right up to the event (unless you are feeling physically tired and need rest - only you will know if this is the case). There is evidence to suggest that simply stopping riding to allow non-active recovery 5 days before an event means that your body has a hell of a shock on the day of the ride, and heightens the possibility of injury. It does not make sense to allow your neuromuscular system to be lulled into a sense of security and then shaken with an unexpected hard effort.
Following your usual training plan but drastically reducing the intensity is the current BC way of thinking, then 2 days before the event do a couple of sessions of cadence pyramids with extremely low intensity (not allowing your HR over Z2) keeps the muscles active but not stressed.
Truth is, if you are not ready for the event a week before, hard training to try to make up lost ground won't do you any favors!
Good luck with the ride, I look forward to hearing about it
No way would I be doing a TT before the FW I know I'd still feel the effects on the Sat. I'd ride on Sun and If you do ride next week just either short endurance pace or recovery rides, refraining from hard efforts up any hills. Before the C2C last year I think I just did 3 recovery rides, Mon, Wed, Fri. It was still hard as hell, but I felt mentally refreshed and ready for it knowing I'd put the training in.
So taking on the PH (and one of my local Club racer's) advice here is my plan.
Do a good long, hilly ride on Saturday.
Do a recovery ride on Monday - Z2, maybe a bit of Z3 as I find Z2 rides too boring
Do another 2 or 3 Z2 rides with a few effort spikes in them through the week.
Do lots of carb loading on Saturday!
Probably give the TT a miss - there are lots of other time trial events through the year but only one FW!
The long range weather forecast is looking favourable at the moment i.e. dry but my cycling event weather luck is notoriously bad
Steve
Do a good long, hilly ride on Saturday.
Do a recovery ride on Monday - Z2, maybe a bit of Z3 as I find Z2 rides too boring
Do another 2 or 3 Z2 rides with a few effort spikes in them through the week.
Do lots of carb loading on Saturday!
Probably give the TT a miss - there are lots of other time trial events through the year but only one FW!
The long range weather forecast is looking favourable at the moment i.e. dry but my cycling event weather luck is notoriously bad
Steve
As above you don't want to increase your fitness next week as that will increase your fatigue. A moderately long (say 3 hour) ride this weekend should be fine if you don't smash it. Next week just get a few hour sessions in, nothing too taxing. Keep the legs turning over until Friday and then rest Saturday (or a very light spin). Avoid over-eating as your energy requirements will be less. Good luck, I'm riding in the Fred too.
Rightly or wrongly my strategy is to ride my last intense ride 6-7 days before the event, then aim to keep the mileage to 50-75% of usual but drop the intensity down towards Z2 in the last week with 2 rest days before the event.
Carb-loading is little and often, ramping up the carbs and reducing the fibre from 48 hours before kick off time. You'll want a little extra fluid too as the carbs like to hold onto that. Remember you can only process 60-90g of carbs in one sitting though so it's no use just smashing an enormous bowl of pasta the night before.
Carb-loading is little and often, ramping up the carbs and reducing the fibre from 48 hours before kick off time. You'll want a little extra fluid too as the carbs like to hold onto that. Remember you can only process 60-90g of carbs in one sitting though so it's no use just smashing an enormous bowl of pasta the night before.
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