Taper Time

Hard to believe, but it is time to start tapering for Wildflower. Taper strategy is an ongoing learning process year after year, and is very different for each athlete. I’m all about trying new things each time, hopefully remembering the things that work and learning from the things that don’t. This year I think that my training for the Wildflower long course has gone pretty much according to my overall plan. I feel like I’m probably where I need to be to have a decent race on the course, and it’s just a matter of getting the taper right. Some people don’t put too much thought into these final weeks until a race, while others analyze every minute detail. I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t agonize over decisions, but I also try to come up with a thoughtful strategy that has a good amount of structure. This year I am cutting back on volume about 20% every week for three weeks, but trying to add in a little more intensity to my taper workouts than I have in the past. We’ll see how this goes, the truth of it all will be found in the results.