When and how to taper

salsamuffin204

Hi guys,

I'm training hard for a mountainous Gran Fondo I'd like to get a good time in on May 22nd.

I've been riding all year, did turbo sessions in the winter, then long slow rides from February and for the last 5 weeks I've been hitting intervals. I mostly follow Chris Carmichael's Time Crunched Cyclist for my interval program.

I'm getting fitter and faster and I'm feeling stronger. I'm not the kind of rider who can ride every day and still be strong but my recovery has definitely improved this year.

So my question is, when and how should I taper?

Since the event is on the Sunday I figured I might do my usual Monday and Tuesday intervals that week and then take the rest of the week off. OR maybe just go for a 2 hour cruise on the Friday?

I haven't done this before.... Would appreciate any insights and advice.

P.S I'm training with power if that makes any difference. I was trying to make sense of Strava's Fitness and Form chart the other day.

imposter2.0

Have a rest day the day before, or just an hour's light spin. No need to over-think it...

chrisw12

Good question, would love the answer to it. It just depends on so many things and how much of a risk you want to take. You can have great performances when tired you can also have poor ones. That said, at 'our' level, I don't think a taper makes much of a difference. In a sportive, with the variability how are you going to measure if it's even worked?

So for that reason I'd just do a normal week and not try to over think it (as said above). I certainly wouldn't take more than one day off at a time though, that would cause ME problems.

BeaconRuth

Salsamuffin204 wrote:

.....OR maybe just go for a 2 hour cruise on the Friday?

Nah, I'd suggest a combination of resting and riding your bike - boats and sailing don't usually play a part in prep for cycling events.

But on a more serious note, a taper usually involves reducing the volume of training while keeping the intensity of training fairly high. Complete rest is not a good idea if you're used to training frequently and regularly. One or two extra rest days, half-normal-length sessions and not getting deeply fatigued from about 7 to 10 days before the event are all possible ways to approach it.

Ruth

webboo

Rest on the Friday short ride on Saturday with one or two short sprints and as beaconruth says reduce duration not intensity in the week or so leading up to the event.

Alex99

Webboo wrote:

Rest on the Friday short ride on Saturday with one or two short sprints and as beaconruth says reduce duration not intensity in the week or so leading up to the event.

There was a quote from Robert Millar on the lead up to a big race. Something like:
"I do just enough to remind my body that I'm a racing cyclist"

napoleond

My tapers start from a week or so out, knock the quantity but keep the quality,

The week before will just consist of a couple of short sharp hard interval sessions, with an easy spin thrown in to make sure everything is working as it should.
You may be better off with some sweetspot intervals rather than the 3min Max ones I'm prescribed as mine are for shorter races.

Dodger747

I'd also keep in mind flying [which I assume you will be] - if I fly the day before I ride, I always suffer the following day on the bike. Not sure if it's a hydration thing or not, but I now always schedule at least one day at my destination before the event starts...