What to expect during Taper?

I have been thinking about this a lot the last couple of weeks as we head into our final Championship meets this weekend.  I have been having several conversations with swimmers and parents about what to expect so I thought I would write it all down. 

First, there are several very important things you must do to get the most out of your taper that does not even involve being in the pool.  My motto for the Taper Week is “Think Fast, Move Slow!”  The reason I use this motto is outside the pool I do not want you expending energy doing things that can cause you to get injured.  I could not tell you how many swimmers get hurt during taper doing something outside the pool.  This includes skateboarding, surfing, skiing, roller skating, etc.  Why do I see so many injuries during Taper Weeks? During taper your energy level begins to rise because you are not expending as much energy at practice as you were during your training phases.  This means when you are not at the pool the best thing to do is rest and conserve your energy.  You should also stay relaxed and positive.  Focus on the positive things that have gone on during your training and be ready to race. 

During taper a lot of swimmers have a tendency to also over eat.  They are used to eating like they would during their normal training schedule; however, during taper you are not expending as much energy so your diet should change to represent that.  About 2 days from competition you should switch your diet to a high carbohydrate diet.  This means about 80% of your total calories should come from carbs.  Great carbs include:

Pasta/Noodles

Potatoes

Pizza

Pancakes

Fruits

The above are two vital aspects you should be conscious of to make your taper a success. However, there are some other things you should be aware of as well.  A lot of swimmers come to me with concerns of not feeling right in the water or being sore.  This is actually very normal.  Many times you go into taper right after some of your most intense training and your body is recovering.  As a result, instead of focusing on is how your body feels you need to focus more on the little aspects of your training.  You need to focus on the little details from how you will be approaching the race to stroke counts and streamlines.  What do I expect from my swimmers during taper? I expect my swimmers to swim fast when they required.  We spend a lot of time working on speed.  Most of the time when I taper swimmers yardage is down, but the intensity is up. 

The Benefit of Taper

As a result of a proper taper on race day your body should be ready to compete at your highest possible level.  You have worked throughout the season on establishing your great routine at meets to include warm-up, warm-down, staying cool (or warm depending on the season), hydrating, refueling and focusing on the aspects you can control.  There are some things you cannot control which includes who is swimming next to you, what the water temp is, air quality, weather, how crowded it is, what lane you will swim in, etc.  You need to be prepared for these variables and adjust your routine as needed.  Otherwise, you need to do your best to stay relaxed and confident. If you can follow my rules of taper you will be ready to swim your best races!