Friday, July 22, 2011

Taper Your Training for Race Day at the Tri for the Cure


When preparing for any big race, training is the most important element. For a triathlon, running, biking, or swimming every day is recommended (although, be sure to factor in some rest days here and there). But what happens when you start getting closer to race day? Do you keep training hard or do you back off? How frequently should you be training the week or two before a race?

Training and racing are two different things – training is intended to condition your body over time to perform better. Racing is intended to perform (either to work at finishing the entire race, or to work on improving your times). Therefore, it’s ideal to arrive at the Tri for the Cure fully recovered and injury-free in order to perform at your best! This means the 7 – 10 days before the race should be a big taper from your training in order to recover your mind and your body.

When you train, your muscles are broken down so your body can build them up stronger. Unfortunately the body doesn’t completely rebuild that muscle in only a day – it takes more time. Mark race day, Sunday, August 7th, on your calendar, then mark 10 days before that as your ‘taper day’ (Thursday, July 28th). After July 28th begin training only every other day (or every third day if you’re already doing every other day), and keep your trainings lighter and easier than normal. Never push your limits right before a race. After August 2nd, try to stop training and only go on the occasional very light run or swim. Be sure to eat lots of lean protein, dark leafy greens, fruits, and whole grains (like quinoa, barley, and brown rice). Also, try to do lots of stretching, yoga, and some light core exercises.

If you follow this timeline, you’ll arrive at Tri for the Cure fully recovered and ready to race (plus it’s just nice to take a break)!

***If you still need to register for Tri for the Cure, there’s still time! Prices increase August 1st, so visit www.triforthecure-denver.com now to sign up!
Good luck!

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