I think most people on the message board agree that some runners can taper for big races (even up to 50% in volume) and run fantastically while others who drop more than %20 feel flat and horrible on raceday. Some runners even go to the extent of keeping 90% of their mileage and just cutting back on the intensity.
Why is this? I'm sure the answer is a complicated one but what are most peoples thoughts on why runners react differently to tapering.
I'm almost positive that some kind of tapering is good. If you've ever taken a day off of running and felt great the next day, you know what I mean. There's got to be a way to simulate that effect by taking it easier in training and making yourself feel fresh and rejuvenated on race day. I think the 80-90% of mileage and less intensity is pretty good. Some people start tapering like 3 weeks out from big events, and I don't see the benefits of that at all. It seems like it would just get to be too long to even serve a purpose. From experience, a short, small taper is best, and those that have success otherwise are mostly inexperienced runners who didn't have their training correctly gauged in the first place.
This is very interesting because I don't think you can use the same program for every runner. It is mental vs. physical, my guess, more mental.
When a runner does an awesome 6 X mile or similar on Tuesday two days after a long run, why couldn't have effort been put into a race? You wouldn't race two days after a long run but workouts, well they are different. Some people are great workout athletes but suck in races. (mental)
My take it is mental whether you majorly taper. I would like to hear smarter coaches on this though.
I believe that each athlete will respond differently to a similar tapering plan. I have heard that, as a rule of thumb, the more footspeed a runner has the further out he/she can taper. Personally, I have very little footspeed and had my best peak off of a 1 week taper. I was running 80-85 miles a week, and two weeks before my goal race I actually hit 90 miles with two decent (but not killer) workouts. The week after was around 70 miles with 1 easy workout and strides, then the race.
I always started tapering 2-3 weeks out from my big races in college and I never had my best race at the last race of the season.
mathemagician wrote:
I believe that each athlete will respond differently to a similar tapering plan. I have heard that, as a rule of thumb, the more footspeed a runner has the further out he/she can taper. Personally, I have very little footspeed and had my best peak off of a 1 week taper. I was running 80-85 miles a week, and two weeks before my goal race I actually hit 90 miles with two decent (but not killer) workouts. The week after was around 70 miles with 1 easy workout and strides, then the race.
I always started tapering 2-3 weeks out from my big races in college and I never had my best race at the last race of the season.
thats a very interesting theory. I've noticed that middle distance guys who run cross country do better tapering from farther out and the guys who run a ton of mileage to best not tapering as much. I would support this theory based on my observations but don't really know why this is the case.
I recommend Inigo Mujika's book on tapering.
There are individual differences for sure. The key is to figure out what works for each person and taper accordingly. It is pretty well understood that some people do better on a long taper and others on a shorter taper. The composition of the taper is essential.
This should not be surprising. After all some people respond well to one form of training while others respond better to another form of training.
Damn human variability!
Decent overview here-
http://faculty.washington.edu/crowther/Misc/RBC/tapering.shtml
Big mileage reduction starting 2 weeks out and regular short interval workouts in the last week