It is exactly 12 days before my 11th Ironman triathlon: IM Lanzarote. It will be my second attempt at the same race in the Canary Islands in four years. I have begun my taper, as there is not much else I can squeeze in, in terms of aerobic fitness and speed. However, I need to stay sharp and injury-free by sticking to the training habit, for complete rest can be counter-productive. Overall, my mileage has been reduced to 60 percent its peak volume. However, my emphasis has been placed on speed work, core stability/strength sessions, and recovery. Why is the taper critical?
Tapering is necessary for:
1) Getting ready for the race, physically and psychologically.
2) Building up full resources, so as to meet the challenge fully resourced.
3) Priming oneself for the stressful working conditions of competition.
4) Reducing the overall volume of work, but maintaining or upping the intensity.
5) Staying alert and responsive to action. Complete rest is not useful.
6) Keeping the body supple and less tensed.
7) Focusing on other aspects of preparation, like equipment checks and setting up contingencies.
8) Being disciplined sticking to the plan, strategy and personal vision.
Leadership Lesson: Learn when to taper. You cannot go at full steam ahead, all the time. Fatigue can set in and disrupt your plans. Warm up is as important as the cool down. Use cooling periods to calm down, not clam down conflict at the workplace. You can gain as much with less.
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I am looking forward to my run clinic on Sunday morning, as part of the Marina21K evening races. I will be doing swim, rides and runs on alternate days to keep my body tuned up, and attuned. Stay tuned!
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