the art of the 'taper'

There are different theories to tapering, but what's worked best for me is to cut the volume significantly, maintain frequency, and use short intervals of high-intensity. It's best to err on the conservative side. You're not going to get any fitness benefits out of the training you do this week. The goal is to stay sharp and be rested on race day.

Based on what you've done so far this week I would suggest a short, easy run tonight. Maybe a couple of fartlek's thrown in, but keep them short.

On Thursday maybe a very short brick with a couple of short intervals on the bike followed by a easy run just long enough to get your legs back (~10 minutes). If you can, try going for a short (15-20 minutes) swim in the evening. Nothing fast in the swim, just easy swimming and some drills.

Rest on Friday.

The day before a race I like to do a short brick. If you can do it at the race sight start with a short swim (5-10 minutes) then a 20-30 minute bike followed by a 10 minute run. Add a couple of fartlek's to the bike and run, and have the bike set-up the way you're going to race. So, if you use race wheels, or tires, have them on the bike for this workout and make sure you don't have any shifting issues.

Also, good nutrition throughout the week. Lastly, have fun in your race!

scott

sounds good i am off for my run now

thanks

andy