What
You Need to Know About Tapering
Before an
important meet, such as the end of season championships, swimming teams
will go into a training phase known as TAPER. A taper involves a
reduction of work and an increase in the amount of rest. The length of
a taper will vary for different ages, gender and body type. In general,
a young body can recuperate rapidly and does not require as much rest
(reduction of training) as a senior swimmer. The age group swimmer is
less developed physically and undergoes less intense training than a
senior group swimmer. Age Group I swimmers only require a few days of
taper. Junior level swimmers are older and train more than Age Group I
swimmers, therefore they will respond to a slightly longer taper.
Senior Group swimmers obviously follow a similar pattern based on their
body type and gender.
During the
course of the taper, all types of stress can be gradually reduced. As
the taper progresses, the amount of high stress work is decreased and
the quality of performance is gradually improved. For optimum
performance, it is suggested that swimmers curtail their outside
activities as much as possible. Most swim coaches realize that it is
not always possible to skip the other sports activities that our
younger swimmers participate in on a regular basis. However, the ski
trips, snowboarding, skating parties and sleepovers should now be saved
for after the championship meets.
When the
workload is reduced, there is a noticeable increase in the swimmer’s
energy level. Resting is an important part of the taper and expending
the energy will only work against the purpose of the taper. Ideally,
the swimmer should store up as much energy as possible for their
important meet!
Being
Your Best at Taper Time
#1 EAT and DRINK the RIGHT STUFF
Eat a healthy, balanced diet. Stay away from foods that are high in fat.
Make
sure that you do eat a light breakfast before a morning meet warm-
Up.
Drink fluids, especially water and juices. Avoid soda and sweets!
#2 GET ADEQUATE REST
Make sure that you get enough sleep in the weeks leading up to your
big
meet. For those swimmers in a trials and finals championship meet
format, it is essential that you rest between sessions. Avoid running
around the hotel or local malls!
#3 ARRIVE at the POOL ON TIME
Arriving early and ready to get in the water for warm-up is key! Being
prepared and not rushed is also important for your state of mind before
a
meet. Plan ahead in order to get to where you need to be ON TIME!
#4 WARM-UP and WARM-DOWN
Once again, it is essential to arrive at the pool and swim in the
assigned
team
warm-up. Most championship meet facilities provide extra pool
space for the competitors to warm-up and warm-down between races.
This
is especially important for our senior level swimmers to do at their
end
of season meet.
#5 SPEAK with your COACH BEFORE and
AFTER EACH RACE
It is crucial that you speak to your coach before and after each race
for
valuable race strategy and advice. This includes every kind of
race
result.
#6 BE EXCITED and INVOLVED with YOUR
TEAM and TEAMMATES
When you are not preparing for an event, you should be involved and
cheer your teammates on during the meet. This excitement will also help
you
go faster. BE a TEAM PLAYER!
#7 SELF TALK and VISUALIZATION
As
your “BIG” meet gets closer, use positive self-talk when thinking about
your events.
At the
meet, also use positive self-talk with yourself and your teammates. See
yourself
achieving
the goals that you have set for yourself and stay focused on your OWN
race
during the
race.
“THE REAL CONTEST IS ALWAYS BETWEEN WHAT
YOU’VE DONE AND WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF
DOING. YOU MEASURE YOURSELF AGAINST YOURSELF AND NOBODY ELSE.”
~
Geoffrey Gaberino
Olympic Gold Medalist - Swimming