Go Easy the Week Before a Key Event

What should you do in the week before an important event/race? Should you train as usual, reduce training a little or a lot, or rest completely?

It is the week before . Whether this is your first time or you are an experienced rider you will see your best results with a well planned taper the week before your ride. A taper is meant to help you rest, recover and rejuvenate prior to a long-distance endurance event.

The benefits of tapering are numerous: It boosts muscle glycogen stores, increases aerobic enzymes, increases blood volume, improves neuro-muscular coordination, enhances the repair of micro-tears sustained in muscle and connective tissue and enhances mental focus. Athletes who do not structure a tapering period into their training program before a race/event do themselves a disservice by inhibiting their muscles from functioning at the highest possible level on race day.  

The key to having a great race/event is to do the following:

1. Reduce training volume considerably a week prior (30-50 percent is a general guideline).
2. Maintain some intensity, though at a reduced volume. 

The reduction in volume allows your legs to recover from the fatigue accumulated over the prior weeks’ training. However, training with low intensity at the same time typically makes you feel “flat” and sluggish. To avoid this sluggishness and to maintain and improve your sharpness, perform some short, race-pace intervals a couple of times in the week leading up to your event.

A general template might look something like this:

Monday – Short, easy ride with 3-5 short intervals at race effort (90 -120 seconds) with full recovery between each.

Tuesday –Off

Wednesday – Short, easy ride

Thursday – Similar to Monday’s ride.  Short and easy, but include 3-4 x 90-second race-pace intervals.  Again, full recovery between each.

Friday – Off

Saturday – Short, easy ride. 

Sunday – Bike the Bridges for Special Olympics!

While the intervals are at race pace, they are short.  Your fitness is “in the bank” at this point, so you’re not really “training” for the race now. Instead, you’re working to allow your hard-earned fitness to come out when you most need it – the event.

Take it easy the week before your event and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at just how strong you are. Your body will thank you…especially as you cross the finish line!