How to train in the week before the regatta race.
Timestamps
00:40 A taper is a reduction in training volume so you’re ready to race on the regatta day. You should feel you are super-energetic, enthusiastic, you should feel ready for anything. You should find your adrenaline is up in anticipation for the event – this can also be due to nerves.
When we train it puts our bodies under stress. The taper removes those stresses.
01:50 How to tapers work?
In rowing we have one or two big events in the year – winter long distance and summer sprint racing. You can do more than one sprint peak in the year, remember after every peak you have to rest, reduce training volume as a reset before you go back into hard training again.
The taper reduces volume, frequency and intensity of your training. Generally it starts one week before your event, if you’re at a multi-day regatta, choose the day of your main event race as the peak day. Count back one week from that event. Depending on your normal training frequency, the taper varies. The workouts in the taper include shorter practices – less time on the water, workouts at higher intensities at or above race pace. Duration of the outing is less but intensity is high. If you train 6 times a week the days of the week you train should be continued in the taper week.
05:00 Travel is the big problem
You have to load a boat trailer, fly or drive to the regatta venue and this can disrupt your normal training days. You often cannot train after the boat trailer is loaded.
In the Faster Masters Program we recommend you train 3 days a week – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If you follow this pattern you get a rest day in between each workout. So your taper doesn’t need to change from this pattern because you are already getting a lot of rest. Athletes who train 6 days a week do a different taper – the program has an asterisk on the 3 key days.
06:50 Practice your starts
Each workout during the taper, you must practice your start sequence. If you are doing many different crews this is good because you get to do starts in your single, pair, quad etc. We also do race pace pieces which mimic different parts of the race. Some from the first half, some mid-race and some in the sprint for the line.
Additionally it’s great if you can do at least one of these practices on the race course you will be racing on. Familiarise yourself with the course, the warm up area, the start pontoons and rowing in between buoys. Practice backing into the start too.
08:30 Roll over the course workout
Do every push you have planned in the race plan at race pace and row at firm pressure, SR 24-26 in between the race pace pushes. This gives bursts of intensity, practice on the course, keeps your blood going and makes you familiar with the race course.
Your taper has to cover off your recovery – more rest than normal. Also optimising your psychological and physiological performance like race visualisations.
Injury prevention is also part of the purpose of a taper because you’re doing less and resting so you’re less likely to get injured. Mental and physical freshness brings good energy levels to the event – overcome anxiety and nerves. Hormonal balance is also a benefit.
10:30 Tapers can also trigger viruses
As athletes taper they can succumb to viruses or allergies as the training pressure comes off your body. Do take extra care over personal hygiene, hand washing and face masks on a plane. Be protective of your own body – you’ve worked hard for this race event.
Don’t undermine your performance by succumbing to something which is preventable. Control the things which can be controlled.
Further resources
Pre-race nerves diary week 5 Casey McKenna
Head race taper versus rest article
Travel, tapering and using borrowed boats podcast
