24hr Solo Taper

[Hades]

Hi Guys,

Just wondering what sort of taper you guys do before a 24hr solo race or any other endurance events? When do you start the taper, how many days completely off the bike do you have if any etc.

[DaGonz]

Just wondering what sort of taper you guys do before a 24hr solo race or any other endurance events? When do you start the taper, how many days completely off the bike do you have if any etc.

I'm hopeless with tapers but....

2 weeks out, keep the intensity but cut back hours significantly. Usually have a 3-4hr ride on the saturday something intense on the sunday and really only 3 days through the week with only on bunch ride (instead of 2 or 3)

1 week out, 3hrs on the saturday something lite on the sunday, monday off, no bunch rides, and two commutes to work (30mins each way) Thursday off the bike, friday do a slow lap of the course roughly at 24hr race pace, saturday race.

Ensure you get plenty of sleep and never be hungry for the week before.

Red Racer had a mad aggressive taper before the worlds though...

Cheers
Gonz

[RED_RACER]

I had 5 weeks off the bike, then 6 weeks on the bike leading up to the worlds! Not the ideal prep.
My taper usually starts 1 week out. I'll still try and ride 1.5hrs to 2 hrs each day but will make sure I'm not going over 65% MHR. It makes your legs start itchin as they want to ride harder.
If the race is on saturday I'll usually ride thursday 1.5hrs easy. Friday will usually be just 1 very easy lap around the track to think about lines and pacing however, this isn't essential. Then Saturday race!

[jmcavoy]

Before Nats I had (an unplanned) two weeks off the bike on my back with a back injury (raced the event in a brace), I had the best 24 solo race I've ever had yet. So tapering is a bit of a wank I think... or maybe I would have done better with a proper taper? Doubt it tho. I don't recommend a back injury as a tapering strategy though :D

At Worlds I did a proper taper; two weeks, turned down the volume to about half but kep the intensity, and in the second week turned down the intensity and the volume a little more; bar one solid ride on the Wednesday before. I went Ok, but not as good as at Nats, so I'm not convinced that tapering is as good as getting proper rest.

Good luck if you're soloing for the first time, it's awesome man, but be warned, it's addicitive ;)