Taper for 1/2

Sid Wavrin

I am doing a half ironman as an A- race as I train for an Ironman. The half is June 2nd. The ironman is July 29 which leaves 8 weeks in between.  I read on this topic in the Wiki, but would like input if anyone has any. How should I taper for the 1/2? Is the description in the Wiki still a good guide? Also at some point in the past I saw some information about selecting "gears" in relation to the goal watts in a race as it relates to climbing, flat and descending. I was unable to find it when I searched recently. Any comments on how far from goal watts you might be as you climb or descend assuming you want to end up with an acceptable VI?  Maybe someone can direct me to that discussion in the Wiki. 

John Withrow

http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Race+Execution%2c+Half+Ironman

and check out the Race Calculators here: http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/topic/Calculators/Default.aspx
But I'm not sure if that's specifically what you're looking for as I can't check the calculator pages at work with our Firewalls...

Regarding the Taper...  If the half is an "A" Race, then I'd simply follow the 70.3 Training plan taper and truly treat it like an "A" Race.   

If you have a lot of racing experience and know that you're really treating this as an "A-/B+" Race on your way to the more important IM...   Then you can really just cut the taper down to the last 3-5 days before your race.  The fitter you are and the more experience you have, the less risk there is in this strategy.   I've done 9 Ironmans and numerous 70.3's...   So if I were racing a 70.3 on my way to an IM, I'd not do any tapering until the ~Tuesday before the 70.3, but I would know that I might not be completely "fresh" for that race and be willing to deal with the consequences that may or may not bring...   

Al Truscott

"Gears" in this context refers not to numbers of teeth front and back, but watts relative to FTP for specific lengths of climbs in a race. EG, 10% higher than overall goal IF for climbs shorter than, say 5 min and 5% higher for those longer climbs. I can't quickly find it for you...

Piggy-backing on @John Withrow, I would think the last thing you want to do is bugger your chances in the Ironman 8 weeks out. The key is not so much the taper (although taking more than 3-5 days WILL eat into your training for the IM), but what you do the week after. How many days and how you ramp back up are critical. My rule of thumb is, you can get back to normal training in the number of days equal to the number of hours you raced. So, June 2 is a Saturday, you should be back onto the IM training plan by the following Friday, June 8. Sunday, do nothing. Mon/Tue, try some easy swimming, recovery biking. Wed, a short jog, Thursday, swim per the plan and try a bit harder on the bike.

Katherine Chabot-Boucher

I am glad I found this post. I have the same question how do I taper for a 70.3 while training for a full ironman. The links are helpful thanks. Any suggestions are very helpful. 

Leslie Sedlak

Glad I found this post.  Just did 70.3 Madison Yesterday.  After 10 days of a stomach bug and some less than desirable weather, I'm glad to take some rest.  Coach P had mentioned two weeks of transition, but I like @Al Truscott rule of 'resting' for as long as it took you to do the race.  In my case - 6 hours = 6 days.  I have a 'family' feud race (local sprint) on Saturday, where I start 12 min behind my husband and basically his goal is for me not to catch him on the run.....hasn't happened yet....and my plan is to conquer again this year.  So thinking I might just do the transition until Friday - Race Saturday, then depending on how I feel sunday morning, either train or rest, then start the HIM plan back up for Boulder 70.3 on Monday - thoughts from anyone?  

John Withrow

@Leslie Sedlak That sounds very reasonable to me, with one caveat.  For me, racing a Sprint means I'm going "All Out", and probably for you as well if you're trying to chase down the hubs...   This often causes me more soreness than a normal Saturday long training day.  So Sunday will likely either be a full rest day... or, a JRA easy day on your bike to flush out any soreness from your Sprint which will likely set you up better to start training in earnest the following week. 

Sid Wavrin

@Leslie Sedlak I will describe what I did after the 70.3 I mentioned above. Raced hard on Saturday. Sunday off completely. Monday swim mostly for form, but about 3K. Tuesday easy bike 90 minutes. Wednesday swim, run easy 3 miles. Thursday back to full IM schedule with split long run and then regular big weekend. I feel pretty good 11 days out on the regular IM plan. I feel like a fast sprint race last weekend would have hurt! Good luck. I try hard to make sure my wife never beats me so I feel your husbands pain! Have fun!

Leslie Sedlak

@John Withrow  You are very right - I am going to be busting my butt to catch up to the hubs.  Our age groups this year have us a bit further apart, but I'm not willing to give up the house trophy  So I think off on Sunday is prob a good idea - or an easy something.

@Sid Wavrin  Since I'm doing the Half IM in August - I'm thinking I'll wait until next Monday (8 days after race) to get back into the swing of things on the HIM Minimalist plan.  That also gives my husband Sunday to do his long ride. We actually get to race together for the first time since having kiddos - so I'm trying to give him every leg up he can get:)  The only record he holds is the HIM Bike record, and I'm going to do my best to keep with him once he catches up to me on the bike after the swim!  He walks most of the run because he bikes too hard  he's a 4 year 'rookie' in that regard.  My advice is in one ear and out the other

Larry Peters

Thanks for all these insights! As I'm planning next season, I would like to do a 70.3 as a B-race in the build-up to an August 140.6.

If the 70.3 is totally a B-race/training race, do you still recommend taking ~5 days easy (for 5 hours of racing) after the 70.3 @Al Truscott ?

In this case would doing a 70.3 4-5 weeks before the 140.6 be more close than ideal? I was thinking ~August 18 for 140.6 and Muncie 70.3 (~July 14). But if I had to go easy for 5 days in the final weeks approaching an IM, I know that would be less than ideal. 

So now I'm wondering if I should look for a 70.3 earlier in the season... Maybe BSLT 70.3 (~6/23) a couple weeks after (hopefully) an Al camp volume pop? I would say late May, but I know my work schedule in April/early May is pretty hectic and I don't think I'd want to race shortly after that.

There might be a local non-IM 70.3 in Traverse City 7/8, which makes it more like 5-6 weeks vs. 4-5 weeks.

Larry Peters

For anyone following along, I found this guidance in the wiki which provides some insight to my post above:

"During Race Prep: Now you have made the mental shift from “training to train” to “training to race.” Time to have less fun and get down to work. For this reason, we highly recommend you race very little or not at all during Race Prep. Why? The opportunity cost of a race, particularly a Half Ironman within an Ironman schedule, can be very large. Between the need to rest on the front end, the race weekend itself and the lost opportunity to do IM specific long rides, and the need to recover on the back end, even a vanilla, C-priority can punch a 10+ day hole into your schedule. Not a “hole,” per se, but rather a lost opportunity to do the key workouts we’ve scheduled for you due to the need to accommodate the race, front and back ends."
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/Wiki/tabid/91/Default.aspx?topic=Self-Coaching+Manual+-+DIY+Guide+for+Adjusting+You

According to this, race prep phase is final 12 weeks:
http://members.endurancenation.us/Resources/RacingMemberCentral/RacePrep[Final12Weeks].aspx

So, to answer my own question, it probably would be better to pick a 70.3 further from my 140.6 than the Muncie 70.3 (~6 weeks from 140.6), so I guess CdA (maybe 8 weeks), BSLT (7 weeks) or a non-IM brand race in late June.

Al Truscott

@Larry Peters Some thoughts:

• If you are lucky enough to be able to get long rides, runs, and swims in mid-week, then weekend races are less likely to punch a hole in your IM training plan.
• I use sprints and Olys during the 12>>>8 weeks to go phase (and before) as part of my training plan, with the race serving for three workouts, the speed/interval/higher intensity swim/bike/run for the preceeding week.
• Those races are simply part of my training plan ... no taper, and no rest after. A C- race?
• Half IMs cost a lot in travel, lodging and entry fee. To me, they are a low value relative to simply doing the training plan in the last 2-3 months.
• Also, delberately going easy on the run in an HIM to avoid the time loss of post race recovery defeats the purpose of a *race*, and possible gives you negative confidence for your A race.
• 
  
• Having said all that, my rec to you: no HIM closer than 8 weeks before an A IM; farther out, if you do one, race it, and allow for sufficient recovery to get proper benefit from subsequent workouts.

Larry Peters

Outstanding @Al Truscott!! That makes a lot of sense and I like the sound of it. Thank you so much!