Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - Do the details of a taper really matter?

I mean, once you've done your final pre-event long ride the weekend prior, is there truly any significant difference between a final-week riding schedule of 30-15-0-10-5 (or whatever) and 0-0-0-0-5?

is that 0-0-5 as in five minutes?

i'd think that the two week schedules would "load" your body in different ways, e.g. the first one harder on the body. but if you can handle it, it won't hurt your riding.

and the second option (less training if i read it correctly) will be fine if you've done enough training leading up to that.

sorry, i don't really have an answer.

Sorry, I wasn't clear. I actually meant miles per day: M-T-W-Th-F. (And I pulled the mileages out of my posterior and didn't mean them to be taken literally.)

I'm attempting a 300K on Saturday and I'm done with the strenuous training and into the taper. I find myself doubting that any particular kind of taper schedule will translate into better performance at the event than just blowing it off and doing 5 miles to limber up a little the day before.

Ride some during the week, but do take a day off either right before the 300K or the day before that.

What kind of advantage does that plan convey over the more sluglike approach, come event day?

I'm not arguing at all--just curious about what's really going on inside my legs. Thanks!

I rode my usual commute (30mi r/t) Mon - Wed, skipped Thu/Fri and rode my 300 on Saturday. Then I skipped Sunday, rode to work on Monday to loosen back up, and took Tuesday off before getting back into the commute again.

Everything I've read suggests that once you've established a good base, you can go a week or more without riding without really losing any fitness. So my approach is to get plenty of rest the week before a big event. So far it's worked well for me. For the 300k I did a month ago, I did a big ride on the Saturday before, did an easy 15 mile commute on Monday, then took the rest of the week off. I finished the 300k feeling strong (well... relatively).

Yes, the details do matter. Remember, the goals of tapering are to:

• build up blood glucose
• save your energy for the event
• avoid losing fitness by resting too much
• psych yourself up for the ride

Since there are some pretty specific physical and mental aspects in play, and while one specific taper method might work better for one person than for another, I don't think you can just do any ol' taper and have it work optimally. It may take some trial and error to really figure out what works for you though.

I'm doing all this really for the first time this year (using Friel). One pleasant surprise I've had already came during my "build" weeks. My Saturday ride was relatively short but high-intensity, such as steep hill intervals close to my maximum HR. This was followed Sunday by a 3-4 hour aerobic effort.

I figured those Sunday rides would be long suffer-fests, but to the contrary, I felt really energized each week, even well into my 4th hour on the bike. I thought, "Hmm, there may just be some method to this madness." I'm hoping that I'll have the same feeling (even moreso?) at my first "A" event in a couple of weeks.

I'm sure all this stuff depends on the individual. If you've done all this before, then by all means experiment. If not, I'd suggest sticking to the plan. That way you're establishing a baseline for experimenting later on.

Good luck -- 300k is a bit more than I'd care to try just now. :D

Points taken, and thanks again.

Am I alone in my distaste for psyching myself up for things? What accomplishments I've managed this far in life came out of a "Let's see if I can do this" approach, not a self-directed pep talk.

Am I alone in my distaste for psyching myself up for things? What accomplishments I've managed this far in life came out of a "Let's see if I can do this" approach, not a self-directed pep talk.

Nah, I'm in the same boat. I've had a decidedly unscientific approach to my riding and "training." I'm firmly in the "ride lots" camp when it comes to training. With a base of a lot of diverse riding, and a committment to finish whatever I started, I've had a 100% batting average on randonneuring events -- both in terms of finishing and, more importantly, in terms of having fun.

That said, if there's an event that's either new territory or I'm riding for time, then I'll temper my riding miles and efforts for the week leading into it. I do think there's something to be said for continuing to ride some the week of the event; it helps dissipate all that nervious energy that otherwise might eat at you and keep you from getting good sleep. It's also good to do some riding to check out your bike and make sure everything is tip-top and to hammer out any last minute adjustments or tweaks. The "no changes to the bike the week before the event" rule doesn't work if you don't ride the bike, after the changes are made, during the week before the event!

What kind of advantage does that plan convey over the more sluglike approach, come event day?

I'm not arguing at all--just curious about what's really going on inside my legs. Thanks!

My best year of Randonneuring was 2003. That year I adopted a plan where I rode long distances on the weekends, and commuted during the week. Some of my commutes were direct, and thus fairly short, others were less direct ... the scenic routes ... and therefore a little longer.

On the week leading up to an event, I continued to commute to work ... I had to get there somehow and riding my bicycle was my best option. Sometimes I took the bus on a Thursday or Friday, especially if it was raining, but sometimes I just did my direct (short) commutes all week.

Some of my worst years of Randonneuring have been more recently when I haven't been able to commute, and I've been too busy to ride much. I find if I take the whole week off, I have more trouble getting myself going on the brevet.

I do think there's something to be said for continuing to ride some the week of the event; it helps dissipate all that nervious energy that otherwise might eat at you and keep you from getting good sleep.

Okay, to a parent of four-year-olds, wearing the kid out on the playground during the day makes total sense.

I plead guilty to bike changes before milestone events, despite knowing the reasons not to do it. Lucky so far...

That year I adopted a plan where I rode long distances on the weekends, and commuted during the week.

Thanks for the shared perspective. That's more or less my situation, but because of family stuff it's heavily weighted toward the commute, which is only 13 miles each way. It's becoming clear that long weekend rides will be limited to the events themselves, plus however much mileage I can cram into 8 hours the weekend prior.

What gives me a little hope for an SR series is that the NJ Randonneurs' 200K and 300K are very hilly, and the 400K and 600K are flat. I figure if I can finish this weekend's 300K, I may have at least a shot at the rest.

A few months ago, I wasn't even considering this. Now I might sell my North Fork Century registration because it's just not interesting enough.

I don't think it makes a great difference unless you are aiming for a PB. Quite a few Brits ride to the start of PBP at 100 or 200 km per day. It doesn't seem to affect them much. If you ride every day, then keep riding. If you don't, then don't. Just back the intensity off.

I'm not in what I consider top condition at this point, so it's hard to generalize. It has been many years since I have been anywhere near where I am now as well.

I have been trying to build my climbing speed, and so I did a lot of mountains. Then 3 days later I did the same ride. It hurt a lot more. So I figure that I should try to keep my mileage and effort down the last 5 days before a big ride. I rode 300k Saturday, did nothing Sunday, and did my commute today. I didn't feel too bad, but I didn't push it. I think I may try something fairly difficult this week and not do much next week before the 400k.

I don't remember all the riding I did last week before the 300k, but I did a 20 mile ride and 15 miles of commuting last Friday, and I felt fine Saturday.

Points taken, and thanks again.

Am I alone in my distaste for psyching myself up for things? What accomplishments I've managed this far in life came out of a "Let's see if I can do this" approach, not a self-directed pep talk.

Heh - my approach is more "I have to do this or I'll be stuck with no way to get home." Motivates me somewhat!

I found some useful information here: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/coaching.htm?page=1

One thing related to the OP: "What all these tapers did was to maintain the training frequency but drastically reduce the training volume." It appears that rest-only or low-intensity tapering does not yield the same benefit.

It lists good papers on the subject (e.g., Houmard 1991), but I haven't found a way to download it without $$$. Oh well, I can always go to the library...

It's a truism that everyone is different. But research tends to agree that including intensity in the taper week makes you stronger or at least keeps you from losing strength. Friel suggests IIRC, for a Saturday start, 4 ea. 1.5 minute intervals on Monday, 3 on Tuesday, 2 on Wednesday, 1 on Thursday, and an easy short spin on Friday. I've done that, and including some zone 2 similarly tapered, with good results.

I plead guilty to bike changes before milestone events, despite knowing the reasons not to do it. Lucky so far... I also did that in my first year of randonneuring. "I need a new handlebar bag. Let's buy one the day before the 300k and try it out. What could go wrong?"

Once you settle on a rig that works for you, the equipment changes should come a lot less frequently, but there's always a temptation to tweak or adjust something. Be careful around that.

On topic -- I did a 300k last Saturday after a fairly heavy week of commuting. I made the mistake of going rather hard over a three mile segment on my way home on Friday when I got tempted into an impromptu with another commuter; and definitely paid for it when I had to get up six hour later to get to the start. Personally, I would aim for taking the day off on Friday, but keeping some kind of activity going on during the week.

I also did that in my first year of randonneuring. "I need a new handlebar bag. Let's buy one the day before the 300k and try it out. What could go wrong?"

I've been lucky so far. I switched to my first Brooks saddle the day before a century and changed cassettes and some peripheral stuff the week before my first 200K, and both turned out well. This time I'm changing a chainwheel and hoping the bike shop guy guesses right about how to adjust my handlebars for hand pain. The latter is what might sting me this weekend, but since it's already stinging me, I figure the potential benefit is worth the gamble.


Personally, I would aim for taking the day off on Friday, but keeping some kind of activity going on during the week.

I'm convinced. I'll be doing 13 miles home tonight and 26 (spinning) tomorrow and Thursday on my folding bike, then 10 to the train station Friday on the brevet bike, to leave for my hotel. Then up at 4AM and we'll see...

And BTW, thanks, everyone.

Sounds like you've worked up a good plan. IME, it's better to be undertrained than overtrained. IIRC, Jan Heine (publisher of Bicycle Quarterly and fastest North American finisher at PBP 2007) said that he takes 3 days off before any brevet, and a solid week off before a 1200. (Since he's pretty much car-free, I think he meant days off from training, not from all riding.) Must work for him - a 50 hour PBP is nothing to sneeze at. Have fun on your 300.

SP

Do the details of a taper really matter? I doubt it - at least for you.

You see, the term "taper" is associated with training programs that involve maintaining consistent levels of training volume at such intensities that people athletes are "wearing down" from all their work.

I doubt this is your case. You're just screwing around. So, no the details of your "taper" don't mean anything. However, I agree that maybe you should ride a few miles the day before.

I doubt this is your case. You're just screwing around.

So I bicycle the way you post?

So I bicycle the way you post?

lolz