Cycling tapers vs running tapers. Advice wanted - Triathlon Week

05-18-2005, 04:43 AM

I'm a runner currently training for an ultra distance event (95 miles).
Because of injury, my training has been somewhat seriously curtailed and
I've been doing a bit of cycling to maintain my aerobic fitness.

In the run up to a marathon a 3 week taper is generally recommended to allow
for full recovery from one's long runs. I don't know whether this sort of
time scale applies to cycling though.

I'm not worried about building or maintaining speed during my running taper
(I just want to get around alive) but I would like to know if any useful
endurance benefits can be gained by putting in a reasonable cycling mileage
in those last three weeks. If there are any benefits to be had, at what
point should I taper my cycling pre-race?

Many thanks.

Tim

05-18-2005, 11:23 AM

I'm new at this, but I would think not. Much of the benefit to
tapering comes from being able to carbo-load for the event, which you
can't do if you're still spending a couple thousand calories on a
bicycle. I doubt that the tiny bit of increased athletic ability will
give you as much endurance as the glycogen stores that build up during
three weeks of tapering, assuming an adequate nutrition plan. Just my
unprofessional opinion.

05-18-2005, 11:36 AM

Tim Downie wrote:
> I'm a runner currently training for an ultra distance event (95
miles).
> Because of injury, my training has been somewhat seriously curtailed
and
> I've been doing a bit of cycling to maintain my aerobic fitness.
>
> In the run up to a marathon a 3 week taper is generally recommended
to allow
> for full recovery from one's long runs. I don't know whether this
sort of
> time scale applies to cycling though.
>
> I'm not worried about building or maintaining speed during my running
taper
> (I just want to get around alive) but I would like to know if any
useful
> endurance benefits can be gained by putting in a reasonable cycling
mileage
> in those last three weeks. If there are any benefits to be had, at
what
> point should I taper my cycling pre-race?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Tim

I have read that one of the benefits of tapering for long-run oriented
events is the opportunity to heal from persistant jarring of long slow
distance. Of course, there are also nutrition related reasons.

However, that would suggest (to me) that the absense of full impact
would make a long (equal to running) taper less appropriate for
cycling. I'm expect that someone will chime in if I am proposing an
oversimplification of the many factors.

My personal experience has been that swimming and cycling require less
of a taper duration, relative to running. Bear in mind, I am a clyde
and a fast-twitcher. That may be important to the physiology of
tapering.

rsquared

05-19-2005, 11:40 PM

Cycling tapers tend to be shorter (7 to 10 days). Since cycling (when done
properly) does not result in pounding on the body, it does not require the
recovery running does.

"Tim Downie" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].uk> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]...
> I'm a runner currently training for an ultra distance event (95 miles).
> Because of injury, my training has been somewhat seriously curtailed and
> I've been doing a bit of cycling to maintain my aerobic fitness.
>
> In the run up to a marathon a 3 week taper is generally recommended to
> allow for full recovery from one's long runs. I don't know whether this
> sort of time scale applies to cycling though.
>
> I'm not worried about building or maintaining speed during my running
> taper (I just want to get around alive) but I would like to know if any
> useful endurance benefits can be gained by putting in a reasonable cycling
> mileage in those last three weeks. If there are any benefits to be had,
> at what point should I taper my cycling pre-race?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Tim
>

KenMierke · 05-20-2005, 06:46 AM

The methods of tapering for cycling and running are very similar, but remember that there are two basic typs of taper, a drop-off taper and a gradual taper. A three week taper doesn't mean three easy weeks, it means reducing mileage and intensity somewhat each week beginning three weeks out. I generally recommend adjusting volume approximately as follows:
3 weeks out ~ 75%, 2 weeks out ~ 60%, final week ~ 40%.

Be sure to leave some short duration (15-30 second) very high intensity segments with full recovery between to maintin economy and blood volume. Good luck, Ken

05-21-2005, 02:39 AM

KenMierke wrote:
> The methods of tapering for cycling and running are very similar, but
> remember that there are two basic typs of taper, a drop-off taper and
> a gradual taper. A three week taper doesn't mean three easy weeks, it
> means reducing mileage and intensity somewhat each week beginning
> three weeks out. I generally recommend adjusting volume
> approximately as follows:
> 3 weeks out ~ 75%, 2 weeks out ~ 60%, final week ~ 40%.
>
> Be sure to leave some short duration (15-30 second) very high
> intensity segments with full recovery between to maintin economy and
> blood volume. Good luck, Ken

Thanks Ken (and other respondants). You've all more or less confirmed what
I thought already but it's nice to have some independant confirmation.

Tim