tapering for a long-distance swim

Steph _CUT said:

I have a big swim event on the 11th and was thinking I should taper but
am not sure on the best.

The event is a 3 mile openwater swim.
I have been regularly swimming 5k meters and can do the distance no
problem. My workouts have been mostly straight swimming, with maybe some
kick and stroke work.

Last week I did a little interval work, and this week I went for a
steadier pace (not necessarily slower though) and more continuous time.
Tomorrow will conclude the fifth day in a row of 5k m, with the weekend
for rest.

I was thinking I should alternate next week, maybe 4000m swim 1000m kick
Mon, Wed, and Fri with 2500m swims on Tue/Thur.

Then September 5-9 maybe duplicate, or do some negative splits. I think
I want two days rest before the event, so I will take Friday/saturday
off.

I do need to be careful of my left shoulder, but so far it is just a
normal soreness, no swelling or real pain.

Anybody have some links to sites discussing tapering, specifically for
long-distance/endurance events?

I would do a warmup even on the days off.

"Steph" <[email hidden]_CUT> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I have a big swim event on the 11th and was thinking I should taper but
am not sure on the best.

The event is a 3 mile openwater swim.
I have been regularly swimming 5k meters and can do the distance no
problem. My workouts have been mostly straight swimming, with maybe some
kick and stroke work.

Last week I did a little interval work, and this week I went for a
steadier pace (not necessarily slower though) and more continuous time.
Tomorrow will conclude the fifth day in a row of 5k m, with the weekend
for rest.

I was thinking I should alternate next week, maybe 4000m swim 1000m kick
Mon, Wed, and Fri with 2500m swims on Tue/Thur.

Then September 5-9 maybe duplicate, or do some negative splits. I think
I want two days rest before the event, so I will take Friday/saturday
off.

I do need to be careful of my left shoulder, but so far it is just a
normal soreness, no swelling or real pain.

Anybody have some links to sites discussing tapering, specifically for
long-distance/endurance events?

You shouldn't need any taper at all for this swim.

Taper allows a swimmer to recover from the institutionalized over training
we use as a training paradigm, in order that the body can produce maximal
power, which it cannot do in a fatigued state.

Arguably the huge aerobic loads placed upon a swimmer are just as much
'training to train' as they are 'training to perform'. In your case of a
true distance event, you shouldn't be relying on power production at all,
therefore your best interest lies in maintaining an aerobic state, which
will decline with any rest you take.

If you're feeling 'tired' I'd advise you to cut your average volume by
perhaps 20% and cut out the intensity altogether.

Even my sprinters (who average about 55-60K a week) will only taper down to
about 60% of that, middle distance about 70% and distance (those who swim
1500, much less than you'll be swimming) to about 80%.