Tapering Strategies for Peak Cycle

10-14 days were tapering for main competitions (max 2 per one season). Last hard training session (or weekend competition with many races) 10-14 days before the main competition. Then few days easy training and after that about every other day high intensity - low-volume training (starts or speed or specific power but no speed endurance) and about every other day easy recovery type training or rest day. Mind you, for a taper to work an athlete has to have done before tapering period must include regular competitions and training and have not eased up training too much. The main idea in tapering is that you keep up the high intensity in exercises but reduce the volume a lot. That way muscle activation remains in high level, but the reduction of workload and rest restores and builds up energy levels so that athlete can perform successfully.

Petteri Jouste Finland's National Sprint Coach.

Your training should be set up so that you can have your best performances in the meets that are most important to you. This is why you should schedule backward from the most important events. I schedule back in 12-week blocks from my most important meet to the start of my fall. I usually set it up in 3 weeks on followed by 1-week light format. So basically, it's 3, 12-week mesocycles with a week or two in between each. This way I can begin to taper with three weeks towards the end with one peak week during my championship week. I just decrease the volume, and density of whatever we are doing at that time and put particular emphasis on quality and execution, and no big runs or jumps with less than 10 days out from the target meet.

Curtis Taylor Oregon Sprint Coach, numerous national qualifiers, and All-Americans

University-of-Oregon-Track-Coach-Curtis-Taylor1

At the beginning of preparation, training will be more pronounced using the shortest distance that makes it easier to keep the velocity higher, with the passing of each the cycles, using the three distances in almost similar proportions at first and then for 200meter, even with the prevalence of longer distances (80-100 meters).

Roberto Bonomi Italian Sprint and personal coach of Ivet Lolova and Simone Collio