FITNESS Training for Westport Sea2Summit (Part 7)

Hitting your purple patch


Personal Trainer
Paul O'Brien

So, most of your hard work for the Westport Sea2Summit adventure race is done, and it’s less than two weeks to the event. You’ve been working towards this for months. As I wrote in last week’s article, you may be experiencing a little pre-race panic and be tempted to cram in a few more heavy training sessions in the days ahead. Don’t! The last thing you want is to get to the start line feeling jaded, a little stiff and de-motivated.
To reach the start line in the best shape, you’ll need discipline. Achieving peak fitness means reducing, or ‘tapering’ your training in a structured way before your event. When people are training well, or are worried about their fitness levels, this can be a tough call to make, but it’s worth it.
The length of the taper before your event will depend upon your fitness levels. If you have a good base of aerobic endurance, strength and speed, you can begin your taper about 21 days from the event.  If your fitness is not where it needs to be, a taper as few as ten days out will work for you. The other factor to take into account is the event itself; the longer the event, the further back your taper should be, again depending on fitness levels.
For Sea2Summit, a seven- to ten-day taper will work for most. Training volume should be cut by 40-50 per cent in these ten days. Keep one high-intensity workout in your schedule, ensuring that the other sessions are less intense, perhaps focusing on areas of weakness, say bike skills or downhill running. In the last three days, training sessions should be very light, aiming for around 50-60 per cent of max heart rate. An easy cycle for 45 minutes or a slow, easy jog would fit the bill nicely.
The rest of your ten days should be spent resting, eating well and preparing yourself mentally for the event.
I would also recommend plenty of stretching during your taper phase, as well as ensuring you get ample sleep.

Paul O’Brien is a personal trainer and life coach based in Westport.