Commentary by Jeff Commings, SwimmingWorld.TV associate producer<\/i><\/p>\n
PHOENIX, Arizona, June 15. TAPER has begun!<\/p>\n
I know pretty much everyone else getting ready for Trials started tapering a week or so ago, but when your daily swimming average is 3,500 meters, there's no need to start resting so soon. I guess that's the drawback to not doing so much in workout, but I think I've earned it after about 15 years of putting in about 7,000 per workout in my youth.<\/p>\n
I only taper for 10 days, and I've stuck with that program for two years. It's always worked. I'm hoping it will still work. Of course, tapers are never absolutes. Swimmers can't wait until the day taper starts, but somewhere in the middle, doubt and fear starts to creep into their minds.<\/p>\n
Am I tapering correctly? Should I have done that last set so hard? Should I have done that last set harder?<\/i> The questions pile up so big in our minds sometimes that we forget that a major part of a successful taper is a mind clear of doubt.<\/p>\n
Not an easy thing to do. Let's take my workout this morning, for example:<\/p>\n
300 warmup<\/b><\/p>\n
3x(3×100 on 2:00<\/b>
\n1. 75 swim\/25 kick<\/b>
\n2. 25 kick\/75 swim<\/b>
\n3. 25 drill\/25 swim<\/b><\/p>\n
12×50 on 1:00 swim aerobic<\/b>
\n6 free (avg. :40), 6 back (avg. :42)<\/b><\/p>\n
4×100 kick drill on 2:00<\/b>
\n50 breast\/50 free<\/b><\/p>\n
300, work on breakouts and turns<\/b><\/p>\n
4×150 on 2:30 aerobic<\/b>
\nodd: back (2:05)<\/b>
\neven: free (2:00)<\/b><\/p>\n
100 easy<\/b>
\n
\n25 breast from dive (13.2)<\/b><\/p>\n
75 easy<\/b><\/p>\n
Total: 3,300 meters (75 minutes)<\/b><\/p>\n
I didn't expect to swim so far today. My expectation was to swim at a very leisurely aerobic pace and maybe do some short-burst swimming. I was feeling OK this morning, though my legs did feel like lead. I've been doing housework and maybe running up and down the stairs for an hour each day Monday and Tuesday in my house is starting to haunt me. Should I have done that fast 25 at the end?<\/p>\n
But I did my chores this week so I could use the time-honored “I'm tapering” excuse when given a “Honey Do” list. It doesn't mean my home will look like it belongs on an episode of “Hoarders,” but certain things will just have to wait until I return from Omaha.<\/p>\n
I know all of you are excited for Olympic Trials. Whether you are competing in the meet, coaching a swimmer in the meet, working as an official at the meet, going to the meet as a spectator or watching at home, it's going to be a fun time! Hectic — and very<\/i> crowded — but fun!<\/p>\n