Avoid the Taper Tantrum: Smart Strategies for Your Best Event
By Frank Pike, Head Coach and Owner, Beyond Category Coaching
Most of us have seen a classic temper tantrum, maybe from a toddler in the middle of a store. As a coach, I’ve seen something similar from athletes in the final weeks leading up to their big event: the taper tantrum.
It’s common, especially among endurance athletes who’ve trained for months and suddenly have to back off just when they feel they should be pushing hardest. Insecurity and fear of “losing fitness” can lead to poor decisions and, ultimately, a less-than-ideal performance on race day.
Let’s talk about what a taper really is, how to approach it with confidence, and how to avoid the emotional rollercoaster that sometimes comes with it.
What Is a Taper?
A taper is a structured reduction in training load before an event to help your body absorb the training you’ve done, shed fatigue, and arrive fresh and ready on race day.
How it’s structured depends on:
Your current training load (how many hours and how much intensity you’ve been doing)
How important is the event to you
How well you respond to rest or intensity
Whether you’ve been overreaching or are borderline overtrained
Some athletes thrive on a deep taper. Others need to keep intensity high until closer to race day. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but there are a few smart guidelines that work for most.
General Taper Guidelines
If you’re new to tapering or want a reliable framework, here are some solid rules of thumb:
Start your taper 7 to 10 days before your event (14 days if you're overreached or burned out)
Training volume should reduce more significantly for athletes with higher training loads
Example: If you typically ride 12+ hours per week, reduce more than someone riding 6–8 hours per week
Watch for signs of overtraining, including increased fatigue, irritability, poor sleep, and loss of motivation. These may mean you need a longer or deeper taper
Keep training frequency the same, just reduce the duration and intensity of your workouts
Try a 20% volume reduction two weeks out, followed by another 20% reduction the week of the event
Maintain some high-intensity efforts to keep your legs sharp and your neuromuscular system primed
Training Rhythm During the Taper
During your taper, aim to keep your workout schedule consistent, just shorter and easier. The point is to reduce accumulated fatigue, not to stop training altogether.
You can even ride every day if the sessions are light enough. And if you’re someone who benefits from complete rest days, you can still include one or two.
Example Week of a Taper
Monday – Rest day
Tuesday – 60 to 90 minutes at an easy pace
Wednesday – Short interval ride: 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 x 30-second hard efforts
Thursday – 30 to 60 minutes of very easy spinning
Friday – Openers: 45 to 60 minutes with 4 short, high-intensity efforts (20 to 40 seconds each)
Saturday – Event day warm-up
Sunday – Event day – time to shine! Then rest and celebrate your success
How to Eat During Your Taper
You’ll burn fewer calories during your taper, so your fueling needs will shift slightly. The goal is to maintain good energy availability without overloading your system.
Here’s how to approach it:
Match your fueling to your training — reduce calories in line with lower training volume
Avoid two weeks of pasta dinners — “carbo-loading” should be strategic, not constant
Start increasing carbs 2–3 days before your event, and modestly increase protein and fat if needed
Ensure your glycogen stores are full by race morning, but avoid feeling heavy or bloated
Other Key Taper Tips
Tapering affects more than just your legs. Here are some other things to keep in mind:
Get extra sleep. This is when your body repairs and strengthens
Take a day off work if you can. Use the time to reduce life stress and focus mentally
Expect to feel “flat” or moody. Lower training volume means fewer endorphins, which can affect your mood
Trust the process. Feeling heavy, slow, or unsure during the taper is normal. It doesn’t mean you’re losing fitness
Hold back. Once the taper kicks in and you start to feel fresh again, resist the urge to push hard. Save that energy for event day
Final Thought: Trust Your Taper
Whether you’re coached, self-coached, following a plan, or simply riding because you love it, incorporating a taper is one of the best things you can do for your event performance.
Tapering gives your body time to recover, adapt, and arrive sharp. Without it, you risk rolling up to the start line overcooked and underperforming.
A good rule to remember: It’s better to be 10% undertrained than 1% overtrained.
So don’t panic. Don’t chase last-minute fitness. Stay patient, stay sharp, and trust the work you’ve already done.
