Taper week for 70.3 or any other big races

This is really a time of anxiety and rest.
You are supposed to rest and allow your body to recharge and be ready for the big day.

Yet

You feel so anxious about it, and you start to worry about things especially training that you could have done and started to wonder whether you can sneak in the one last training that will help your big day.

What should you do?
1. Reduce distance in your training. It is really tough as your body is so used to training, the reduced stress seems surreal and unfilled. You can do more but you need to hold back! Depending on the distance of the event, you should reduce 50% or more from the usual workload. BUT maintain intensity, in another word, do the reduced distance at race pace. You want your body to get use the pace and not slack.
2. Do not eat too much! Most of us tend to overeat in anticipation of the big day. Your body can only process so much. With the reduced workload, the extra that you stored from eating will just be converted to fats. And this is the least preferred fuel that your body would like to use for race day.
3. Write up your race plan. You should always have a plan or strategy on how you want to race the course. If there are hills, what sort of gear ratio you would be using or how would you be running it etc. include in your plan; pre-race meals, warm up, hydration and nutrition strategy, pace that you would want to do and even cool down. Have a plan when things don’t go the way you planned, what adjustments would you be making for it.
4. Check and tune up your equipment. Never use anything on race day that you have used before; bike, goggles and attire. Clean your bike and if you have the time and money, send to bike shop for tuning before the race. The bike needs more love and care before it. You want to be sure of your equipment and DNF (did not finish) because of some mechanical fault that could be prevented.
5. Stretch and do all you can to prevent injuries just before race. You won’t want to toe on the starting line knowing that you have pain or nor there. Use heat and ice treatment. See a therapist or go for a relaxing massage. You can even beg your team mates or friends to give you one. But do it 3 days before the race to allow your body enough time to recover from all the kneading of your sore muscles.
6. Check out the race course. Visualize and make the changes you need for your race like a longer run from the swim to T1 or transition 1 area. Check all the drinks points and what they serving and make sure you have no problem with them. It would be imperative that you go for race briefing especially for the races that you have not taken part in before.
7. make plans for post race like transport etc. you won’t want your experience to be marred by being miserable and tired at the finishing line waiting to get home to wash up and refuel.
8. Thank all who have helped you to come this far! They deserve it!