Race week taper: A, B, and C races day-by-day

What the Hub actually schedules

The season planner attaches a taper window to each race based on its priority tag (see A vs B vs C race tagging):

• A race: 12-week build, 8-week peak window, 3-week taper, 2-week recovery.
• B race: 6-week build, 2-week taper, 1-week recovery.
• C race: 1-week taper, 5-day recovery.

The taper periodization is what shows up on the athlete's season view as a tagged phase. Inside the taper window, the day-by-day below is the typical structure most coaches run.

A race: the 3-week taper

The volume drops while intensity is preserved (or even sharpened).

Week minus 3

Volume drops to about 80 percent of peak.

• One key threshold session per discipline (e.g. swim CSS, bike sweet-spot, run threshold).
• Long ride and long run scaled down by 25 to 30 percent.
• Strength shifted to maintenance.

Week minus 2

Volume drops to about 65 percent of peak.

• One race-pace simulation in each discipline (a short brick is useful).
• Long sessions cut further; long run capped at ~70 minutes for 70.3 and full distance athletes.
• Recovery prioritised. Sleep tracked. See Logging daily wellness.

Race week (minus 1)

Volume drops to about 45 to 55 percent of peak.

• Day -7 to -5: short sessions, one of each sport, with short race-pace efforts (e.g. 4 by 1 minute at race power on the bike, 6 by 30 seconds at race pace running).
• Day -4 to -3: rest day OR very easy 20 to 30 minute shake-outs in two sports.
• Day -2: 30 minute swim plus 20 minute easy bike with 3 to 5 short pickups. No run unless needed for sleep.
• Day -1: short shakeout in race kit. 20 minutes total. Sit down, hydrate, sleep.
• Race day: as planned.

B race: the 2-week taper

A condensed version. Volume drops to ~70 percent in week minus 2 and ~50 percent in race week. Skip the second race-pace simulation; keep one race-pace day in week minus 2 (the mini-brick).

C race: the 1-week taper

Treat the C race as a hard workout. Volume drops to about 70 percent the week of the race. Hard sessions Monday and Wednesday at latest, easy Thursday and Friday, race Saturday or Sunday. No long taper, no full carb load.

What does not change

The taper structure scales volume; intensity is preserved. The taper is NOT a recovery week; the athlete still trains hard, just less. Hot tip: an athlete who has never tapered well underdoes the rest. An athlete with too much taper history overdoes the rest. Adjust to the individual.

See also: A vs B vs C race tagging, Carb-loading protocol, Race morning routine.