I’m doing a 2.4 mile ocean race in just over two weeks. First time I’ve ever done a standalone open water event. It just occurred to me this week that I should probably do some sort of taper. (Never really have done enough swimming before to be worth tapering.)
For what it’s worth, I’m generally doing 10-12,000yds per week. Most of it is in 100yd sets - longer one (up to 18x) on about 15 sec. rest, shorter one (up to 10x) on 10 sec. rest, and sometimes some faster stuff with longer rests.
So does the taper here work like it does with biking and running? Cut down the distance, but keep up intensity? Am probably going to try to get in a little bit of open water swimming, too, now that the weather’s getting warmer.
Getting warmer Charlie . Open up the wallet let the moths out spend a little bit of the baptism money and get a wetsuit :0) I myself would not taper that much. Maybe not swim the day before though.
just tapered an athlete for open water nationals…what did he do?cut weights, cut intensity but swim yardage still…I wouldnt recommend taking the day off before–keep the feel for the water. If your running stop running a week before or so. Swimming at low moderation is not going to hurt you. If you were doing a shorter race I would say get some pacework in but 2.4 miles.
I and a few other coaches do performace modeling which gives an indication of how long tapers should be.
For an adult triathlete or open water swimmer, I have yet to see a taper indicator longer than 4 days. Lots of them in the two to three day range.
For straight swimmers, I start 5 days out and cut by about 20% each day.
If you do a main set that is threshold-ish as many of us do, but that back by the same %. But I do make sure that there is still 300 yards or so of VO2max work in taper week.
Kevin
Getting warmer Charlie . Open up the wallet let the moths out spend a little bit of the baptism money and get a wetsuit :0) I myself would not taper that much. Maybe not swim the day before though.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get a few more uses out of the wetsuit I’ve got. Glued and patched all over the place. I keep sail twine and a needle in my wetsuit bag in case a leg rips when I’m putting it on before a race.
Actually, I’m kinda glad you’re telling me not to cut back too much. Strange as it seems, I look forward to time in the pool these days.
After a few days I can see losing the touch for the water a bit but one idk. Do you actually tell your students to lift weights training for a triathlon or swimming?
For an ocean race you shouldn’t need much of a taper - probably just rest the day before though. Concentrate on even pace long distance in the pool rather than sprinting. 
I normally go for a couple of easy 400/500 sets before an ocean race. Good luck!
oh their pure swimmers…and only one of them is lifting weights and qualified for nationals. I know some triathletes lift weights so just touching all bases. and its not olympic style lifting…shoulder and leg strengthening mostly. Its the first time we went through the 10/5k open water tapering process…but he thought dropping the weights, holding the endurance but dropping intensity was good, no complaints.
and I truly believe swimming (if you are older…college age or above)you should not take a day off for 2 weeks before your “A” race. just what I went through-it seemed to work…Sundays would be a 30 minute super easy swim leading to taper meet. no scientific data…just experience.