Is this a taper week?

For a first-timer, the accepted training time for a sprint triathlon appears to be 12 weeks. As I was in no shape, back at the Easter weekend when I decided to undertake this nonsense, to take on that kind of training program, I decided to devote eight weeks to getting fit enough to train -- pretraining, if you will.

Week 7 is over.

 In a week's time, I have to start adhering to a tri-oriented training program. So, I guess this coming week should be a taper week, just like before a race you're training for.

So, in the pool, no worrying about yardage (though I did more than 1,400m this week, 600m today). Strictly technique, like getting my face to stay in the water. I haven't had much luck with that; breathing has been my bane, both in the pool and on the track, the whole time. So I guess I'd better start yoga on Mondays next week, 24 or no 24. (I'm pretty sure Jack Bauer can save the world without me.) I can probably finish 400m swimming breast stroke, but right now I'm swimming 100m in about 3:35. That's just too slow, even if my only goal is to finish. It's almost 15 minutes in the water, and I don't want to do that.

On the track, no pushing it. Probably just 500m or 1k and then a trip to the weight room. As for biking, if I go out for a leisure ride, that'll be fine. If not, that'll be fine, too. Might be a good chance to take my bike in for some tweaks. I did a little work myself last weekend, putting on pedal clips and adjusting the front derailleur, so I'd like to take it for a stretch first.

It's difficult -- *really* difficult -- to ease up on your training, especially when you've come from pretty much nothing in terms of conditioning and are seeing improvements almost every session. But it is absolutely necessary. Or so I've read.