Mental Tapering

You’re days away from your big (probably virtual!) race and you’ve followed your coach’s advice about tapering your mileage. Theoretically you should be fresh & ready to bang off your splits like a metronome, however how much have you reduced your mental load during this critical time? You’ve likely experienced the decrement in cognitive function when you feel mentally exhausted, however the extent of its deleterious physical effects is often underestimated. There are many contributors to fatigue during an endurance event beyond purely physical. Psychobiological models describe an integration of perceived exertion and potential motivation (Marcora et al., 2008). Research suggests the negative impact is mediated primarily by a greater perceived exertion (Pageaux & Lepers, 2016). In a study comparing professional and recreational cyclists, researchers reported the fitter the athlete, the less detrimental effects the mental loads were on subsequent endurance performance (Staiano et al., 2016).

You might not have time to get any fitter between now & race day, however chances are the outcome would better by tackling your mentally taxing responsibilities post-race.