Taper down- preparation for the trials
The British Gas National Swimming Championships 2012 at the new Aquatics Centre at the Olympic Park in London start in less than a week.
I cannot quite believe how quickly this event has come around. I think time is flying at the moment because it is such a busy and exhilarating time for us. This is a really important event as it is a chance for us to qualify for this year’s Olympics.
With only a week to go my training regime has radically changed. Right now I must rest my body and stay perfectly healthy. This period is called a ‘Taper down’. I have been ‘tapering’ for just over a week already now. This means reducing work in the pool and bringing the metres down. I also do less hard sessions.
Prior to this I was in a really tough training period so it is nice to feel rested. Plus this type of regime brings on a good feeling; you start to feel really strong in the pool. When we start to taper down, the competition feels very real and I begin to mentally prepare for the race.
There are going to be some very exciting races at the trials. I cannot wait to be part of the whole event, once I have finished racing I am looking forward to cheering on the rest of my GB teammates.
I’ll let you know how it all goes and will be tweeting @joannejackson86 so please follow me to stay updated!
