Q: "to taper" = "to gradually *increase* in intensity"

[Joel S. Berson]

I see I was wrong -- it's a term of use among runners, and the writer
did mean (the common) "taper down".

Thanks, Garson.

At 5/4/2011 01:25 PM, Garson O'Toole wrote:
>Joel S. Berson wrote
> > Subject:      Q: "to taper" = "to gradually *increase* in intensity"
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >  From an email message:
> >
> >>I stayed [after the conference] to do the marathon on Sunday and had
> >>a lot of fun; however, I found that sitting for 2-3 days
> >>in  seminars and at meetings was definitely not a good way to
> taper for a race!
> >
> > I assume the writer means "taper up" for the race, rather than "taper
> > down" from the meetings.
>
>Perhaps from : taper -  to reduce gradually. Or taper off
>
>How to Taper Before a Race
>
>Tapering means cutting back on running in the time before a race. This
>cutting back in activity helps your body and mind to be rested and
>ready.
>
>http://www.ehow.com/how_10345_taper-before-race.html
>
>
>Tapering for Optimal Race Performance
>
>... A recent paper published in the International Journal of Sports
>Medicine reviewed more than 50 scientific studies on tapering to find
>out whether tapering betters performance, and how to go about it. The
>review showed that there is no question tapering works. Most studies
>found an improvement of about 3% when athletes reduced their training
>before competition. This translates to more than five minutes for a
>three-hour marathoner or more than a minute for those racing 10K in 40
>minutes.
>
>http://runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=5304
>
>
>How to Taper for Your Road Race by Bob Cooper
>Runner's World
>
>Tapering isn't just for marathoners. In fact, one recent study showed
>a huge performance benefit when subjects tapered for a 5K.
>
>Here's how to taper for four common road-racing distances: 5K
>
>Cut your normal mileage in half the week before your 5K race, but
>maintain some intensity. Early in the week, run 4 x 400 meters at your
>5K goal pace with a 200-meter jog between repeats. Later in the week,
>jog two miles, then run 6 or 8 x 100-meter strides at 90 percent of
>maximum speed. Run easy the other days.
>
>http://www.active.com/running/Articles/How_to_Taper_for_Your_Road_Race.htm
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org