So I did it, I managed to keep my taper plans. It took more will power to follow through with it considering there was no Swedish Nationals to taper for. But luckily for me, my swimmers were up for some practice races and I managed not only to reduce my swimming, but cut back in all of my normal training over the last two weeks.

Before I get into how this effected my swim challenge, here is how my practice races went. Thursday night (instead of Friday) we swam the 800m in several heats. In my heat I had two swimmers I knew would push the eleven minutes. We decided to start from the wall. We had timers/counters and even a whistle. I started out exactly how I planned. I opened the first 100 in 1:16.8, then continued to swim well
200 – 1:18.0 for 2:34.9
300 – 1:17.1
400 – 1:17.0 for 5:09.0 but around 375m I started to feel a shortness of breath, but only going in and out of the turns.
500 – 1:17.5 and my first open turn
600 – 1:20.3 and I contiued with open turns just like in Malmö Nov 2018….
700 – 1:21.8 and I stopped only to remember we had counters and a whistle, crap one last hundred
800 – 1:22.1 for a total of 10:30.9, nearly 17s better than 2018, and my best time since 2014 at the start of my triathlon carrier. Even the 400 split was my best time since 2013.

Sunday we continued with a few more swims. We did heats of 400, 100 and 50’s all choice. I chose, 400 fri, 100 IM and 50 breast.
The only thing I knew for the 400 was I wanted to beat my time from the 800 split just days before.
400 free: I opened slightly too fast, but the real problem was that I could not count.
100 – 1:12.95 – felt good and controlled. I have been swimming 100’s around 1:13 st 1:30 for the last few weeks
200 – 1:15.00 for 2:27.95 no real change in the swimming, but difficulty breathing in and out of the turns.
300 – 1:16.28, the only reason it was that good is I swam the last 50 nearly all out because I thought I was finished….Oops!
400 – 120.35 nothing left to give. it was a shame, it would have been nice to see 1:12, 1:15, 1:17, 1:17 for 5:01, but I am happy with the 5:04.60

Decided to swim the 50m first so after the guys swam the 100 free, we had a heat of free, fly and breast. I swam in 35.85. Only .12 over my time from December, and not bad considering we only had about 10-12 minutes rest after the 400 fr.

The 100 IM felt really good considering I had already two races in me. I was slightly after Hampus going into the 3rd 25m, and managed to get a small window heading into the last leg. It was hard to tell, but I think I had him until the last 5-6 meters. But 1:14.65 is my best time since Oct 2018.

Most of us swam really well, so that means we swam well during the winter and our taper was well timed.

Going into my taper I was about 21km ahead of my target for one million meter in 2020. This morning I am only 3km ahead for the year,

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For the month I should surpass my 2012 totals, but only having 51km through three weeks, means I really need to step up if I am going to reach 83+ for the month, but its not looking good for a Ben & Jerrys come March 31st.

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Only time will tell if this two week taper was good for me in the long term, or if it will just be a short term benefit. But I have to admit it was not easy to fall asleep at night, and sleep through the night. It was all that extra energy that I am not used to having during the week.

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With temperatures starting to come up to 10C (50F) in the air during the day this week I am starting to think of jumping in the lake around Easter this year, instead of waiting until the 1st of May. But I am not sure when I will be able to get the buoys out to mark out our 1250m course. I need atleast one other person in a boat, preferable two to help me find all the anchor points.