Ok, I gave it a whizz. Really good addition to the Sufferfest line up. Well produced, true to SUF culture. Good breathing skills to work on (hard to do!) and sound advice for riding and life mixed in. I enjoyed it and will do it often.
Norm
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Have a rave in 2 weeks and am on a crit plan which includes taper efforts. Will it be automatically replaced?
I have the All purpose plan finishing in a couple of weeks. It looks like it has been replaced by the new Tapers in the final test week for me, so hopefully you’ll be all good.
I’m looking forward to it after all the rave reviews here.
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haha, rave…! love auto correct 
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I have done Tapers for a FF prep. I didnt notice much difference except a few coaching points I don’t remember. Manily the breathing which is great.
For the taper week before an event, I want to be in my own zone, practicing my own positive self talk, so I agree with Sir James that the workout is a bit wordy. I think the instructions herein should find their way to their own video. I thought the “surprise” 6 of 5 intervals was just a patronizing throw back. As a point of contention, I can’t see how you can ask me to put on the face of a “Stone Cold Killer” and not allow the use of terms like “chubby riding buddy” or “weak and pathetic.”
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Good point of contention Sir Joe. “Stone Cold Killer” face is, fortunately, not a face I’m familiar with. If it said put on a “slack jawed resting bitch face” face then I’d have it nailed. According to my chubby riding buddy who frequently calls me weak and pathetic anyway 
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Yes good point, I’d forgotten about that but I was surprised during the ride to see that term. Surely “poker face” would have been better?
if Fluffy had arms long enough to hold playing cards, then it could indeed…
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For someone who doesn’t like wordy stuff so much… 
“Slouched Couchlandrian Watching Telly Face”?
I have an A-race coming up - so am I hearing that I should try to work this in mid-week? AndI still work in “Primers” on the day before the event? (Side note - Primers are a little on the heavy/hard side for me before an event, i feel, but I could always just reduce the %. Anyone else feel that way?). I’ll try to make this work.
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Coaches, looking at the workouts side-by-side, could you please provide a comparison or some comments that describes “Tapers” in comparison to the “Primers” video.
Easy:
Tapers is your mid-week session.
Primers is your pre-race day session.
2 different sessions.
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Not a coach, but Tapers is there to let you have some, but not too much, intensity in your week before an event. Primers is there to get your legs going the day before an event. Some people find their legs can feel dead or heavy if they go into an event from a rest day. It’s pretty individual though, and some people prefer an easier ride. I’d say for the taper week you need to experiment and see what works best for you.
Incidentally, my last couple of events I’d taken to doing The Cure mid taper week and that worked well for me. Tapers as a session is fairly similar.
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@jtroll I used Primers before my last race. It worked well. I think scheduling Tapers is a smart move as well. The new video is great - includes some info on breathing techniques that I used today when I repeated Primers as I have a fitness test tomorrow. The breathing lowers your perceived RPE - it works for me.
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As promised, I did the “Tapers” today. The video is excellent! Just the right amount of SUF humor and well-balanced with good work and exercise. I struggled with the breathing exercises, but I take that to hint that I have to practice more.
I found the tips given throughout the video helpful and was grateful for the last on precision vs. perfection. Anyway, I missed one final recommendation for the upcoming event day: “Have fun!”
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I did it last week, before a average Joe race in Sunday. Before, I thought skipping the race, weather was supposed to terrible, rain and heavy winds, and I had problems with my back- I basically couldnt walk in Monday last week.
But Yoga and massages help until the end of last week.
Taper helped me to overcome my couchlandrian I-dont-want-to-ride-in-bad-weather-condition thoughts.
Fun fact: I stopped pedalling 2-3 sec before laser goats appeared. When I heard their sound I instantly knew it’s them. As stupid as it ist, but I got goose bumps when I saw them coming around the corner.
I have to admit that I really love the sufferfest humour.
But I also really miss the old intro song.
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Just brilliant, loved it!
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Love it! Made my day… and it’s only 7:30. Thank you
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