Is Peaking a Myth? – Science of Running

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Peaking! Do we drop the volume and intensity a bit and hope that our performance skyrockets? Or do we perform an exacting sequence of workouts designed to get you ready for race day? There are a lot of misconceptions on what exactly peaking entails. At its most basic level, it’s simply about putting the athlete in the best place to perform on race day. But when we dive deeper, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions on what peaking entails. In this episode we provide an in depth look at what peaking is. Starting with asking whether or not the models that underlie peaking are valid. Other topics include:

Are you taking the “Hail Mary” approach to peaking?
We’re only as good as our models. What are the flaws in the supercompensation and linear periodization models?
How does our view of stress and adaptation influence our model of peaking?
How much of peaking is psychological? Is it like a placebo response?
A coach’s role is setting the expectations. And how we set those expectations influences how our athlete reacts to peaking.
The difference between preparing to feel good enough, instead of seeking perfection.
How the mismatch between how we expect to feel and how we actually feel impacts our pacing.
Are you searching for validation in your workouts or aiming to get better?