Part 3: The Art and Science of Peaking
Steve Magness and John Marcus continue their peaking series by reframing peaking as maintaining fitness while eradicating fatigue so athletes can express existing fitness on race day, rather than expecting a magical performance boost. They emphasize that peaking is as psychological as physiological: coaches must set realistic expectations that racing will still feel hard, shift language from “easy” to “capable,” and prevent negative spirals from imperfect pre-race workouts. They argue peaking workouts should illuminate fitness and build confidence—often by using high-effort, well-recovered exploratory reps or familiar benchmark sessions—while avoiding high-risk “prove fitness” workouts that can create fatigue or crush confidence. They recommend preserving training rhythm, minimizing novelty late in a cycle, focusing on “good enough” rather than perfection, preparing athletes for varied race scenarios, and framing fear and failure as data for growth.
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