taper madness

Definition

The psychological anxiety and phantom injuries that afflict endurance athletes during pre-race taper periods when training volume drops. Every twinge becomes a career-ending injury in your mind.

Example Usage

I'm two weeks out from my marathon and deep in taper madness—convinced my knee hurts, my IT band is tight, and I've somehow lost all fitness.

Origin

Endurance sports describing the mental challenges of reduced training volume before races

Fun Fact

Taper madness is so common that race forums fill with anxious athletes convincing each other that imagined injuries aren't real.

Source: Endurance racing and marathon training culture

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