The taper session planned for July 30 moved back one day because of the journey to Cape Verde. Six hours of flying and a demanding travel day made postponing the sensible choice. This morning I completed the work without residual travel fatigue.

Eight minutes under control

After brief mobility, I held a straight-arm plank for eight continuous minutes. It felt easy and fully controlled—the precise outcome required from a taper session.

I counted fifty respiratory cycles in the first six minutes and thirty seconds, an average of 7.8 seconds per cycle. Finger numbness appeared at approximately 6:30, together with some palm stiffness on the unfamiliar, harder surface.

Five kilometres in Santa Maria

I then ran 5.00 kilometres in 33:29, an average pace of 6:41 per kilometre, breathing entirely through my nose. It remained an aerobic exploration rather than a hard effort.

Even so, it was additional load. From this point the useful choice was complete unloading before the August 2 personal-best attempt.

Signals worth recording

I noticed a small, localised discomfort behind the left shoulder near the upper triceps area. It did not limit the plank. The recurring hand symptoms also sometimes appear while I simply hold my phone, so they cannot be attributed to the plank surface alone.

These observations belong in the record, not in a self-diagnosis. Persistent, worsening or bilateral numbness—or any associated weakness or loss of grip—deserves assessment by a medical or physiotherapy professional.

The final instruction

The session achieved its purpose: preserve the movement, confirm that eight minutes had become easy and leave energy for the test. The correct response to that readiness was not more training.

August 1 would be complete rest, with only gentle mobility or an easy walk if desired. A stable, slightly softer hand surface would be prepared for the attempt.

THE TAKEAWAYTapering works when an easy session increases confidence—and you have the discipline to leave it there.