taper
n.— «I wanted to come back here and start my “taper,” because I particularly like how my mother “tapers” me.…After beating yourself up in the water, you need to get rid of all of the lactic acid and stuff that has built up in your system for the last six months or year.» —“Swimmers make big splash in Texas” by Colin O’Connor Royal Gazette (Bermuda) July 17, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)