tapering
n.— «Leading up to a big meet, swimmers use a process called tapering, decreasing the distance they swim in practice. The method allows their bodies to rest and recover, and generally leads to faster times.» —“10 Things You Didn’t Know About Competitive Swimming” by Brett Knight Columbia Missourian (Columbia, Missouri) Feb. 16, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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