Injury Prevention and Perseverance

By Darren Rentch
Spring is just around the corner, which means an increase in training volume for most triathletes, particularly in this neck of the woods. As volume increases and race specific training begins to take shape, so does the risk of injuries, particularly if you are going long for the first time. Below are some prevention and rehab tips I’ve accumulated over the years through my own experiences as well as through many industry experts I have in my “circle of trust...”

1) Prevention.

• Train properly. Stick to the general volume, duration and intensity that are specified in your training plan. If you don’t have a training plan, then you should prepare or procure one now. There are many quality training plans that you can buy online or you can seek out a coach for something more customized.
• Warm-up and cool down properly. Performing a few minutes of nueromuscular activation (NMAs) exercises during your dynamic warm-up allows your nervous system to recruit more motor units during your workout which will lead to increased force production during your workout. More force production translates to better speed. The NMAs may seem boring and feel like a waste of precious time but they are essential components to your workouts and routinely off the radar of most triathletes. Also, spend a few minutes of dynamic stretching after your workouts to allow your body to cool down properly. Remember that high intensity workouts require more warm-up and cool down.
• Focus on form and endurance before speed. Improved form leads to improved endurance which leads to improved speed. Incorporating speedwork (particularly on the run) before an adequate endurance base is developed is a recipe for injury. Endurance makes you faster but it takes time to build - there are no shortcuts. Be consistent, patient, and focused and watch the benefits accrue. Increase volume slowly in each discipline - no more than 10% from the prior week.
• Get a professional bike fit. A good bike fit will reduce the risk of injury and also improve comfort, and since you spend about half your training volume on the bike, comfort is key. There are different fit options and price points. A professional fitter should be able to assist you in making the right choice.
• Get a professional gait analysis. You spent the money on a bike fit, why stop there? Running injuries are the most common type of triathlon injuries and a video gait analysis can immediately identify problems and root causes with your form. Proper running form significantly reduces the chance of injury and will make you more efficient. Don’t wait until you are injured to discover the source of the injury was poor running form. In fact, in some cases you may not be able to get one if you are injured. In my opinion, this is just as valuable as a good bike fit.
• Get a Functional Movement Screen (FMS). The FMS is a short 15-30 minute test that documents functional movement patterns and any limitations/asymmetries that you have. The results of the test determine which corrective exercises will produce/restore ideal movement patterns. The better your movement patterns and symmetries, the less likely you are to develop repetitive use injury as volume and intensity are increased.
• Get strong. If strength training is not in your training program it needs to be. Focus on core stability and functional movements. Mix in a weekly yoga and/or Pilates class to keep it interesting and improve joint flexibility. If you’re in the local DC area, check out VIDA Fitness for personal training sessions or strength training group classes.
• Get plenty of sleep. Often easier said than done, particularly by age groupers who are managing their training schedules alongside their day job and daily chores. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is the body’s natural recovery tool and is released by your pituitary gland in pulses, primarily during deep sleep. The more sleep you get, the more doses of HGH you get.
• Recover. Build in recovery days and weeks into your plan. As a general rule of thumb, allocate every third week to rest and recovery in which frequency stays about the same but volume is reduced by about 50%. Respect and embrace these weeks. You will thank yourself when you start the next week fresh. Also, pay attention to recovery times. If you haven’t recovered in 48 hours from a particular workout, you probably went too long or too hard. Keep track of these and adjust similar future workouts accordingly. Finally, get a foam roller and massage stick and use them regularly.
• Monitor aches and pains. It’s common to have some minor discomfort during warm-up, particularly on the run. If the discomfort persists after warming up, cut the workout short and give it a couple days before attempting the workout again. If discomfort persists for more than a few days, accept the injury and take proactive treatment measures.   

2) Acceptance & Ownership.

• “S**t happens”. Despite your best attempts at avoiding injuries, they are bound to happen from time to time. Some are volume related (overuse), but others unavoidable acts of bad luck - turning an ankle during a run, slipping on the pool deck, the dreaded bike accident, tripping on your cat...the list is endless. Accept the injury and take ownership of it. This is often the hardest part because it involves a setback of some type, but usually we’re talking in the neighborhood of 1-6 weeks. Not the end of the world.
• Act fast. Treating an injury during it’s acute phase is paramount to facilitating a speedy recovery. Don’t try to train through an acute injury, you will only make it worse and cause it to eventually (over a period of months) become chronic.  Chronic injuries do not respond to treatment in the same way as acute injuries (this is an entirely separate discussion). In fact, the treatment options for chronic injuries can be more extreme/invasive and painful than the treatment options for their acute counterparts (some of the procedures used to treat chronic injuries could easily be classified as a form of torture under the Geneva Convention). Do yourself a favor and don’t let an acute problem become chronic. Save the suffering for the run course.
• Assess Options. There are many effective and non-invasive options for treating acute injuries such as massage, Active Release Therapy (ART) and Physical Therapy. Coaches and veteran triathletes usually have a trusted network of therapy contacts and can be an excellent starting point in your search for the right therapy provider.
• Responsibility. Your therapist can prescribe a treatment plan, but it’s up to you to understand the objectives of the plan and follow it. Take responsibility for your treatment plan and make it a priority. Treatment plans are just like training: consistency, commitment, confidence, patience and good decision making are all necessary for success. Stick to your treatment plan and give it time to work - don't arbitrarily and/or prematurely bounce around from one approach to another. A lack of patience will delay recovery. A good friend of mine (and veteran Ironman) said it best: “It’s better to come back 5 days late than 1 day too early”. I couldn’t agree more.

3) Attitude

• Opportunity. Usually, an acute injury will not sideline you entirely. Use the opportunity to improve yourself in other disciplines during recovery and focus on becoming a better overall athlete.
• Come back stronger. A temporary set back is not the end of your season. Stay positive and focused and set your sights on coming back stronger - mentally and physically. That’s right stronger. Case in point: Early last year, Craig Alexander was sidelined for weeks with a nasty virus which caused him to cough so hard he cracked some ribs. It forced him to withdraw from Ironman Australia. He recovered and then proceed to win both Ironman and Ironman 70.3 World Championships...at the age of 38. At Kona, he PR’d his bike split by 13 minutes and set a new world record in the process.

About the Author

Brand Ambassador Darren is a USAT Level 1 coach, All American triathlete, Ironman 70.3 World Championship competitor and 2x Ironman. He is co-owner of Meridian Performance, LLC, a Washington, DC coaching group founded last year, along with his wife Jennifer (who is also a brand ambassador and USAT coach) and two other coaches. He can be contacted at darren@meridianperformancedc.com.