Weather & Performance: Learning to Get Acclimated to the Heat

By: Kaitlin Sighinolfi

I don’t know about you all, but I’m getting pretty tired of DC’s schizophrenic weather patterns. While I have enjoyed the gentle, balmy winter, 85 degrees in the middle of March does not make my body happy! This morning’s early jog in the crisp, cool air was perfect… but I know it’s short lived.  Whether you love the heat or loathe it, one thing I quickly learned on my Friday run was you can’t mess around with it.

Every Friday a group of work colleagues and I get together and go for a run along the mall. The quick and comfortable route down to the Lincoln Memorial and back allows us to take a break from the weekly grind and catch up with each other in a more personal and friendly way. It’s something I look forward to every week. This past Friday was no different. I had a tough week and was truly excited for an epic vent session while on an easy recovery run. No such luck. Although the run started out well, by the time we reached Lincoln, I knew something was wrong. There were little yellow spots floating in my vision and I couldn’t seem to consume enough water.  I experienced my first MISERABLE run of 2012 by getting nauseous, seeing spots and almost fainting on friends. Overall it was just not a good scene and I was not only embarrassed but completely distressed about how a typical run could go so wrong

A complicating factor for runners is that everyone reacts to heat differently – while I’m miserable in it, my friend Ryan flourishes.  However, given my own personal fitness and racing goals, living in DC presents training challenges, ‘cause not running is just not an option.  But because I refuse to relegate myself to a summer of gym drudgery, running on the gerbil wheel most refer to as a treadmill, or suffer from a lack of sleep so that I can run super early in the morning, or late at night when the city gets a few moments of “comfort”, I have no choice but to deal with the heat. 

So what can I do to make sure that my training doesn’t get sidelined simply because it’s hot outside? Being the endurance geek I am, I researched the subject to realize that that there are 2 main things I can do to optimize my performance: acclimatization – meaning that I need to get my body used to exercising in the heat; and proper hydration - which will stock blood-plasma stores and replaces fluid lost through sweat.

Acclimatization in this city is a true challenge. Last week temperatures were in the mid 80s and it was sunny out every day; this week it’s been significantly colder and windy. With those conditions, how does one even start acclimating in preparation for a race day?  While I’m certain that by running every day around the same time, no matter the weather, my body is already naturally adjusting to seasonal temperature changes, but when the weather patterns aren’t following normal seasonal changes, this presents a true challenge.  In particular, like many of you reading this, I am beginning to get concerned that this is the time in my training when I need to increase my mileage, and truly prepare for a hot weather races, meaning I need to consciously plan and strategize on how to adapt to the heat.

 According to a recent article I found in Runner’s World, “the average at-rest body temperature is 98.6 degrees; normal while running in the heat is 101 to just below 103. Some people who hit 103 will feel fatigued and light-headed, while others will feel fine. Same with 104 degrees.  At this point, your body may be generating more heat than it can dissipate, and you may feel like death—or feel nothing at all.” "The symptoms are the key," says , says Douglas Casa, Ph.D., A.T.C., COO of the University of Connecticut's Korey Stringer Institute."If you feel poorly—light-headed, nauseous, extremely fatigued, have cramps or a headache—those are big-time warning signs to back off the pace." Perhaps the most important symptom, he says, is when everything seems harder than it normally does. "That's a sign to ease up and slow down. Your body is now locked in an internal battle, trying desperately to keep itself cool while you are forcing it to keep working."

So if acclimatization means gradually training my body to run in the weather conditions I can and will face on race day— then it’s probably smart to start off with short, slow runs in the coolest part of the day, and work up to running at race pace in DC August-esque temperatures. The acclimatization process is supposed to fortify your body against the heat by prompting several important physiological adaptations: your sweat rate increases, which helps cool you more effectively; your blood volume increases, which makes more fluid available as sweat; and your body starts to utilize sodium more efficiently, which helps maintain fluid balance in and around your cells. It takes about 7-10 days to acclimatize.

When I was struggling on Friday, Ryan - yes, the same Ryan who loves running in the heat – told me a pretty crazy story of one of his buddies who recently ran the Badwater Ultramarathon, a 135-mile, nonstop running race across Death Valley in the stiffing July heat.  In an attempt to get his body into a condition where finishing well would be a possibility, Ryan’s friend built a sauna-like room around his treadmill. He would run every day trying to simulate the expected conditions in Death Valley and as a result, he DOMINATED his race last summer.  He was smart about running in the heat. He properly prepared for it and definitely was better for it.

I believe that training smart will pay off in the long run, however consistently smart training will ALWAYS pay off – you will feel better, and more prepared during the race, with a better chance of putting up a PR! It is important to recognize that acclimation is only one step in preparing to race in the summer or heat. It remains incredibly crucial to be cautious in the heat and pay attention to the signals your body will be sending you, no matter how well you believe you have adapted to the conditions.  

Another crucial step to help you prepare for a good race is hydrating. As endurance athletes, I feel like we talk about fuel and hydration a lot. This is even more important during the hot spring and summer months.  Just like acclimation, it is crucial that hydration occur on an ongoing basis, not just when you exercise.  In fact, many of you may be interested to know that according to experts and coaches, most people are somewhat dehydrated at all times; as a culture we simply don't drink enough fluids.  After my Friday run, my coach and I went over my day in an attempt to figure out what went wrong.  It definitely was a collection of things, but I made one particularly obvious and stupid mistake – enjoying Thursday’s patio happy hour a little too much and not consuming nearly enough water to make up for it. 

Given that I’m a creature of habit, my coach made a pretty genius recommendation: to improve my water consumption she suggested actually scheduling drinking water into my daily routine, just like I schedule workouts.  While she cautioned me not to water load, in fear of how hot it is outside, I need to do a better job of being conscious of consuming enough fluids throughout the day to optimize my hydration level.  In fact, a recent article I read said that “an individual can sweat up to 3 liters an hour in extreme conditions, the most water your body can take back in the same time period is 1 liter.” If this is true, that that means you'll finish extended workouts at a hydration deficit.  Hydration should not only be a preemptive measure, but also a part of your training and recovery plan, particularly in the heat and humidity.  By being properly hydrated, the goal is to make sure your body is better able to handle the heat, and in turn be able to match (or at least be close) to what your body is losing from sweating, and in turn have a more effective workout. I’ve already attempted to work this into my routine, and have quickly begun to realize that I am definitely one of those people mentioned above, who is constantly dehydrated. I’m optimistic that I’m going to get better about it!

It is vital to recognize that even with proper training and preventative measures, the most important skill is listening to your body and knowing the danger signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps and hyponatremia.  If you can, on those particularly hot days that I’m certain are quickly approaching, run in the morning (usually just before sunrise) for the coolest temperatures of the day. When possible, you can also seek out shady routes for relief from incessant sun. Dressing in light-colored, synthetic clothing (to reflect the sun's rays, wick and dry quickly), that fits loose enough to promote airflow will help to evaporate sweat and thus maintain body temperature. I would also recommend finding a running buddy if you don’t already have one. Even when I didn’t want to admit something was wrong, my colleagues expressed concern because my behavior was off.  I think stubbornness is a trait that many endurance athletes pride ourselves in – the ability to push ourselves past that normal threshold of pain. I get that. I often am that. But Friday was just an easy recovery run with friends and there was no shame in recognizing that something was wrong, and taking a break to recover from it.  It is because I was with friends that I did stop, drank some water and took a moment in the shade. It’s because of my own stupidity and stubbornness that I was dizzy, lightheaded, and nauseous. Please be smart.  

Running in hot weather is an important skill to hone, especially when living in the city, but every year, sometimes every month in this city is a little different. So I hope you will take this advice, recognize that it might take a few weeks to adjust, take general precautions and use good common sense, and I assure you that you will be able to successfully continue to train for your entire race schedule through what promises to be a grueling DC summer.

Good luck!

Multisport World Comes to DC!

Join us THIS SATURDAY, March 24^th, at the Multisport World Conference and Expo at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, MD. Developed in partnership with USAT Mid Atlantic Regional Council, this is the definitive kick-off to the new tri season offering you seminars, clinics, workshops, competitive events, activities for the kids, a vendor expo and much, much more. Headlining a terrific list of speakers is 6x Ironman World Champion DAVE SCOTT.  Also appearing is OUR OWN BRAND AMBASSADOR JEFF HOROWITZ, renowned swim coach and founder of Total Immersion TERRY LAUGHLIN and USAT Olympic triathlete JARROD SHOEMAKER.

Admission to the seminars and expo is FREE and if you register today you will be eligible to win a CompuTrainer Pro (a $1,500 value!)… you’ll also be eligible to win other great prizes, snag a swag bag and receive exclusive discounts on clinics and workshops.  Click here to register now: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5gh1zt651ac149b&llr=njuuivbab

For complete details on all Multisport World DC has to offer click here:

http://www.multisportworld.com/Washington_DC.htm

We look forward to seeing you there and be sure to stop by our booth on the expo floor!

From Injury to Opportunity

By: Taldi Walter

Does your life sound something like this? Chlorine before coffee, a run during lunch, and Happy Hour spent hammering at Hains Point? You’re starting to see the rewards of long hours training, and having the best triathlon season of your life.

Topping podiums, breaking PRs, and crushing your training plan makes it easy to ignore nagging pains from conditions like patellar tendinitis, iliotibial band syndrome, or Achilles tendinitus, that may forewarn more serious injuries. Endurance sports are based at least partly on an ability to endure discomfort. You’ve heard that pain is just “weakness leaving the body,” when in reality, it might be the sign of a muscle or ligament about to tear.

Athletes know that consistent training is the way to attain the highest possible fitness, and that extended or frequent downtime will inevitably result in a loss of fitness. It’s simple: the bigger your triathlon goals, the more things in your life that must be focused on achieving your goals.

The mere thought of an injury brings the frustration of not being able to do the thing we love most at the level we’d like. But this singular focus on training and pushing through the pain can oftentimes be counterproductive. Our bodies compensate for weaknesses by putting additional stress on other parts, which can lead to stress fractures, torn ligaments, and worse.

I learned this lesson the hard way when I allowed a minor foot injury to fester, leading to months of pain, a chronic injury and serious damage. Being injured taught some important lessons about keeping mental balance —one of the hardest and the most important aspect of recovery and well-being for a competitive athlete.

The first step is to admit you’re injured so you can move on. It sounds simple, but admitting you’re injured means accepting the uncertainty of not knowing if and when you will race again. It took me four months in a walking cast to finally accept that I was injured; however the shift in mental energy from resistance to acceptance freed me to explore other aspects of myself.

My time away from training allowed me to realize that my love of triathlon is more than just an addiction to speed, spandex, and surpassing personal limits. It’s the community of people, the competition, and the places triathlon can take you that keep me coming back. I was also forced to find creative ways to stay in shape with a hope of one day returning to the starting line.

Your heart and cardiovascular system don’t care exactly what you do to get them in shape. So find any exercise that causes an adaptive response in these systems, whether in the gym or on the roads, and it will prepare you to some to come back strong.

·         I Love to Swim.  Like most Triathletes, I didn’t believe “love” and “swim” could or should be in the same sentence. However my downtime forced — I mean, facilitated — a greater focus on my least favorite split, the swim. In order to get myself to the pool, I signed up for a challenge, swimming between the islands of the Adriatic Sea with a group of friends on a Swimtrek vacation. I had such a great time that I came home and joined a Masters Team. Masters swimming continues to feed my competitive nature; motivates me to get to the pool, and has resulted in better form and performance.

·         Bike Commute to Work. It’s not hammering at Haines Point, but you can do a lot of short all-out efforts between lights. Take advantage Washington’s bike lanes, embrace the hills in the city, and work on your bike-handling skills as you bounce off buses and avoid car doors. Depending on the length of your commute, you can rack up some pretty good mileage in a week. Check out WABA for commuter safety tips and always wear your helmet!

·         Get your Zen on. Yoga at a studio like Stroga is a great way to increase core strength, flexibility, and body balance. Core work strengthens the powerful muscles of the midsection, which help stabilize the body during all movement – think aeroposition on the bike. Meanwhile, weakness and lack of flexibility in your hips can compromise your running mechanics, putting stress on your IT band and knees, thereby leading to pain and injury. Poses like Pigeon can increase hip flexibility, and balance exercises like Tree pose challenge your proprioreceptors, the muscle-nerve connections that create an awareness of our bodies in space. It sounds odd, but close your eyes and stand on one-leg for 10 seconds. That little wiggle you’re working with highlights the importance of proprioreceptors, because they make tiny adjustments to help you from falling on your face when your body is in motion. 

·         Embrace a Lower Heart Rate. Anaerobic exercises support your multisport training and make you a healthier, more well-rounded, and less injury-prone athlete. Not being able to run means having more time to focus on the things that make you a better runner. Functional exercises strengthen the muscles that are directly involved in running, often in the same way they are used. A good resource for functional exercise is Smart Marathon Training, by Jeff Horowitz. Horowitz’s approach focuses on three runs a week and building full-body strength in a sensible approach to training in less time and with fewer injuries.

·         Give Back. Your local triathlon community keeps you going; use your downtime to help keep the community going. Volunteering for local races like Nations Triathlon is a great way to feed your desire to swim-bike-run. You can step up your game and volunteer as a coach for the next generation of multisport athletes through ACHIEVE Kids Tri.

As you start to ramp up your training this spring, resist the urge to be an overachiever. Overcome your ego, and to listen to your body. Many athletes are so used to existing on the edge of overtraining that it seems a natural state. But when you feel a twinge of pain, and not the good kind, take a day off even if it hurts to miss a workout. It will hurt worse if you miss a whole season. The idea of placing limits on training is a scary thought for most of us, but a more balanced training routine has gotten me where I want to be – off the sideline and in the race.

Breathing Techniques for Newbies Doing Triathlons

By: Ronald Molina

Ask any triathlete or someone who wishes to do a triathlon which part they dread the most, and they’ll probably say the swim. But, with understanding proper breathing techniques and plenty of practice in the swimming pool; anyone can overcome this dreadful part of the race.

As a beginner triathlete myself, with just 3 races under my belt, swimming can be a daunting task, but with time and constant learning, the swim part can be an enjoyable one without it being terrifying on race day.  As we all know, breathing is easy on the bike and run. While there are a few tricks to rhythmic breathing in both of these legs, you don't have to move around and ask your surroundings permission in order to get a breath. In swimming, you do.

From a beginner standpoint and what I have read and learned so far; the two most important aspects of breathing in swimming are becoming comfortable with:

1. your face in the water while swimming
2. a rhythm to your breathing

Face In the Water

Keeping your face in the water is step one, because if you swim with your head up or your face out of the water, your legs and hips will drop. A high-head/low-hip position requires you to push more surface area through the water, creating more drag and makes you splash all over the place, which you don’t want.

There are different tricks to keeping your face in the water. Be sure to have comfortable goggles. Focus on looking at the bottom or staring at the black line down the center of the lane in the pool. If you experience anxiety due to being under water, take a lot of rest breaks and remember that as far as pool training goes, you are never very far from the wall and an exit. Taking swimming lessons, signing up for Tri Clinics, and lots of practice will help.

Rhythmic Breathing

Once you are comfortable keeping your face/head in the water while swimming, you need to figure out how and when to breath. The critical action here is to begin exhaling through your nose/mouth as soon as you finish breathing in.  The tendency for beginning swimmers is to hold their breath while their face is in the water, then try to exhale and inhale very quickly when turning to breathe. This will create a shallow breath and a quick buildup of carbon dioxide in the lungs. They will have to stop and take a break in training or roll over on their backs to catch a few deep breaths on race day, which I have done before.

You must exhale while your face is in the water. So when you turn to breathe, your lungs are mostly empty and ready to accept a fresh breath of air. You do need to force the rhythm a bit. You should forcefully exhale through your nose/mouth as soon as you complete the breath. There's no pausing. It is a constant rhythm.

Two- or Three-Stroke Breathing

If there is one important thing I have learned by attending swim clinics in the area is that the three-stroke or bilateral breathing, will help you create and maintain an even stroke and improve mechanics on both sides of your body. However, it will increase the time between breaths by 50 percent over a two-stroke or one-sided breathing pattern. That is a huge decrease in total oxygen flow while swimming.

The best thing to do is to incorporate bilateral breathing in your workouts during warm-up, drills, easy aerobic sets and short sprints like 25s and 50s. Work on stroke balance by breathing to the left going down the pool and to the right coming back.  The main problem with breathing to one side all the time is that it usually creates a hitch or imbalance in one side. Typically one side becomes a bit stronger and you will veer off course in open water. The main benefit, however, is more air, which is nice when you are trying to swim fast.

You can definitely learn more swimming techniques and open water advice at the next DC Tri Clinic on Sunday, March 25.

About Ronald:

Ronald recently started doing triathlons in June of 2010 and has been hooked on the sport. During his childhood and throughout his life he has loved swimming and biking; then in 2010, he was introduced to the sport of triathlon by his older brother and was intent on training hard for his first one. He completed the 2010 Washington DC Triathlon and volunteered at the ACHIEVE Youth Triathlon. Recently he ran the 5 Mile Alexandria Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Ronald is looking forward in introducing more minority athletes and others to the sport of triathlon and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

Find the WSEM Brand Ambassadors Out and About in March!

March is a busy month for us here at WSEM and we are looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces out and about!  Find us at the following events and get sponsor swag, WSEM event info, and more!

March 10^th  - Multisport World New York 

Multisport World NYC is an exciting day filled with educational seminars, hands-on clinics, theToga Bikes Indoor Bike Time Trial, anindoor triathlon, a huge vendor expo and so much more, held at Columbia University. Many great speakers including Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Terry Laughlin, Dr. Jordan Metzl, Karen Smyers and not to mentions the clinics, workshops and competitive events.seminars, training clinics and workshops, competitive events, activities for the kids a vendor expo and more! Many great speakers including Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Terry Laughlin, Dr. Jordan Metzl, Karen Smyers and not to mentions the clinics, workshops and competitive events.

March 10th - Tri Clinic Series – Bike Clinic

Join us at The Studio Theatre in Washington DC to hear all about how to buy a bike, riding techniques, pros and cons of group riding, training for your tri on the bike and how to fix a flat! Presented by The Bike Rack, this Clinic is sure to rock! Don’t miss it.

March 15 thru 17 - Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Expo and Race Day 

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Series comes to Washington DC! Stop by our booth at the race expo at the DC Armory on Thursday March 15 and Friday March 16. Register on-site, get free sponsor swag, get your WSEM Event questions answered and just hang out with us! We’ll also have a few BAs rockin out on the course on race day – find ‘em and give ‘em a high five!

March 24th - Multisport World Bethesda

The 3rd annual Multisport World Conference and Expo in the Mid-Atlantic returns to the Hanley Center for Athletic Excellence at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, MD. Developed in partnership with the USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Regional Council, Multisport World offerws you an exciting day is in the works including 

March 25th - Tri Clinic Series – Swim Clinic

Hear from stellar swimmer Beth O Baker and learn all about open water swimming techniques. This event will take place at the American University Pool.

March 30th thru April 1st - Cherry Blossom Expo & Race

The Cherry Blossom Run is the prettiest run around DC! Visit us at the expo for free sponsor goodies or find our BAs out on the course. An event you don’t want to miss!

Check us out!! Look for similar set ups and faces!

 Jeff & Kristen at the 2010 MCM Expo

 BAs at the 2012 Open Water Swim Clinic with the Ladies of Team Lipstick DC

BA Kristen with Pacers Fun Runners

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.

4 QUICK TIPS TO IMPROVE YOUR RUNNING FORM

By: Jeff Horowitz  

It's a strange thing; we all learned to run by the age of three, but no one ever taught us how.  Throughout our lives, most of us have received instruction in a great many things, from piano to swimming to tennis and more, but most of us have never received any instruction on proper running form.  That's a shame, because most of us could surely use it.

In a perfect world, we would all have a physical therapist assess our strength balance and flexibility, and then have an exercise physiologist film our running gait and analyze it in slow motion.  But because of the time and expense involved, that's simply not a realistic option for many people.  

Don't let that discourage you; with a little self-monitoring, you can make great improvements in your running form and reduce your risk of injury.  Consider creating a short mental checklist of things to review as you run.  Think of running as being like driving a car; just as you might frequently check your speed, look in the rearview and side view mirrors, and check the fuel gauge, you should have a list of items for frequent monitoring as you run.  Here are four essential items to get your checklist started:

·     Arm Swing - maintaining proper arm swing will help you set a good leg cadence, and avoid excessive torso rotation, which could stress your lower back.  Aim to swing your arms from the shoulders, emphasizing your elbow kick-back.  Keep your arms bent just a bit tighter than a 45-degree angle.  Do not let your arms cross over your body; imagine that you have a wall projecting from your chest.

·     Run Quiet - the number one indicator of potential for injury is high impact force caused by a heavy foot strike.  Interestingly enough, this is relatively easy for most people to correct once they’re aware of it.  If you make noise while you run, try to run more quietly.  It’s really that simple.

·     Count Steps – the ideal gait is approximately 180 steps per minute, counting both left and right feet.  Most runners take fewer steps, which leads to over-striding and related problems.  Count the steps you take, or better yet, get a small electronic metronome.  Set it to 180 beats per minute and try to match the rhythm.

·     Run Tall – Maintaining proper body posture is important for minimizing stress on the lower back.  Keep your chest up and look to the horizon when you run.

Pro Triathlete Holden Comeau at the 2011 Washington DC Triathlon

Jeff Horowitz

Jeff ran his first marathon in 1987, and fell in love with the sport. Since then, he’s run over 160 marathons and ultramarathons, doing at least one in every state in the U.S. and also around the world, from Antarctica to Africa and Asia. Formerly a practicing attorney, he is now a program director for Achieve Kids Tri, Inc. a D.C.-based non-profit that introduces at-risk kids ages 9-14 to a healthy lifestyle through the sport of triathlon. Jeff is a certifed personal trainer and running, cycling, and triathlon coach. He has been the Mid-Atlantic editor of Competitor magazine, and a frequent contributer to Marathon & Beyond as well as other publications. His first book, My First 100 Marathons; 2,620 Miles With An Obsessive Runner was released in 2008. Jeff's most recent book is Smart Marathon Running, a guide to discovering how purposeful, targeted running, combined with a smart strength and cross-training plan, can make you a stronger, healthier runner. He is married to the artist Stephanie Kay, with whom he has a 6 year old son, Alex Michael. Visit Jeff and check out his informative blog.