Having lived in northwest Washington state for several years I was fortunate to be able to train on the trails of Larabee State Park in the Chuckanuts, the rugged Mt. Baker Wilderness, and the world-class single track of Galbraith Mountain. While running and white-knuckling technical single track I often saw trees that had stood the test of time, withstanding winds, snow, rain, and many adverse weather, climate, and environmental conditions. Though leaning and weathered, some more than others, they stood tall, anchored firmly to the rock and soil beneath. Other trees would even jut out of solid rock, appearing to impossibly hang onto to the side of a cliff’s edge. The trail below was jaggedly crossed by roots emerging from the ground – their appearance rough but their purpose and function maintained. As I traversed the terrain it was apparent these trees had developed deep roots which anchored them and preserved their long-term viability.
Developing deep roots is also important for endurance athletes if they are to weather varying training stimuli, life stressors, and maintain consistent training. Over the years I have been fortunate to be able to work with many runners, triathletes, and endurance athletes throughout the United States and internationally both in a performance and rehabilitative capacity. Invariably, as I go through the onboarding process with new athletes I find that many of my conversations involve similar themes about expectations, philosophy of training and programming, communication styles, and measures of successful training. And while each athlete must decide for themselves what success will look like over the course of a training cycle, season, or year(s) several factors have emerged as strong contributors to successful training and racing. In short, when athletes take time to master the basics of training success they foster the development of deep roots which anchor them and preserve their long-term health, wellness, and ability to perform year after year. CONSISTENCY When I first began competing in triathlon I heard success was an easy formula – 7 x 52 x 10. Seven days a week, 52 weeks a year for 10 years. While this may seem daunting, and less than easy, the take-a-way was consistency of training is crucial. Athletes must make the daily tally. Training must be part of the daily routine. And while consistency of training is necessary, the type, time, and purpose or goal of training may look different for every athlete. It may mean swim, bike, and run for a triathlete or aerobic, tempo, fartlek for a runner. It may also mean a fitness walk for active recovery, a strength training session, mental imagery training or even visualization. Training could also result in a reduction or increase in the volume, intensity, or duration in order to best match the goals and direction of a training season or cycle. So, while the training may look different or variable from one athlete to the next, the intentional effort of showing up day after day is the necessary prescription for long-term success. MAKE THE INVESTMENT If you have begun planning for retirement you have likely been counseled to make a regular and consistent contribution in order to benefit from compound interest. Trying to make up for weeks, months, and years of poor investing in an expedited fashion is a losing endeavor. Instead, the goal should be to start early and make deposits often. Endurance training is no different. In order to benefit from cardiovascular, metabolic, and neuromusculoskeletal adaptations you have to start early and make the investment, throughout consistent training, regularly. However, just like no two investment portfolios are the same, so too a ‘one size fits all’ approach to training lacks specificity and individual clarity. When workouts begin to lack purpose they quickly may become monotonous. And these are the workouts which are the easiest to skip or shorten, thereby compromising your investments. The finish line, however, keeps us honest. There’s no cheating the distance. Missed or half-completed workouts often lead to race-day anxiety. Anxiety breeds self-doubt. Panic breeds paranoia. Making the investment in your daily training allows you to benefit from compounded performance adaptations, which leads to consistency of training and breakout performances. DEVELOP SELF-HONESTY When training becomes part of your daily routine it can be challenging to slow down or even apply the brakes when pain or discomfort begins to appear. It is all the more challenging to rest. The hardest words for any runner to hear are “don’t run”. However, as my friend and colleague Chris Johnson often says, “If you’re going to run, you’re going to get injured.” It is not a question of “if” but rather “when”. Being self-honest when pain does emerge may lead to a temporary reduction in intensity, volume, or even a shift from running to fitness walking or other forms of cross training. However, in wisely managing discomfort and applying a self-honest approach, often recovery is improved and a timely return to regular training is accomplished. Running may be permissible, but that does not mean it is beneficial. Self-honesty fosters discernment. TRUST THE PROCESS When athletes have developed inconsistent training habits, missing investment opportunities, it can become appealing to try to add extra miles, workouts, or training sessions to account for the missed sessions. Race day is looming and self-doubt in your preparation begins to take hold. Have I done enough? Was my volume adequate? My friends have done two 22-mile-long runs – why haven’t I? Why is my long-run only 18 miles? Is that enough? Decisions made in haste and with clouded judgment lead to less than desirable results. Instead, engage in open and honest communication early and often with your coach and training partners. Understanding the “why” behind your training allows for clarity in “how” to avoid missteps and self-doubt. Trusting the process builds confidence that your training will allow you to execute your race-day strategy successfully. It also prevents you from making ill-advised and impulsive training decisions. MAINTAIN PERSPECTIVE Endurance training is not for the weak minded. There are countless distractions along the road to consistent fitness. The newest soft tissue mobilization ball, roller, or gun; the latest cryotherapy gadget or laser; the carbon fiber insoles or dynamic arch support orthotics; the next-gen compression tights or sequential compression boots; the comprehensive, laser-guided gait assessment tool. While the field(s) of sports medicine has advanced greatly over the past decades, contributing meaningful and significant performance enhancing aids (e.g. Nike 4%), many gadgets, gizmos, and treatments are more of a distraction to the athlete (and the clinician for that matter) than a help to the process. This is no truer than when dealing with an injury or setback in training. Just because cortisone helps in mediating the inflammatory process does not mean it is an appropriate treatment approach for plantar fasciopathy. However, to the athlete who desperately wants to train and complete their upcoming race the allure of a ‘quick fix’ is all too enticing. In contrast, the athlete who maintains their perspective recognizes that while their injury may describe their current readiness to train status it does not define their ability or potential as a _____ (insert runner, triathlete, athlete). Do not fall for the easy or the over-hyped – there is no hack or quick-fix. Maintain your perspective. HAVE A SEASONAL APPROACH The end of the triathlon racing season just happens to also be the start of fall marathon season. The temptation for many is to immediately transition from one to the other. It can also be tempting to go from race to race, maintaining a high degree of volume and intensity in training. However, we would be wise to consider that even our environments and climates follow a seasonal approach. The brilliant green leaves of spring and summer give way to the myriad of fall colors before finally transitioning to a resting state throughout winter. Even with deep roots a seasonal approach which allows for physical, mental, and social rest is necessary. However, this does not mean complete rest. Instead, it may mean easier efforts, lower volume, a transition from running to cycling, or an increase in strength training. It may also mean more time for family and friends, a renewed emphasis on sleep and active recovery, or enjoying other hobbies. Having a seasonal approach to training and racing brings you full circle, helping to maintain balance and foster consistent, daily training.
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June is nearly over and the 2019 racing season in full swing. Summer is here! Regardless of your race calendar your training is likely beginning to increase in continuity, frequency, and intensity. Preparing for a successful race season is built around effective reflection over the past racing season(s) and training you’ve already put forth, as well as planning and preparing for upcoming sessions and races (e.g. is your training appropriate, are you balancing workload appropriately, are you preparing for success or injury).
However, by working with endurance athletes throughout the injury to performance spectrum each year I witness first-hand the physical, psychological, and mental toll injury, fatigue, and ineffective training strategies take on athletes. Rather than racing many find themselves asking ‘why me’ when dealing with a mid-season injury, sinking into a self-destructive cycle of blame, confusion, and, for some, even depression. Before you find yourself too far into your training and racing season take a moment to reflect and ensure you are positioning yourself for a strong, healthy, and successful race season. What is your ‘why’? Establishing your goals, or your ‘why’, may be one of the most important steps to race season success. Are you looking to podium or to finish? Are you ‘training’ or are you ‘exercising’? How will you measure your success? Considering your established time commitments (i.e. family, work, social, community) and your ability to train (i.e. total training hours, availability of a pool or open water, indoor vs. outdoor bike training, inclement weather) will allow you to set realistic, and achievable, goals. Additionally, taking time to intentionally consider your athletic and competition history is beneficial. While past training volume and duration, race success, and experience can be strong predictors of training boundaries and potential they often do not provide a 30,000 ft. view of all the variables. Keep in mind your commitments, goals, and overall ability to meet the demands of training. Additionally, consulting a coach or licensed healthcare provider who specializes in working with endurance athletes can provide additional perspective regarding training load, injury prevention, and time management. Are you organized? If you have not already cleaned out last season’s transition bag now is a good time to do so. However, organization goes beyond mere clutter and cleaning. Getting organized physically, mentally, psychologically, etc. is an important step to ensure race season success. Triathlon, unlike any other endurance sport, will find and exploit any limits you may have, leaving you feeling deflated and vulnerable. What are your limiting factors (i.e. opportunities for development) – strength, endurance, motor control, mental fortitude, mid-race gastrointestinal distress, chronic injuries, etc.? Preparing for and racing in 3 unique and demanding disciplines (swim, bike, run) requires an organized neuromusculoskeletal system. If you struggle to maintain wobble-free single leg stance for >30 sec. on each leg then you are significantly increasing your risk for injury as your training progresses and the season begins (Remember - in its simplest form running is controlled and intentional hopping from one leg to the other in a wobble-free and balanced manner). The running portion of triathlon is the final leg and often will determine your overall success. Be honest! A wobble now in the privacy of your home is a race-altering injury or tissue break down mid-run come race season. How will you handle injury? Unfortunately, for endurance athletes, regardless of professional or age-group status, racing and competing is inherently fraught with injury. It is not a question of “if” but “when”, followed by “how” – how will you handle your injury? Ignoring or pushing through pain related to actual, or even potential, tissue injury could have long-term, deleterious effects. However, pushing through muscle aches and training soreness is par for the course. If you’re going to race long-course triathlon or obtain a BQ (Boston qualifier) you will need to callus the mind – i.e. you will need to learn to train with a degree of discomfort. Understanding your individual and unique pain experience is crucial for training and racing success. And when you sustain an injury the proactive approach is always superior. Whether you are dealing with a BSI (bone stress injury), tendinopathy, muscle strain, or various other forms of acute on chronic or reactive injuries “pushing through” rarely results in quality training or success. Rather, consulting with a performance coach or healthcare professional who is uniquely aware of the demands endurance training and racing places on the body is the first step toward recovery and a return to performance. How will you measure success? When the race is over or the 2019 season ends it can be challenging to acknowledge our successes and failures. While there may be multiple variables at play, perhaps the one which is easiest to fix is ensuring you have established measurable and accountable goals from the start. How will you measure success? Is success only attained if you meet your pre-season goals? What if injury side-lined you for the majority of the season? Is the entire year a waste? By establishing multiple goals, through a variety of perspectives, you increase the likelihood of achieving your personal definition of success. It would be impossible to plan for every variable at the beginning of the season (e.g. injury, family commitments, work and travel responsibilities, vacations). Instead, prepare now to honestly assess how you will measure your success at the end of the season. Example goals:
While some of the goals are summative others are formative. Establishing an AG result or qualification standard may be their measure of success. Others may work to reduce their risk of injury. Whatever your goals, ensure you approach them with honesty and a measure of reality, keeping in mind all of the variables that will contribute to or reduce your potential for success. If you would like more information on any specific topic, have questions regarding training, coaching or rehabilitation, or have other concerns please feel free to contact me. Wishing you healthy, smart and successful training and racing! joel@trexopt.com |
AuthorJoel Sattgast is a physical therapist, performance coach, assistant professor of physical therapy, a Dad, husband, and an athlete. All posts are related to evidence, opinions and thoughts regarding various performance and rehabilitation topics. |