What should a triathlete do in the winter?
With the coming of shorter days, colder weather and the winter holidays, the triathlon season is officially over (i.e. the “off season” or “transition season” as I like to call it)…well, at least for most of us. As a triathlon coach, the number one question I get from the athletes I coach is, “What do I do now?” There are a number of things to do this winter in order the balance the need for: Downtime from the current racing season to avoid burnout, refresh mentally and recover from any lingering injuries and Carrying over and further developing an...
Read MoreIllness then anxiety: I miss my exercise
I miss my exercise. What started out as a mild flu after traveling over the holidays progressed to bronchitis then finally a stomach virus over a two week period. Feeling “sick” was not the worst part about being sick. Rather, it was the feelings of anxiety, being in a bad mood and feeling overwhelmed that came about (presumably) from not exercising that made being sick unbearable. There are many research studies touting the association of exercise with reduced anxiety1, improved life satisfaction2 and improved mood3 so it makes sense that the opposite holds true — taking...
Read MoreTime to take a break from structured triathlon training?
I hazard to guess that burnout is common in the sport of triathlon (and likely other sports as well), especially if you’ve been in them for a while and have made them a priority in your life. Sports psychologist Radecke defines burnout as a “withdrawal…noted by a reduced sense of accomplishment, devaluation/resentment of sport, and physical/psychological exhaustion.” So there’s both a physical and psychological component to burnout to differentiate it from over training, which is more physical. Although the symptoms of burnout are unique to each athlete, a good way to tell...
Read MoreThe End of a Triathlon Season or an Athlete’s Racing Career?
I make my living in the sport of triathlon, not as an athlete, but as a coach and event director for the Luray Triathlon and She Does Tri Camps for Women. I started racing as a triathlete in 1995 and have completed something more than 100 triathlons including 28 Ironman-distance events since then. If you believe in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s model from Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, it takes either learning new skills and performing increasing challenges (e.g. getting faster, placing higher in a big race, etc) to continue to obtain true enjoyment from an...
Read MoreIntramuscular Manual Therapy AKA Trigger Point Dry Needling
My body is full of trigger points – tiny little contractions in my muscles that feel like “knots” and are often tender to the touch – especially in my legs. Trigger points develop in a muscle when it is injured or overworked. Trigger points can also cause pain elsewhere. An avid triathlete since 1995, I’ve logged thousands of training hours training for 26 Ironman-distance triathlons plus dozens of other races. I’ve also crashed multiple times on my bike and fallen just as many times running. Consequently, some of my trigger points have probably been...
Read MoreStrength Training for Triathletes: Yes or No?
One of my clients asked me about strength training this week: I have been doing these exercises with max weight at about 6-8 reps to build power this off season: Hip Abductors Leg Press Squats Calf raises Knee extension Hamstrings What are your thoughts and suggestions around these leg exercises? Should I not be doing these or is it too much? I responded: Those are good overall leg strength exercises. I would also include adductors (opposing motion to abductors). I like squats better than leg presses because you have to stabilize your body more vs. just following the line of motion of...
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