Injuries

TRAINING INJURIES

When training for an Ironman or other kind of endurance sports disciplines, there will always be a risk of injuries. It is something we take very seriously in Uperform Coaching. We always do our best to keep close contact with our athletes, so we can try to avoid injuries, but it is important for us that the athlete listen to their own body, because they can feel if something is wrong or if the body gives a sign of something that isn’t right. Uperform Coaching working with active restitution, so normally you will have a week focusing on restitution between the hard training blocks.

When we a talking about the injuries, then we work with primary two types of injuries.

• Acute injuries

• Overuse injuries

 

ACUTE INJURIES

Acute injuries are something that happened abruptly and you can define the exact time and/or reason. Whereas overuse injuries are often something there is hard to define and it can be difficult to figure out when and how it comes, but normally the reason could be one of these:

• Too much or wrong training

• Too fast progression in the training

• Not enough restitution

• Lack of variations in training (ex. The ground you are running at)

• Lack of planning

• Bad equipment

• Ex. damaged or old running shoes

 

OVERUSE INJURIES

Overuse injuries are often a combination of different elements from the list above and overuse injuries can also be the reason for acute injuries because of lack of concentration in the training.

It is important to take all kind of injures very seriously. It is something we are handling with highly focus at Uperform Coaching, since it is something that can damage the athletes for long time. So, we are always schedule the training for our athletes due to any injuries or similar upcoming damages of the body. It is something that is important for us, so we can guarantee the athlete the best recovery training after an injury. At Uperform Coaching we are working with training focusing on strengthen the body so it can absorb the hard training sessions without any damages on the body. It is important that the athletes are aware of the signal from the body. Some injuries can be treated and other injuries can be trained away with easy and right training. There is a lot of different ways to treat an injury, but it is important to take it easy and get the right treatment. Massage, physiotherapy, acupuncture and so on, are some of the ways to treat the injuries.

PRICEM 

If you get an acute injury, then we recommend following based on the PRICEM principle:

-     P - Protect

-     R –Rest

-     I –Ice

-     C –Compression (Important and should be done immediately)

-     E –Elevation

-     M –Mobilization

If you get an injury it is important to go to a doctor or someone who can help with the treatment as fast as possible. We are recommend stopping or adjust the training down until the injury is gone. If you get a running injury, then you can focus on the bike, swim, core etc. instead.

If you get injured, then we have a cooperation with FysioOnline.dk

Tests

WHY WE USE TESTS?

We are testing all our athletes at Uperform for many reasons. First of all, we need to know the strength and weakness for each individual athlete and we need to know the exact and individual training zones to avoid injuries and to secure the right training and intensity. We are working with individual training zones based on the test results for all our athletes. The test result can and will also be used to control the training effect and to manage the progression in the training due to the capacity of the body due to restitution. It’s also possible to use the test to show the results of the training.

At Uperform Coaching we believe that the best way of testing the athletes is to test the athlete in each discipline. We believe the fundament for the training is very important to calculate the right training zones, so using a bike test to calculate the running zones will give some wrong zones. The right zones will be made by using the results from the running test to calculate the running zones, the results from the swim test to calculate the swim zones etc.  There can be a huge difference in the result from discipline to discipline. A strong runner can push herself much more on the run than on the bike, so that will give different training zones for those two disciplines.

WHEN DO WE TEST?

As already wrote, we are testing all our athletes, when we start coaching. We are testing to secure the right zones, but also to find the true strength and weakness, because sometimes an athlete feels they are strong on the run, but when we test we can see that it’s the bike and so on. The test results make a strong fundament for our coaching. We can also test our athletes to see the progression in the training and how they adapt the training. It is very individual how often we are testing. But it’s important to test the athlete, when we think there is a difference in the body performance, because then it’s time to get the training zones updated.

It’s always hard to compare two tests, because there are so many things that have an impact on the result. You need a laboratory if you should have two comparable tests, but we don’t expect that from our athletes. So, we are aware of all the elements that can have an influence on the test, but the most important for us is to keep it simple. We know that weather, equipment, motivation, restitution etc. have an impact on the results. So that’s why we are keeping it simple. We always try to make the same kind of test, so we can compare the results. That means that we don’t make the running test on a hilly course the first time and then on a flat course next time, because that will have a huge influence on the results.

There are many ways of reporting the results of the test. It can be as heart rate zone, running pace, watt etc. It all depends on the equipment for each athlete. So in Uperform we are working with all kind of athletes no matter what kind of equipment they have. As standard we are using a traditional 20 min. test on the bike and run, because it’s easy and hard at the same time. It’s a good way to get the results, because most of our athletes can run in 20 min and all of them can ride for 20 min and then it is “easy” to compare the result from one period to another period. We know it is both physical and mental hard to do a test, so we always planning with restitution before and after each test.

Strength training for runners

STRENGHT TRAINING FOR RUNNERS  

Strength training for runners have to focus point, building strength at the stabilizing muscles and prevent injuries. Runners and triatletes who have trained for a longer period know the feeling in the end of a long run or competition. The body feels weak and the legs feels heavy. That is one of the reasons for doing strength training as a supplement, so you can be stronger in the end of your run.

In a major perspective there are two different types of strength training. The strength training with focus on the primary muscles and the training for all the stabilizing muscles. In this short view we will focus on the stabilizing muscles, because it can be hard to train these muscles in a traditional run. So we have made a short inspiration-video with some exampels of exercises. The video will introduce you to relevant exercise and they are all easy to do. All the exercises will make you stronger in the stabilizing muscles for running so you will be a stronger runner.

It is also important to do som core training. You can find inspiration in another blog post here on the site.

Strength for runners should be seen as a supplement to traditional run and not as a substitute. There are a lot of benefits by combine streght training with your run, but the frequency of the strength training depends on a lot of factors like ”where are you in your season”, ”your fitness level”, ”do you have any injuries” etc. 

We recommend to have a speciel focus on the strenght training in general in offseason or if you want to start building up the fundamental strenght in your body for running to prevent injuries. 

Training for your big dream?

Training for your big dream?

At Uperform Coaching it is important that our athletes have a goal they want to achieve with their training. It can be everything between a specific time on an Ironman to lose some weight. We can help no matter what kind of goal you have for your training.

The reason behind having a goal is that we know it will and can be a motivation factor and driver for your daily training. If you can’t see the meaning with the training, then it can be hard to push yourself and keep up the motivation for the specific training block. So, we are talking a lot with our athletes about their dreams in the sport, because that give us an idea about what drives each athlete. That also give us the opportunity to help the athlete in the best way of setting ambitious and realistic goals.

We have talked with a lot of athletes, who have very high ambitions and goals, but when we look at their historic training schedule, it doesn’t match each other. The most often scenario is that the restitution is underestimated. The athletes are training a lot of hours and they are training with full power in a lot of their training blocks. That is often a mistake, because the body need to relax and have time to build up the body system and be in balance to increase the performance.

At Uperform Coaching we are focusing a lot of patience and we talk with mostly all our athletes about being patient. It is important that the athletes know the value of patience if they want to have a great experience leading up to fulfill their goals. If they aren’t patience then the risk of injuries increase, because we are stressing the body for no reason. It can also be very demotivating if the body doesn’t response like you want or you don’t have enough energy for the specific training because of lack in the energy. That can be very frustrating, so all athletes must be patience, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stress the body, because you need to stress the body sometime, but you also need to give the body some time afterwards to build up itself again. It is important for us at Uperform Coaching that the athletes always know why they are doing what they do in the specific training, so we have close dialog with all our athletes. We have the close dialogue to secure that we have the best opportunities to achieve the goals for each of our athletes.

We are often in dialogue with our athletes about their ambitious goals and dreams, but we are aware of that the goal need to be realistic. I some situations we need to start focusing on a small goal on the way to the big goal, which often is the smartest way to achieve the big goal. It’s important for us that the athletes are dedicated and we know the athletes are more dedicated when the goal have been set by them self. We will always do our best to motivate and inspire each single athlete to reach their goal no matter what kind of goal they are setting. In the end it is totally up to the athlete to reach the target to fulfill their dream and their big goal, so it is important that the goal is something that have a meaning for them, so they get the willingness to fight for succeed.

We often meet athletes who have very high ambitious and want to achieve their goals very fast. That is the reason for pointing out patience as a key factor, because we know you are more likely to succeed if you are patient and have a little respect to the goal you want to achieve. We love the high ambitious but it should also be realistic without going on compromise. We can make results on the short term, but it is with a higher risk and it is not the best way to increase the long-term perspective in the sport. We want to make sure that the goals have been set with a meaning for the athlete and not by anyone else around them. Because in the end it will always be up to the athletes about being a success or not. The athlete need to take the responsibility for their goal and be dedicated and willing to fight for it.

We are often working with smaller goals on the way to the big goals for our athletes. It could be in some specific training session or in a monthly test or something similar it depends on the athlete. All the smaller goals should secure some success for the athletes on their way to the big goal, but also indicate the strength and weaknesses on the way for the big goals, so we can adjust focus and the training plans.

If you have a dream or a big goal you want to achieve then remember to be patient. It is all about patience and the right amount of training.

If you are ready to go for the big dream, then let us know. We will always do our best to help you reaching your goal and we have a lot of experience with all kind of athletes.

It's race week - 10 things to remember

ITS RACE WEEK - TEN THINGS TO REMEMBER

You have used tons of training time to prepare for the big race of the season. So the last preparation should be done in the last week leading up to the race, but it's important to keep the focus and not stress about anything. You should be in control and balance with yourself, which can be very difficult in the days leading up to the big race. We have made some advice for the last week leading up to the race, because we know a lot of people are getting nervous and feeling stress about the race, which is totally normal.

1.   RESTITUTION

Sleep a bit more than normal and keep the legs up and in general relax as much as possible. Take a break and don’t stress.

 

2.   MASSAGE

It’s good idea to get some massage in race week. It is good for both the body and mind. You can just let your partner or a good friend give you some relaxing massage or you can let a professional do it.

3.   HEALTHY FOOD

Eat vegetable and make sure that you get the essential carbohydrates and protein. If you eat some meat, then eat chicken, turkey or fish, don’t eat red meat in the days leading up to the race. Don’t drink alcohol.

4.   EQUIPMENT

Get the equipment in control in the first days of the week to secure you have time for bad surprises.

5.   NUTRITION

Make a clear plan for your nutrition based on your learnings in the training period. Write the plan down so you can be relaxed about having it under control.

6.   TRAINING

Stick to you training plan and don’t train more than the plan. Don’t panic, because you can’t make any physical difference the last week.

7.  RACE PLAN

Make a clear race plan and go through it a lot of times in the race week, so you know exactly what you will do if you get a puncture, missing some energy etc. That will make it easier not making bad decisions on race day.

8.   TIME

Don’t think about the finisher time, because there are so many outside factors you can’t control. You should focus on the intensity and follow you mind and body as planned.

9.   TRANSITION ZONES.

Go through transitions zones as part of your raceplan. Look at the transition map and make some points in your head that you can remember to secure the fastest way to your bike/bags and out of the zones.

10. CAFFEINE

Stay away from caffeine the last couple of days leading up to the race. Take a cup of coffee on race morning to get the full effect of the caffeine. (It can also help to get on the toilet so the stomach is ready for the race)

You have trained so much in a long period and you are ready.

The most important is to enjoy the race and have fun.

Triathlon checklist

CHECKLIST
 

Our checklist includes all you need for swimming, biking and running through your competition plus optional gear.

We all know that we need a lot of gear for a triathlon competition, so we recommend all our athletes to make their own checklists, so their secure to remember everything on race day. We recommend to start packing all the gear in good time, so you not miss anything on race day.

You should always have tested your gear before race day. Don’t bring new and untested gear to race day. Test your bike the day before check-in and check your tri-suit, shoes, energy etc. in the time leading up to the event. Remember you have a lot of opportunities to test your gear through your training. You have trained so much for the specific event, so not testing the gear would be stupid. The most important for race day is that you have a fantastic day, so keep in mind that everything you can do before the event is valuable on race day, so you can keep the focus on the race.

BEFORE THE RACE

• Training clothes and ekstra shoes

• Energy products

• Sunscreen

• Towel to the transition zone

• Toilet paper

• Big bag for wet clothes if you don’t get one at the event.

• GPS watch and heartrate monitor

• Tape, rubber band and safety pins

• Transition zone map and a paper with important notes for the event

• Bag for all the equipment (if you don’t get one at the event=

• License and registration papers for check-in (Raceinfo)

DURING THE RACE

SWIM

• Tri-suit (or tights and top)

• Wetsuit/Speedsuit/Swimskin

• Googles and an extra pair of back-up googles.

• Swim cap and an extra back-up swim cap

• Earplugs and nose clip (If you use it)

• Bath oil, Vaseline, bodyglide etc.

• Timing chip and Velcro

• Flip flops to use before the start

BIKE

• Bike

• Race belt and start number

• Bike helmet

• Bike shoes

• Socks

• Bottles + Energy (Gels, saltsticks, bars etc.)

• Sunglasses

• Cycling gloves

• Tire levers

• Pump (+ CO2 patron)

• Footpump

• Multitool

• Extra tubes

• Opt. Rubber band for the bike shoes

• Opt. strips / tape

RUN

• Running shoes

• Cap or visor

• Extra socks or compression-socks

• Sunglasses

• Energyproducts

• Race belt with start number (if you don’t have it from the bike part)

AFTER THE RACE

• Towel

• Clean clothes (maybe some warm clothes)

• Compressions socks

• Opt. Protein shake/bar or some food and drinks if you don’t get it at the race venue.

Core training for triathletes

CORE TRAINING FOR TRIATHLETES

Strength training (especially for the core) is important for all kind of triathletes. You need to work with your core no matter what level you are as a triathlete. Core training can be scale due to the period and season of your training, but it is an important training for all kind of triathletes.

It is much easier for you to keep the right technique in swimming, biking and running if you have a strong core. In addition, core training helps to reduce the injury risk and at the same time, it is a good supplement to all three disciplines.

Uperform Coaching have made a short training program focusing on the core and body stability. It’s a program you can do everywhere. You should only work with your own bodyweight and then you can make the breaks between each exercise shorter to make it more challenging and to secure a progression in your core training. We recommend to work with the core on a continuously basis. You should implement it on weekly basis, for the optimal effect.

Below you can see a short inspiration video with some relevant exercises. They are easy to implement in the weekly training program and it is important so say, that it is not necessary to do it for long time each time, but 2-3 times a week in 15-20 min can make a huge difference.

You can work with the breaks between each exercise when you getting more experienced. That would make it more challenging and uplift your body to the next level in a slowly and safe way. It is important to start easily so you don’t push the body to much from the start.

And again. Remember it is really helpful to reduce the risk of injuries.

Swim excercises

SWIM EXERCISES (DRYLAND) 

Dryland training is good for the flexibility and the strength in the shoulder and main muscles. Uperform Coaching have made some videos as inspiration for dryland exercises. Some of them are good for opening up the shoulder and breast, and some of them are focusing on specific muscles and techniques there are essential for a strong swim. You can do all the exercises with a simple training elastic, but you can also use an elastic like StrechCordz with swim paddels on. The most important is the elastic not are too hard because the you may be injured if you don’t make the exercises right and if the elastic is to easy then you will not get the optimal effect of the exercise. Therefore, you need to find an elastic for your level.

It is important to say, that dryland training cannot stand alone and it cannot replace normal swim training. Dryland training is a good supplement to the normal swim training.