STAYING INJURY AND ILLNESS FREE RIGHT BEFORE YOUR “A” RACE
“Get in your bubble.” After my FOURTH major injury/illness before my “A” race, this was a phrase my husband starting using. A lot. Two days before my very first Ironman in 2007, I caught a nasty bug and took to the starting line with a fever and one helluva upper respiratory infection. In 2009, five weeks before I was suppose to race Ironman Lake Placid, I crashed coming off my bike at Mooseman doing a new dismount that I had not practiced enough. I had a wonky head, grade 2 left ankle sprain and was out of the game. In 2010, the doozy of them all, as I was exiting the water of a ridiculously dangerous swim leg, I literally filleted my right foot open on sharp rocks and muscle shells exposing soft-tissue and cutting apart the plantar fascia four weeks before what I thought would be a Kona-qualifying race for me in Lake Placid. I had a devastating, immobilizing injury that had many doctors question whether I would ever run competitively again (I showed them!!). In 2011, a week before what actually WAS my Kona-qualifying race, I sliced my finger open on a bread knife requiring stitches and forcing me out of the pool.
All of the above accidents/injuries/illnesses could have been prevented had I gotten in my bubble. As a pro, I have a slight advantage in that I don’t have to sign up a year in advance for the big races, the ones that sell out instantly. I can add my name to the roster a couple weeks before race day. If something doesn’t feel right or if, God-for-bid, I get injured, I can just sign up for the next one. Age groupers don’t have that luxury. For MOST of the Ironman races and some of the other big races, like Rev3 Quassy or Alcatraz, you need to register months and some times a year in advance. This means, if you are injured right before your race, you pretty much don’t have another option. Staying injury and illness free is something we all want and there are definitely things you can do to prevent any roadblocks from a perfect “A” race. One would think staying healthy and ready to go is simple- just don’t do anything STUPID. However, the definition pre-race “stupidity” can vary from person to person. And if you tend to be accident prone, “stupid” can be quite an extensive list. I have jotted down some things that have come to my mind over the last few years in my experience with all the ridiculous accidents I COULD HAVE prevented and listening to some of my friends’ horror stories.
1. Carrier monkeys, they’re EVERYWHERE!! As I get further into the training and racing season, AND ESPECIALLY the weeks prior to a big race, I take an immune-boosting supplement every day. My friends and family also know that if they or any of their family members have been sick, they better give me the heads up if I will be coming in contact with them. And if they are just realizing this now in reading my blog…well…I love you, but keep your germs to yourself. I avoid large crowds and DO NOT touch my face or mucus membranes with dirty hands. If a spouse or child in your household is sick, be fastidious with wiping down doorknobs and handles and ask them to use a tissue when coughing/sneezing. When it comes to germs, just act like EVERYONE you come in contact with has a deadly-disease. You never know what someone might be harboring.
2. Stick to the plan, man! For the most part, no two athletes have the same training plan. If your buddy says he/she is heading out for a five-hour hammerfest six days before the race and that is NOT part of your plan, wish them well and leave it at that. Do not question your training. Do not be tempted to go outside of the plan and tag along with someone else for an effort that is beyond what you have on the schedule. Firstly, you have no idea what he/she has been doing during the weeks/months leading up to the race- so you might be thinking, “Ack, they are working so much harder then me.” However- maybe they have slacked off up until this point, or done too much or their training plan is just simply different! Doesn’t matter, eyes on your own paper, son! And secondly, you have done your work-- the hay is in the barn. You are not going to gain any fitness with only a few days left before the big day.
3. Accidents, incidents, hazards and injuries…No, no, no and NO THANKS!! Your daughter or son wants you to go out and play a couple tennis matches, no harm, right? Body surfing sesh at the beach… Completely innocent, no?!? That tennis match can result in a turned ankle and you could take a face plant or shoulder dislocation from being tossed around in an unruly wave. When talking about otherwise completely innocent extracurricular activities, unless it is folding laundry, I highly recommend you use extreme caution with everything you do, especially using sharp objects! I am so careful, that I even exit the pool cautiously (stairs versus hoisting up over the edge). Everything is hazardous in my eyes and I treat it that way. I walk slowly and cautiously, I take the stairs one at a time, and I drive like a nervous teenager… anything to reduce the risk of an “incident”.
4. “Don’t try anything new on race day.” We have heard this a million times. And yet a lot of us STILL try something new on race day! I had done flying dismounts a couple times in training. I thought I had the hang of it, until I crashed coming off my bike at Mooseman and the only thing flying was me- head first into the crowd barrier. Anything that will be worn, consumed, or executed prior to or on race day should not be new. Your race plan, transitioning, even water bottle exchanges should all be practiced well before the race. If you have the ability to prepare your own food the day before the race, it is strongly suggested. Food poisoning from the pre-race dinner out at the local restaurant is something that at least two of my friends have experienced. Having a dairy allergy, I am VERY cautious and distrustful of anything presented to me. If I do not have a kitchen available, I ask to personally speak with the chef when ordering out. Trying out a new nutrition plan on race day is just plain asinine. Don’t let your stomach and slightly delirious mental state persuade you into inhaling the buffet of cookies, pretzels, chicken broth, chips, etc. that can be found at some longer race course aid stations if this was not part of your regular nutrition in other races or what you used in training. Even your nutrition belt should be nice and worn in- it may present chafing that you wouldn’t have imagined. Wearing a camelback for fluids on the bike or run? Well you better have used it a lot on those longer rides/runs. Running from the beach while trying to peel a wetsuit off, flying dismounts, running while putting a hat, sunglasses, race belt, etc. on—all things that should be practiced prior to racing as they can all present trip hazards if you are clumsy and unsure.
My hope for you is that you can toe the line completely healthy and ready to go. Just make sure you give careful thought to all that you do right before race day!! Race hard, my friends J {C}