Back to Workouts, Post Concussion

Contributed by: Sue Strong, Erica's Wish, Founder and Race Director

You see it in the news, on tv and all over the web. Sports athletes with concussions. Hockey players and head injuries. Kids on bikes, skateboards and rollerblades not wearing helmets. All these scenario’s can lead to one thing.. a concussion. Everyone has heard about concussions, most people know what they are but what do you really know aside from “a really bad head injury/headache”.

How many times have you heard the word CONCUSSION and always thought, “thats awful”. You hear that bright lights and noises really affect those with a concussion but can you actually imagine it?  I had the honour shall we say, of having a first hand experience. This is one experience I would like to avoid again.  Concussions have many degrees. Mine luckily enough was considered mild. One would think, ok not so bad. Well, any degree of a concussion is considered bad. A concussion is a traumatic brain injury. From hiding in a dark room for 5 weeks to the exhaustion and the migrane that never leaves, it seems like eternity. You do what the doctor says, rest. You really don’t have a choice. Your body naturally wants to sleep, A LOT. That is the upside. The downside is of course all the symptoms and the pain that goes along with it. It is a very scary injury and one that should never be taken lightly. This is one injury that often goes undiagnosed unfortunately. I personally saw three doctors and an ER before being properly diagnosed.

The doctor tells you to rest and you do. The headaches and numerous symptoms start to dissipate and you think “Great, I am back!”. Sad but true the healing doesn’t end there. I am a runner. Your average run of the mill runner but none the less a runner. No one warned me that the first step out the door would actually hurt. That my heart rate would race so high that I physically could not run. That these symptoms would actually take months to dissapear. Its a strange feeling. I was not sad like when you take time off of exercise and you have lost your fitness; my fitness was taken from me. I was more aware of the extent of this injury and the seriousness of it. It took close to six months before I could run again. I literally had to start by walking. Its a surreal feeling of having the athletic side of you taken away and starting from scratch again but it certainly makes you appreciate life. It shows you that life can change in a minute. I learned alot from that injury and so did everyone around me. Whenever possible, take precautions so you do not end up with a head injury. If you do, listen to your body. Do not try to come back to a regular routine before you are ready. You will know when you are ready. Your brain is a magical organ that will literally shut you down until you are healed.

Here is my advice for anyone post head injury:

1.  If you have a persistant headache, feel nauseous, dizzy or lightheaded, get to a doctor.

2.  If decision making seems impossible (more so that on a normal day), get to a doctor

3.  If you have any issues with your eyesight, get to a doctor.

If your doctor dismisses you, listen to your body and seek another opinion. You know yourself best! Make sure you protect yourself and your loved ones whenever possible by ways of helmets to lessen the chance of brain injuries. You only have one brain, take care of it!

Getting Over the Post-Event Blues

Contributed by: Sue Strong, Erica's Wish, Founder and Race Director

You have trained for months. You have dreamt about the start line, the finish line, the course and the medal. You have visualized crossing that finish line and receiving your well deserved medal. You can see yourself at the start line, nervous but telling yourself that ‘you can do this’.  You know you can, you trained for it. This is all you have thought of for months. What happens when it is done? When you wake up the next day and your scheduled workout doesn’t need to happen because recovery IS essential. All you can think is “what do I do now?”.

This is a very good question. Most athletes go through the post event blues if they do not have a plan in place. You have been so preoccupied by your event that you forgot to figure out what you are doing post event.  The best way to deal with this is to be prepared. You know you are going to go through it, its almost impossible not to but if you have a plan in place, you won’t feel as bad.

Here are some tips to alleviate the blues:

1.  First off you MUST plan for some recovery. A great time to fit in a massage or yoga.

2.  Set up a new goal plan for the coming year. Make sure you plan it out that you have your smaller events and a lead up to your main goal.

3.  Have a friend get involved and sign up too. Training is always easier with a friend. (so is being accountable)

4.  You should have some time before your events begin so set up a proper training plan. Include cross training, strength training, stretching/yoga and endurance workouts. Plan your schedule around your goal events. Make sure you have taper weeks to allow for recovery.

5.  Try something new! Now is a great time to try a new workout or sport that you have wanted to get involved in. You don’t have to worry that it may affect your goal as you have accomplished it. Have fun!

6.  BE PROUD. You have accomplished something you worked hard for. Don’t just dismiss it as being done. You have accomplished something that many have not.

7.  Most of all, take time to thank those that have been there for you. There’s a pretty good chance that you have not been as attentive as you were pre-training. Thank your family and friends that have put up with your crazy schedule. Their support was a big part of your training.

Plan. Train. Achieve. Enjoy.

Off Season Training for Triathlon

Contributed by: Eric D’Arcy, Multisport Coach at Absolute Endurance Training and Therapy

As I started to write this, there was an unusual chill in the air, and then I realized that there are only a few weeks left in the Canadian triathlon season....eek, it can’t be, it seems like it just started last week.  Yes, these are the words uttered by many, if not all, triathletes at this time of the year.  But that’s okay, because it will give us a chance to regroup, refocus and get our energy back to face the next season.

The off season is a time of mixed emotions.  It’s a time when we wish we could continue racing and focus on hard training, but it’s also time when we can analyze our past season and say “That was amazing!” or “I am going to focus on improving this sport” or “Now I can spend some quality time with friends and family.”

So what do you do now?  Now is a time to take a well-deserved break from not only the intensity of racing, but the build you did into the race season and for some of you, that may have started last December. This is a great time to relax, sleep, catch up and spend time with your friends and family, who supported you through your season, or who (not necessarily on purpose) got ignored.  This doesn’t mean sitting on the couch for the next 5 months with a bag of chips and catching up on your favourite shows (although a bit of that would be good for you), but it does mean minimizing the number of hours training.  It’s time to get out there and do something different.  Go hiking, try yoga or a Pilates class, do a short distance fun run (start by checking out Get Out There's calendar for upcoming races in your area), go for a non-structured bike ride with the family in the country to watch the leaves change.  As the snow starts to come down, go skiing, snowboarding, skating or snowshoeing. 

Work on your weakness(es).  The off-season is a great time to focus on your technique, be it for swimming, biking or running. Don’t feel you have to swim big distances, work on getting that technique down instead.  Short technique/drill based sessions in the pool will give you bigger gains at this time, rather than putting in big distance with a sloppy stroke.  Have your run gait analyzed by a qualified person.  Working on a more efficient stride and higher cadence, will not only give you a faster run, but could minimize the chances of injury.  For biking, more time in the saddle at a lower intensity, working on pedalling technique and/or cadence work may be the answer.  This may also be the time you want to get a bike fit done at a reputable bike fitter or bike shop. 

Get pumped up!!! This is a great chance to get into the gym and do some strength training.  Now I'm not talking Arnie style here, but specific triathlon strength training, that will build the muscles that you are using, especially your core, which will help you swim smoother, stand taller and drive those legs on the run, and, hold a better position and breathe better while in your aero bars.

Plan, plan, plan!  Now is the time to plan out your next season’s racing schedule.  Maybe this is the year you plan on attempting a new distance, more races or going for gold!  Put a good plan in place, generally with shorter races leading up to your bigger distances.  This could also be the season where you find a coach who can not only help you plan your season, but help you achieve your goals in a strategic, logical and safe way. Not only do you want to work on your race season, but take a look at the often overlooked nutrition plan.  I'm not talking only your race day nutrition, but your day-to-day nutrition that helps build you into the machine you are or want to be.  For this, I recommend finding a good nutritionist who understands you and the sport.

Whatever your off-season plans are, relax and enjoy....Now, I think this is the season I FINALLY learn to snowboard!