Irritable Triathlete Sydrome: TWENTY Ways to Handle Injuries & Continue Dominating

Being a triathlete makes you feel like you have superpowers. She swims…she bikes…she RUNS!  Your friends and family don’t often get along but they can agree here: We can’t stop her, we can only contain her!

And then you get injured.

There goes your master season plan you built six months ago. You know the one that you drew up one night, and then dropped over $500 registering over the next 24 hours? The ones you told all your friends you were doing? The ones you can’t race anymore?

[Cue Sound of Toilet Flushing]

Not all is lost. Every year I see athletes come down with injuries that interrupt their training but don’t end their life as they know it. The key is being able to refocus, to shift your goals and energy to a new intermediary set of milestones that will get you back on track.

You might not be able to salvage your entire season, but you can certainly come back stronger than ever.  Here are a variety of options for you; the “right” one might vary based on your current situation/injury, so be sure to scan them all.

If you like these tips, please pass them on to your training partners and friends!

1. Take a break — Your body/mind just might need a rest. Start with 7 days and continue adding a day up until 14 days when you feel human again.
2. Drop the run and aquabike — You can still race!
3. Convert your entry into a relay team and recruit some friends to do the sport(s) you can’t.
4. Find a great physical therapist to help you out.
5. Use this as a chance to identify an A.R.T. or chiropractor in your area who can help.
6. Scan your training gear to see if old or faulty or poorly fit equipment is to blame.
7. Research some self-care options to see if you can start getting better instantly: www.athletestreatingathletes.com
8. Transfer your race entries to your friends (if legal!) and be the best damn volunteer ever.
9. Use the non training time to crush your work and family and social engagements.
10. Apply yourself to recovery as you would do if it were training.
11. Maybe consider some homeopathic remedies, treatments or cures?
12. Become a yoga triathlon goddess and master those five poses that have kicked your butt for so long.
13. Return to basics and review your form and technique to see if you can’t improve.
14. Can’t run? Bike more! Can’t bike…run more! Can’t bike or run? Swim and aqua jog more!
15. Focus on your diet and lock in great eating habits so your triumphant return will be doubly impressive.
16. Review your training logs to find the culprit; swear to heed the warning signs early and avoid this same issue in the future.
17. Take notes on how you “get right” so you can pass it on to your friends/team should it happen to them.
18. Use this chance to find out just how “athlete friendly” your primary care doctor is…do you need to change?
19. Might need surgery? Be sure to search your local and/or online communities for folks who’ve had the same work done…get it from those who know!
20. Have one pity party and get on with it — you are so blessed to be a triathlete, and I know you’ll be back!!!

Have any other tips???

Please let us know in the comments below, thanks!!!