COACH FORUM: How to Get Back on Track if Your Training is Derailed
Week 1 of February and sometimes life gets in the way of training. So how do you get back on track if things don't go as planned??
Dave, Purple Patch Coach
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Official comment
Dave, thank you for your time and athletes, thank you for submitting your questions! We look forward to bringing you more topics.
If you are in need of specific training advice because of injury, life, work, etc. please take advantage of our consults.
Cheers,
The Purple Patch Team
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Perhaps a precursor to the answers here... But I'm curious how once you follow the return to running protocol - how do you catch back up with the season?
I've missed about 2 weeks of running and I already feel like I'm so far behind that I'm pretty much on my own and will be even if I could start running today.
How do you get caught back up without ramping up volume too fast? -
I understand your dilemma Chris, and as Matt Dixon once said to me.....'don't panic'. I am also in a bit of catch up mode and the old adage of 'keep the faith. So, I am simply following the program and some of Matts thinking.
This includes:
Being conservative in training load and fitness estimates in the initial 3-weeks of training.Evolve your expectations: Be realistic with where you are currently, not to punish yourself and lose confidence, but to align performance expectations and output. Your ‘numbers’ will be lower, but they will come back.
Commit to doing things well: I don’t mean high output, but great execution of technique, form, and mission of each session. Your internal scorecard is about being present and executing sessions without judgment of output. Do the sessions well and let the performance gains bubble up over months.
Dave, Purple Patch Coach
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I developed a mild case of quadricep tendinitis. In the last two weeks, I have significantly reduced overall load and focused exclusively on swimming, mobility, and core strength workouts. My knee generally feels good, although the tendon randomly aches sometimes. For instance, it was a little sore yesterday but doesn't seem to be bothering me at all today (no real shift in activity level or stress on the joint that I can discern). Anyway, I think I will continue to focus on swimming for at least one more week, but start adding some of the other strength workouts back in (e.g., dead lift). Assuming all is well with my knee after next week, I'd like to start adding bike back into the routine, probably avoiding low cadence work for awhile, and maybe some purposeful walking up hills.
I guess I have a couple of questions related to all of this. First, does this plan seem reasonable? Is there anything you would add or edit? Second, I'm not really sure how to know when I'm ready to transition back to the base workouts or how to make that transition. I like your response to Chris about patience, but I want to better understand the "how" of the transition.
Thank you in advance!
Sincerely,
T.K.
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My first thoughts T.K. are -
1 - Your diagnosis is specific, so did you seek medical advice?
2 - Did the medical advise recommend anything specific for rehab?
3 - Have you rec'd any massage work?I would absolutely recommend checking in with a PT for a diagnosis. We’re not PTs...so we just always urge caution, not knowing the extent etc.
If you did not seek medical advice, and you understand your condition well enough to prescribe reduction of load, and now you feel ready to go again, albeit tentatively, then perhaps bike work is a great way to reset your program. As you mention, avoid low cadence and more about time in the saddle initially.
Along with the bike work, some aqua jogging may prove beneficial. Boring....I know...however you are engaging the same muscle groups but without the impact and pressure.Here is a link to Matt Dixons comments on recovery/rehab which may prove helpful
Hope you back on track soon T.K.
Dave, Purple Patch Coach
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