As I sit here with an ice pack on my left ankle I review in my mind where I went wrong. Two weeks ago I was starting off the New Year on a roll. I was ready to ramp up my training and have a great year on the bike. Then my ankle tendinitis, which I have been battling off and on for a couple of years, flared up seemingly overnight. There was no other alternative but to take at least a couple of weeks off the bike to get things back in order.
I’m making progress but it will take some time to get back on the road riding again. At least it is the coldest part of the year and I won’t lose too much fitness. But, I probably could have prevented this unintended break from training if I had been smarter about my health and not taken it for granted. Where did I go wrong, and what can be learned from my mistakes?
- Listen to your body- This is something I did not do, at least not very effectively. My ankle had been a little sore for a while. It wasn’t getting worse so I basically ignored it. It wasn’t that painful. I could have cut back on the time I was training, without stopping, and helped my body out. Instead I kept on going.
- Warm Up And Cool Down- When I really looked at the last few weeks I realized that I got out of my routine of warming up and cooling down from my workouts. Maybe it was the hectic schedule of the holidays. Nope that wasn’t it. I basically just got out of the habit of stretching before and after my rides. Never again will I forget.
- Increase Your Workout Load Gradually- I had a great Fall and early Winter mileage wise but when I look at it I probably increased my workout intensity/load a bit to fast. Combine that with less stretching, etc and I was asking for trouble. There is a rule that says don’t increase your workouts by more than 10% a week. I think that is a little conservative but I did increase my intensity the first few weeks of December quite a bit.
- Acknowledge Your Age And Plan Accordingly- I have to admit it, I am a few years over forty (although if you ask my wife she will say I act like a 2 year old). With age comes a certain amount of increased time for recovery. Also, injuries don’t heal quite as fast and can happen a little quicker. I honestly think of myself as eighteen but my body tells me otherwise. Getting older doesn’t mean you have to slow down but it does mean that you need to take extra precautions to prevent injury. Things like stretching, warm up/cool down are a lot more important. Pay attention and take a little extra time.
The bottom line is that I ignored some obvious signs from my body to slow down a little and prevent injury. I was so focused on working out that I failed to do the easy and simple things that would have prevented an injury. Don’t do what I did. Pay attention to your body, take time to warm up properly and workout sensibly. If you do, you will enjoy your workouts and get healthy at the same time.
Happy 2008! As I write this I am just about ready to head out the door and meet some friends for the “annual” New Year’s day bike ride. I’ve done this each January 1st for the past five years come rain, sleet, snow, cold, etc. Even if we can only ride for 15-20 minutes because the weather is bad I enjoy the ride. Why? Because it is a way for me to start off the year doing something positive for myself and it sets a good tone for the rest of the year.
My guess is that many of you are already hard at work on meeting the commitments you’ve made for the new year as well. If those commitments involve physical activity of any kind please make sure to start out slow. Taking the time to do things right at the beginning can keep you pain and injury free.
- Make sure you are healthy enough- This may seem basic but it is very important. Before starting any new exercise program, see your doctor to make sure you are healthy enough to start a regular exercise program.
- Get the right equipment- It is important to have the right equipment for the type of exercise you will be doing. You don’t need to spend a lot but you do need to get quality equipment. For runners/walkers you need shoes that support and cushion your feet. If you plan on riding your bike you will want to get a professional bike fitting. If you need help finding quality workout equipment, ask friends or coworkers who are already working out for recommendations on stores to visit.
- Start out slow- Take your time getting used to your new routine. Starting out too hard can be a painful experience due to muscle strains and pulls. Work your way into your exercise program. Take a week or two to get your body used to the stress you will be placing on it.
- Warm up and cool down properly- Spend a few minutes before and after your workout doing some light stretching. This helps your body recover from the workout quicker as well as reduces the chance of injuries. Also, make sure you drink enough during your workout. Plan on drinking about 24 oz of water or sports drink each hour you are exercising, more if it is hot outside.
Taking a little bit of time to prepare yourself, and your body, for a new workout routine can help ensure long-term success. Start out slow to finish strong and you will help guarantee a successful result.
OK, here are my 2008 commitments.
I am posting these so that you can get an idea what I am going to be accomplishing next year and why I have decided on these particular commitments. You have over a week until 2008 so maybe you can use my commitments a a springboard for your own ideas.
- Ride at least 4 days/week for total time of over 200 hours during 2008: Road bike riding is my primary form of exercise as well as the key way I get to satisfy my competitive nature outside of work. I have been riding seriously for almost 5 years after 20+ years of running. I really enjoy the structure of planning out each week’s worth of riding and going out after work for an hour or so really helps keep everything in balance. I ride by myself 2-3 days a week and with a group the other 1-2 days. I have pretty much decided to stop racing criteriums (fast circuit races) as I just don’t have the time to train properly to be truly competitive but I mainly don’t want to risk a bad crash like I have witnessed/barely missed in nearly every “crit” I raced. I guess I’m getting a little chicken in my old age:-) Instead, I plan on riding several “competitive” centuries this year. If I can stay healthy (see below) I may attempt a 12 hour event.
- Learn something new every day: I am reading “The Intellectual Devotional” which is 365 days worth of knowledge from 7 key areas. It should help me learn a little each day and might inspire me to try something new. I will read this book each evening before bed.
- Become more flexible: As I get older I am finding out that my body doesn’t tolerate the abuse like it used to. As a result I am finding that I am starting to get some small, nagging injuries that could affect my ability to participate in cycling, among other things. So, I have already begun a nightly stretching routine that is already starting to make a positive impact. I will probably order “Yoga for Cyclists” as it has specific routines to help cyclists become more flexible. I want to be “200%” more flexible by this time next year. I realize this might be hard to measure but I will use the flexibility of my hamstrings as the benchmark. Currently, I can barely get my hands past my knees while sitting on the floor with my legs flat against the floor. I should be able to touch my feet easily if I am doing things the right way.
- Make time to visit out of town friends: We have very close friends (two different couples) that live, now that we all have moved, in two different cities than us. We have a great time when we are together. We have made a point the last few years to get together for at least a long weekend. This is a major goal for us this year as we don’t want to break that tradition.
- Obtain advanced investment management designation: I am going to begin work on an advanced investment planning professional designation. There are 2-3 courses of study available and I will need to investigate them to see which one best complements my current experience. I will have narrowed the field by the end of January and I could be done by the end of the year if I pursue one or by the end of 2009 if I pursue the other.
As part of my commitment to myself, and everyone else who reads this, I will update my progress each month. For better or worse, I will let you know how I am progressing and if I have had to make any adjustments along the way.
There you go, I have laid my 2008 commitments out there for everyone to see. There is nothing earth shattering, just some things I would like to improve on. Hopefully they will give you some ideas for your own. To develop your own, follow the outline I had in my last post.
Everyone please have a happy and safe holiday!