Tag Archives: Triathlon

An Idiot’s Guide to Finishing an Ironman (and Staying Married)

February 3, 2016Blogcoach, Dietician, Exercise Physiology, fitness, healthy ageing, Injury, Ironman, Kristy Shannon, Overuse Injury, physio, Physiotherapy, postpartum, prevention, Running, Scott Defilippis, sport, stress fracture, Training, TriathlonFirst in Physio

As I write this I am now 4 weeks out from Ironman New Zealand. Which means that most of the big sessions are now in the bank, the mental preparation has been done, and the main part of what’s left is just getting excited to actually race soon! It will be almost 3 years since I last lined up for an Ironman, with a lot of water under the bridge in that time. This time around my goals are completely different: to finish an Ironman one year after my son was born. The training has reflected that with less focus on performance, more focus on efficiency and creativity – trying to get the quality sessions done around being a new mum and running a business (not easy but do-able). I’m aiming to get to the finish happy, healthy and with the ultimate prize at the finish line – seeing my baby boy Jude with my husband Patrick waiting for me.

I must say it’s been a super fun lead up and I’ve been really lucky to have an awesome crew to train with. I’ve accidentally convinced one of the guys I ride with to sign up for his first Ironman (go Pete!), which has gotten me thinking about back when Pat and I did our first Ironmans. I also get asked a lot of questions from my patients about how I manage the training around family and work, how I stay motivated, and what Ironman training involves. I love to talk, so I’m more than happy to share some pearls of wisdom that I have learnt along my Ironman journey so far – which has included both tremendous highs and momentous f#ck-ups. I’ll never “know it all” and that’s what I love about the sport – it’s ever changing and always challenging!

Ironman is Not Normal, and You are Not Superhuman…

…But in order to finish one, you need to get yourself to a point mentally and physically where the Iron distance seems “normal”, and your body is “scary fit” – that is, on any given day, you could bust out a 4km swim, 180km bike, and a marathon if you had to. So while on a more objective level Ironman isn’t “normal”, you should surround yourself with people who encourage you, have faith in you, and even better – have done it themselves. Avoid people who tell you how “crazy” or “impossible” it is, especially in the month before the race….and in the same spirit, maybe don’t tell every person you run into on the street that you are in Ironman training (unless you do want that negative reinforcement time and time over…plus let’s be honest, not everyone wants to hear about it).

I’ll never forget last time we did NZ Ironman, we were on the flight over and I found a documentary on this marathon runner on the in-flight entertainment list. I start watching it, and the theme of the whole thing was along the lines of being super dramatic about “how epic the marathon distance is, and how the training is the hardest thing you could ever face” and so on. Needless to say I had a chuckle and then turned it off – we were flying towards a race in which we were going to do a marathon AFTER swimming 4 km and riding for 180 km, on hills no less. We had spent the last several months mentally getting to a point where that was not only OK but appealing, so I didn’t need to hear about how hard the marathon is in great detail…

Final note on the Scary Fit phenomenon: it does not mean you are Superhuman. If you do stupid things, you will still break (see my previous post on Busso Ironman 2012 – “The Upside of Injury”). Super Fit is good; Super Stupid is not. Respect your body, be nice to it, and build into things gradually and with consistency.

Make a Priority List….And Stick to It

Mine goes like this:
1) My husband and baby boy
2) Running our Physio Clinic
3) & 4) Ironman training and Social Life.

The last two are tied because I sway between the two. The priority list becomes super important when you get to those tough decisions during the training block: you have a long run scheduled but you also have an invite for breakfast with girlfriends; or it’s your husband’s birthday on a Sunday when you have a 5 hour ride planned and a 3km swim with several hours of exhausted-getting-your-sh#t-together time in between the two. The priority list is important to help you decide when you should change the plan, so that you can get to race day and not only be fit but also still have a marriage, a child who knows your name, a business that’s still functioning and friends to tell you how awesome you are for finishing an Ironman. You may think I’m joking here but you would not believe how many Ironman athletes I know who can pull out amazing race times but are unhappy in every other aspect of their lives. A bit of perspective and some smart decisions go a very long way. Most Ironman athletes by their very nature (myself included) are very “Type A” control freaks; learning to be a bit more flexible with fitting training around your life and relationships (not the other way around) is key to getting it done and still being happily married at the finish line.

Involve Your Family and Friends – it’s supposed to be FUN

Following on from the above point – I try to combine points 1, 3 and 4 by training with my husband and friends where possible, and if we get really creative, our baby boy Jude as well (usually for part of a long run in the Mountain Buggy). I have a Cycling Wife (thanks Carly) plus a bunch of guys who are always keen to come for part or all of my long rides (I’m talking 4-5 hours on the road). I do think that for newbie Ironman athletes, it’s important to do some of the big sessions on your own to ‘get into your own head’ – more as a confidence thing to prepare to do it on race day – but I don’t think it’s healthy to be doing all of your sessions on your own.

There’s a tradition in Ironman to go back to the finish line after you’ve done your race to cheer on the rest of the athletes and bring them home. You have up to 16 or 17 hours (depending on the race) to get the distance done. I always say that everyone should experience an Ironman finish line at least once in their life – even if it’s just watching the athletes finish. Watching the emotions of the age group athletes as they come down that finish chute after what’s likely been the hardest physical and mental thing they’ve ever done, hugging their husband or wife and crying with tears of happiness, pride, relief, joy…. In a world where we are bombarded with negative news stories and surrounded by obesity and chronic diseases, it’s heartwarming to be reminded of what the human body and mind is capable of doing when it is treated well. It’s a sight you will never forget, and it’s one of the many reasons why we will continue to travel away to triathlons as Jude grows up – so that he too can be surrounded by such an uplifting and inspiring group of people doing extraordinary things as a reminder of how positive life can be. Personally, I found watching my husband finish his first Ironman far more emotional than finishing my own first Ironman (and it still makes me teary thinking about it). There’s something special about being on that journey together. Race day is the celebration, but there’s a lot of hours of training that happen in the lead up, and involving your loved ones makes it so much more special.

Reality Check: Lower Your Standards

You can pick up any fitness magazine these days and they’ll have you believe that not only is Ironman achievable, it’s even easy – it must be, since every Tom, Dick and Harry is doing one now (Men’s Health Magazine and Triathlete I am talking to you). Not only that, but the Holy Grail of landing a Kona spot (ie qualifying for the world championships) should be on your “goals” list now too, apparently.

What these magazines fail to address is the reality of the Age Group Ironman World: lots of unhappy marriages; lots of athletes running away from something in their lives or having a mid life crises and training 30 hours a week, or worse – the newbies that sign up and never make it to the start line because the training alone leaves them broken and disillusioned.

Be clear on your goals, and see the situation for what it is: if you are considering doing your first Ironman, just aim to get to the finish line HAPPY and HEALTHY. Full stop. The athletes that qualify for Kona are insanely talented and spend upwards of 20 hours a week year in, year out training for that right. They will be at the finish line not long after the Professional Ironman Athletes are. Forget about everyone else racing; just set your own goals, focus on enjoying the journey, and allow yourself to be proud of your efforts. Less than 1% of the world’s population will ever finish an Ironman; you should be proud of that, no matter what the finish time is.

The Serious Stuff: Get a Good Coach (+ Dietician + Physio)

OK I’m a Physio so I can’t help myself: I am always mystified by people who are willing to drop 6k on a bike, 1k on race entry, god knows how much on travel, accommodation etc….and won’t invest any money at all in a coach, let alone a good one (yes, just like anything you get what you pay for with coaching). Trust me on this one: you will get way more confidence, speed, fitness and less injuries if you have a decent coach as compared to a decent bike. A new time trial bike might make you look super fast but the joke’s on you when the old ladies on their road bikes start passing you in the second half of the bike leg (I’m not joking…). I’ve had the same coach for the last 5 years: he knows my body; knows how to handle me; when to push and when to back off. Doing an Ironman without him guiding the process would feel like trying to swim without my right arm. Triathlon is an expensive sport but you can spend money wisely to get the most out of your journey.

On a similar note, it’s worth spending the money on seeing a good sports dietician and a physio before you start your big training block. This is particularly important if you have any injury history, or if you are looking to alter your body composition and get advice on race day nutrition and how to train that aspect of the race. If you go out there and start downing Gu’s for the first time on race day you will spend more time in the port-a-loos than on the bitumen; there’s a reason they call nutrition the “fourth discipline” of triathlon. Your body can store about 90 minutes worth of glycogen for exercise, so the nutrition plan becomes super important if you want to race for upwards of 12 hours and finish in one piece. A Physio can help with bike set up, core work and screening for injury risk so that you can strengthen up before an injury derails you.

If you have goals of doing a triathlon or even an Ironman one day but don’t know where to start, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of us and have a chat – or even better, come along for one of our group runs or rides. We can help guide you with your training (see our Bio on Ironman coach (and my coach) Scott DeFilippis on our home page) as well as your injury prevention plan, bike set up, dietician referral, sports nutrition products and much more (we stock Gu nutrition products at First In Physio).

Thanks for reading and as always, Happy Training! You can follow the final weeks of my journey to NZ Ironman on Instagram @KRISTY_SHANNON – I’d love to heave you along for the ride. Thanks to everyone who has reached out already, it really means a lot to have your support along the way. Race day is the 5th March, 2016.

Kristy Shannon
Director and Principal Physiotherapist
First In Physio

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The Upside of Injury

October 20, 2015Blogcoach, doctor, exercise, exercise rehabilitation, Injuries, injury management, injury prevention, Ironman, low back pain, meditation, Overuse Injury, pain, Physiotherapist, Physiotherapy, plantar fasciitis, pregnancy, safe, Shin Splints, sport, sports physician, strength and conditioning, stress fracture, surgery, Training, TriathlonFirst in Physio

Status Update: “Broken”.

Most athletes and a fair share of non-athletes have been there. The nature of our profession is that for the most part, we see people when they are down and out; our job is to diagnose the damage and to build them back not just to par, but to stronger than they were before the injury. My usual position as a Physiotherapist is to guide my patients from the tough day of diagnosis, through the often lengthy rehab process and safely back into their return to sport. We often get quite close to our patients and as athletes ourselves, ride the journey with them. In 2013 I was unlucky enough to flip the coin and be the one sitting in the sports physician’s office trying to swallow the gravity of my own injury situation: a stress fracture gone wrong following my latest Ironman triathlon. I think in this situation it’s arguably easier knowing less rather than more – I knew before the lovely Dr Chris Ball told me that I was looking down the barrel of major foot surgery, and a very long time away from my beloved sport.

What it looks like to finish an Ironman on a broken foot…it ain’t pretty!

Injury of any kind sucks, and I always advocate well-managed injury prevention program as “Plan A” but in reality, injuries happen – most athletes don’t have the most solid grasp on their self-preservation dial (and hey, I was beating my husband by 2 hours in that Ironman – there was no way I was pulling the pin so close to the end!). Jokes aside, there can be a silver lining. The team you have around you and your attitude are key to getting through the rough patch and flying out the other side as a more resilient and stronger athlete. As tough as injuries can be, I have learnt over the years from the process with countless patients as well as from my own experience post- foot surgery that there can indeed be a few upsides to injury:

Learning opportunities:

First and foremost, immediate questions need to be asked: What is the best course of treatment for short and long term outcomes? What are my options? (often there are a few good ones, especially where surgery vs conservative treatments are involved). How long will I have off my sport? Will this affect work/school etc?

Once a course of treatment has been set that you as well as your health care team are happy with, the less urgent but just as important questions need to be asked: What went wrong? What will I do differently next time? Where is the weak link in the chain? How do we (as in, you and your Physio +/- surgeon and sports physician) build the body back to a point where it’s stronger than before? How can I prevent this from happening again? Do we need to change things upon return to sport (training load, technique, footwear etc)? Knowledge is power, and I cannot reiterate enough that you need to ask and ask until you get the answers that you need; your sanity during your rehab and your ability to avoid injury in the future depends on it. If you aren’t happy with your physio/doctor/surgeon, then find another one – you need to find the best quality care at all costs to get the best results.

Respect for your body’s boundaries:

So you found that mystical line in the sand, the actual safe limit of what your body can achieve; many never find it so you can take one thing away from the situation and that is that as an athlete, you are tough! But going forwards, if your injury was “overuse” in nature (ie stress fractures, tendinopathies etc) then you need to respect that boundary. Learn from it and take note of your body’s cues in future training and racing scenarios.

If your injury was more traumatic in nature (eg broken tibia from a soccer clash or dislocated shoulder from a cycling accident), then there’s not a lot more you can do other than accept that playing sports involves risks. Given a choice, you’d still take those risks to sitting on the couch getting fat and unhealthy, right?!

An Attitude of Gratitude:

There’s nothing better than that moment your surgeon (or doctor or physio) gives you the go-ahead to do some exercise. Even if it’s technically “rehab” – “I’ll take it!” you yell as you hug them (Ok exaggeration. Only slightly though.) Prior to a major injury you may be guilty of complaining when the alarm clock goes off at stupid o’clock, if it’s cold/hot/raining; if the session is too hard…or not hard enough….If your race didn’t go perfectly, and so on. Afterwards I can honestly say that every single step I take is done with an “attitude of gratitude” – my coach and husband will vouch for the fact that every run is a bonus, every race is a bonus, and I am thankful to be able to have a fit, strong and healthy body again. Hell, I’m even grateful to be able to do the housework these days – taking an independent person and attaching them to crutches for 3 months is enough to send anyone crazy! I have been guilty of treating my body somewhat like a rental car in the past, but I now appreciate it and treat it much more lovingly (Karma, my friends, Karma…).

Mental Toughness:

And by this I don’t mean your ability to push through and “eat the pain” as my husband would say – if you got injured in the first place by pushing too far you definitely don’t need to learn this. But in my experience it’s often the athletes who are able to blindly push through that are also in need of some mental “balance”. I am by no means exempt from this generalisation. I took the time after my surgery to finally learn how to slow down and meditate (I highly recommend it, you’ll never look back), as well as to focus on other things in my life other than training 20 hours a week and working full time. It was not the most fun I’ve ever had – by choice I would much rather be working and training! – but it has taught me a sense of balance which I had never had in my life before, and I think that this has benefitted both aspects of my life well after the initial injury period. For most athletes I would therefore consider the slowing down process as “building mental toughness”, even if it’s not the traditional sense of the phrase.

Absorption of training:

A wise triathlete (Emma Snowsill) once said that if you don’t allow your body to rest, it will force you to via sickness or injury. I would put pregnancy in the same category here simply because the reduced training load while you’re growing a human has the same affect – time to let the body take stock. To absorb all the months/years of training it has done, and to build back a little stronger. As physios we educate patients on how a bone will actually be stronger where it broke after the healing has occurred, because extra bone is laid down in the healing process; this is a nice metaphor for the entire healing process of the body. Reassure yourself that you WILL come back from the injury, and that all the training you’ve done in the past will not be gone.

Sesamoid bone graft and 1st Metatarsal dorsiflexion osteotomy on my Right foot, done in 2013 by Dr Ben Forster

So there you have it, my version of what I’ve learnt through injury in a nutshell. I’ve kept many details of the injury and whole rehab process pretty close to my chest up to this point; as a physio it is not the easiest boat to be in. Physiotherapy may be my “day job” and I certainly love it, but I am first and foremost an “athlete” and in the past have certainly had trouble switching that part of my personality off, even if the Physio part of my brain is telling me something is a bad idea. As I get older and more experienced with both Physiotherapy and Ironman racing, I am learning how to strike the balance but it is always a work in progress. I am very fortunate to have two very patient and understanding men in my life in my husband Patrick Shannon and my coach Scott DeFilippis. Without them I would not be on track to be lining up again for Ironman NZ in 4 months’ time – 1 year post-baby and just over 2 years post foot surgery.

Hopefully this post will hit home with a few “broken” athletes out there and help to get you through and back to your passion. If you would like to follow my journey back to the Ironman start line you can find me on Instagram (@KRISTY_SHANNON), I’d love to have you along for the ride!

Kristy Shannon

B.Appl.Sc(HMS); B.PHTY(Hons)

Director and Principal Physiotherapist First In Physio

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