Tag Archives: healthy ageing

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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Are you an “Active Couch Potato”?

March 28, 2014Blog, UncategorizedBenefits, ESSA, exercise, exercise as medicine, Exercise Physiologist, Exercise Physiology, exercise program, exercise rehabilitation, healthy ageing, injury prevention, obesity, Physical Activity Guidelines, sedentary behaviour guidelines, weightFirst in Physio

Fun runs are a great way to stay active and motivated

Recently we have seen the establishment of new “Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines”, doubling the recommended amount of daily exercise to 60 minutes every day and for the first time, addressing our nation of couch potatoes. “Sedentary behaviour” includes sitting or lying down, not including sleeping time during the night.

The New Guidelines: How Do You Stack Up?

– Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If you currently do no physical activity, start by doing some, and gradually build up to the recommended amount.

– Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities each week.

– Be active on most, preferably all, days every week.

– Do muscle strengthening activities on at least two days each week (gym/Pilates/weights etc)

– Minimise the amount of time spent in prolonged sitting. Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible.

“Active Couch Potatoes”

Frightening statistics show that Australians are sedentary on average for 7 to 10 hours a day, and this does not include sleeping. The highest health risks exist for those people who are sedentary at work, at home, and who do not do any other formal exercise. However, there does exist another group who accumulate their 60 minutes of exercise a day, but sit for the rest of the day at work. It has become apparent that the health benefits of their exercise bout do not completely override their globally sedentary behaviour, and these “active couch potatoes” would benefit from being more active during their work day as well.

I have a sitting job, help!

We can actually take away a lot of positives from the new guidelines, most notably that simply being more active throughout your day can start to give you some of the health benefits that those weekend warriors are getting with their 3-hour, one-off bike rides. If you hate exercise, this is good news for you. By being creative and adding activity into your day, you can be doing your body a lot of good. Walking or cycling to work; parking at the far end of the car park or a few blocks from work; going for a short walk to get your lunch; scheduling a “walking meeting” with a colleague; installing a standing desk in your workplace; and drinking more water so that you have to get up to go to the toilet more often are all easy ideas. If you want to get even more creative, you can get in the habit of walking every time you answer the phone; doing 20 air squats every morning tea and lunch break; or setting yourself a task of 20 push ups and a 1 minute plank every time you watch the news at night. Keeping the body moving and the engine revving is the key point. And the best part is, we are creatures of habit: before long, it will be second nature to be moving more (and your body will be thanking you for it). If you haven’t been very active in the past, it’s a good idea to start with small daily habits and then build in more structured exercise as you feel more comfortable to do so. The key is to find things that you can make fit into your work and home life, and ideally that you enjoy as well.

Where’s the Incentive?

Increasing amounts of studies are finding links between sedentary behaviour and weight gain, type 2 diabetes, poor muscle tone, heart disease and early death. From a Physiotherapy perspective, we are seeing more and more overweight patients coming in with pain and disability from osteoarthritis through the hips, spine and knees. The gold standard of treatment for these patients is to increase the supporting muscle strength around the joints, and to advise the patient to lose weight: even losing 10% of their body mass results in significant reductions in pain scores. It is argued that many of these conditions could be largely prevented by keeping a healthy body weight and staying active in the first place. After all, these are weight-bearing joints, and if you are overweight you are asking a lot of your joints every time you move.   Similarly, from an Exercise Physiology perspective, we see many patients giving us highly creative “barriers” to exercise – reasons why they can’t or won’t prioritise physical activity in their lives, even when they are in pain and significantly overweight. It is not uncommon to have patients say they would rather have surgery to “fix” their problem, than to increase their activity and allow their body to become stronger and lighter. I am certain that a large part of this mindset comes from how “normal” it has become to be sedentary and overweight. But does that make it OK? Do you want to be “average”, if that’s what “average” has become? Do you want to live to a ripe old age, only to be overweight and in pain for the majority of that time? I certainly don’t!

What About my Kids?

It is more important than ever to keep our kids active, healthy and happy. Structured exercise is not only crucial for developing little minds and bodies, it is also important for social and health reasons too. Getting into the habit of being active early on can set you up for a lifetime of good habits, which is a gift that you can give your children for life. For kids 5-17 years of age, aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity daily; and up to several hours daily to achieve even greater health benefits. Ideally this activity will be a mixture of strength and aerobic activity, which is where structured sports like soccer and netball, and active family time like cycling and walking the dog all come into the mix. Of most importance is the new recommendations to limit use of electronic media (TV,computers, ipads etc) to less than 2 hours a day. With childhood obesity on the rise, it is more challenging and hence more important than ever to aim for these goals.

Everyone is unique with their daily lifestyle, job requirements, and previous injury and health history. If you need help fitting these guidelines into your lifestyle, or have concerns about previous health issues or injuries, a few sessions with an Exercise Physiologist will help you to work out a program that you can do on a daily basis, without pain, and ideally with ease. Research has shown us time and time again that the most successful activity programs are achieved when the whole family gets involved and supports one another. Our children model themselves off our behaviours – from food to exercise to language, and they are facing the most sedentary generation in history: let’s teach them from a young age how to be anything but “average”!

More information about healthy living, including references to other Australian Government guidelines concerning healthy weight and healthy eating, can be found at www.health.gov.au

REFERENCE LIST

http://www.health.gov.au/paguidelines

Healy, G.N., Dunstan, D.W., Salmon, J., Shaw, J.E., Zimmet, P.Z., Owen, N. (2008) Television time and continuous metabolic risk in physically active adults. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 40(4) 639-645.

Sugiyama, T., Healy, G.N., Dunstan, D.W., Salmon, J., Owen, N. (2008) Joint associations of multiple leisure-time sedentary behaviours and physical activity with obesity in Australian adults. Int J Behav Nutr and Phys Act 5(35) 5868-5-35

Nelson, M.C., Gordon-Larson, P., Adair, L.S., Popkin, B.M. (2005) Adolescent physical activity and sedentary behaviour: patterning and long-term maintenance. American J of Prevent Med. 28(3) 259-266

Patrick, K., Norman, G.J., Calfas, K.J., Sallis, J.F., Zabinski, M.F., Rupp, J., Cella, J. (2004) Diet, Physical activity, and sedentary behaviours as risk factors for overweight in adolescence. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158: 385-390

More than half of all Australian adultsare not active enough. Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2013. Australian Health Survey: Physical Activity, 2011-12. ABS Cat. No. 4364.0.55.004. Cnaberra: ABS

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Why it’s Important to Stay Active When Injured

February 13, 2014Blogback surgery, cast, exercise, exercise as medicine, Exercise Physiology, fitness, healthy ageing, injured, injury management, injury prevention, low back pain, pain, Physiotherapy, Pilates, plantar fasciitis, safe, Shin Splints, stress fracture, surgery, TrainingFirst in Physio

One of the most common misconceptions among the general public is that one must “rest” while injured. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had one of my Pilates clients call to cancel “because they have back pain”. They should be coming to Pilates because they have back pain! Often the assumption is that the injured or painful structure needs to “rest”. Rest from aggravating activities? Most definitely. Rest from all activities? Definitely not. The body requires blood flow, nutrients from the inflammation process, and gentle movement to stimulate healing. If this can be done with minimal pain, you have a win-win situation: the body can get stronger while it heals itself.

Conversely, one of the most common misconceptions and fears amongst athletes is that their physio or doctor will tell them to stop their activity when an injury is looming, so they avoid making an appointment. This often results in delayed diagnosis and treatment, worsening of their condition and significantly prolonged time off their sport in the long run. The earlier the injury is treated, the more likely it is that the athlete will be able to continue with a modified version of their usual sport – which can mean faster healing, improved biomechanics through careful analysis and correction, and less time on the sidelines.

Whichever end of the spectrum you sit at – from previously sedentary to elite athlete – there are a few key points to remember when facing an injury:

1)      Activity Modification is the key. Be creative! Your Physio and Exercise Physiologist will be able to develop a program for you to follow, no matter what the injury, how long you’ve had it, or how you got it. Even athletes with broken legs can be training hard in the gym and possibly the pool if done correctly.

2)      Golden Rule: Pain must stay below 2/10. Some pain is good, and normal, in order for healing to occur. 80% of an injury’s healing occurs in 20% of the time (ie if a lumbar disc injury takes 10 months to get back to 100%, 80% of the gains will be achieved in 2 months, then next 8 months will be spent getting the final 20%). Why wait the whole 10 months to get back to fitness? The amount of muscle loss and degeneration achieved in that time may well set you up for a lifetime of back injuries in the future. Staying fit through swimming, walking, Pilates, etc and keeping the pain <2/10 may well prepare you for a lifetime of less back pain.

3)      Athletes will often “train” harder when injured than when not. Look at it like a time to rebuild the body and to work on any weaknesses that caused your injury in the first place. Ask an elite athlete how much time they had to lay around and feel sorry for themselves after their last major injury. Chances are, they will tell you how it was the hardest training they’ve done – hours spent in Physio and Exercise Physiology sessions, the gym and the pool. Not to mention nailing their nutrition and recovery in between those sessions with extra sleep, massage, ice baths and so on. We are all designed to be athletes, even if our modern “sitting” lifestyle has made that hard to believe. So a middle aged man with a lumbar disc injury is no different – he should be doing more activity when injured in order to assist the healing and make him stronger than before the injury. Look at it like this: the injury is a cry from your body that something is not right. The rehabilitation process is your chance to fix that, so that you never have to experience it again.

4)      The same principle applies for joint replacements. Another very common misconception is that you should “rest” and ease off activity after a knee or hip replacement. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In the months leading up to a joint replacement, patients need to be working hard on their muscle strength in order to get the most out of the surgery and to assist in their recovery. Your Physio or EP will be able to give you the least painful and most safe exercises for this. After the surgery, the work continues – ever wondered why the Physio is there on day 1 to kick you out of bed and get you walking? Because the joint will do best if you stay active. Those “bed exercises”? Same deal. We need to wake up the supporting muscles as efficiently as possible for the body to heal well. The pestering about your pain levels? Because if your pain isn’t well-controlled, we won’t be able to exercise effectively. There is always method to our madness……

5)      Its never too early to see your Physio; prevention is the best cure. My patients often come in with full-blown injuries, such as low back pain or chronic plantar fasciitis. When I’m taking their history, they say that they first experienced the pain months ago and that it’s been progressively getting worse, and yet it’s taken them this long to see me. They sometimes feel as though the problem has to be “serious” to warrant a visit – this couldn’t be further from the truth! Had they come in when the pain first surfaced, the treatment would have been so much more efficient and the consequences much less significant. Your physio can also help with prevention of injuries. If you know you have a job where you sit a lot, then it might be worth chatting to your Physio about some strategies to prevent the onset of neck and back pain – being proactive is the key. Physios and EP’s are well-trained to work with you to find an exercise program that is safe for your body, that fits in to your lifestyle, and that you enjoy doing.

The human body is an amazing specimen, capable of adapting to most things that we throw at it. Your body puts up with a lot – why not give it something back by prioritising healthy ageing? You only have one body, after all.

– Kristy Shannon

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

Director and Principal Physiotherapist – First In Physio

REFERENCES

Adams, T; Band-Entrup, D; Kuhn, S.; Legere, L; Mace, K. (2013) Physical Therapy Management of Knee Osteoarthritis in the Middle-Aged Athlete. Sports Med Arthrosc Rev 21:2-10.

Chilibeck, P.; Vatanparast, H.; Cornish, S.; Abeysekara, S.; Charlesworth, S. (2011) Evidence-based risk assessment and recommendations for physical activity: arthritis, osteoporosis, and low back pain. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab 36: S49-S79

Williams, P. (2013). Effects of Running and Walking on Osteoarthritis and Hip Replacement Risk. Med Sci Sports Ex

Melov, S.; Tarnopolsky, M.; Beckman, K.; Felkey, K.; Hubbard, A. (2007) Resistance Exercise Reverses Ageing in Human Skeletal Muscle. PLoS ONE 2(5): e465

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