Soreness vs injury
Make the distinction for future success
The following is an excerpt from my book, HowExpert Guide to Triathlons, which launched in February:
There will be times throughout a training program when the athlete’s body is feeling it. This is a natural byproduct of being tired, but it is essential that the athlete knows the distinction between soreness and an injury.
Soreness
Being sore typically manifests as a dull ache and heaviness in the muscles. The athlete may feel slow and sluggish to start a workout, but symptoms typically may clear by the end of a low-intensity session. Soreness can last for a few days and generally will not inhibit the athlete from performing training. Prolonged soreness or stiffness should be a red flag as it may indicate a shortcoming with sleep, poor diet, or an ineffective training program.
Injury
Injuries are all too common in triathlon and usually present because of doing too much too soon or because of a traumatic occurrence i.e., bike crash. The traumatic variety is apparent, and the athlete usually knows the severity.
A nagging pain in the knee from repetitive running, for example, might not follow that same path. A determined athlete wants to complete the training and sometimes may train through injury. This is not always advised and can lead to greater setbacks in the buildup to a race.
Pain as a guide for injuries
Fortunately, most chronic injuries such as an inflamed tendon can be managed with little to no derailment of the training program. The simple guide below can help an athlete navigate pain. In this case an athlete can continue activity at an easier intensity than planned if:
Pain level does not exceed 5/10 during training
Pain level subsides to 0-3/10 after
Swimming, cycling, running mechanics are not altered by pain
Pain is not progressing in severity week to week
In cases of severe pain (>6/10), the athlete should refrain from training and either rest for a few days while monitoring symptoms or consult a physio. After gathering information on the source of the injury, it is worth examining the training program or life outside of training to identify where training load may have been too extreme. Some chronic injuries are a result of poor equipment or technique, but most athletes fall victim to injury due to training too much or too hard.
Running as the injury culprit
Running can be hard on an athlete’s legs. Swimming and cycling are relatively low impact and feature injuries less frequently than running. One benefit triathlon provides over pure run training is that all three sports can complement one another. When developing a self-coached or coached program, airing on the side of light on running volume is a smart strategy for a beginner in triathlon. The bike can be a powerful tool for keeping the legs strong and the fitness high without pounding out running miles that the athlete is not prepared for.
Not only will the athlete improve his or her chances of avoiding any injury hiccups when preparing for the first race, but he or she will also improve the chances of developing long-term for future races.