Ask the Experts
YOUR TOP TRI QUESTIONS — ANSWERED N
ew for 2014, USA Triathlon Magazine is giving readers even
more opportunities to tap into experts in every area of triathlon. Ask a question on our Facebook page, via Twitter or email us at
communications@usatriathlon.org and your question could appear in an upcoming issue.
RECOVERY During the offseason, do you recom-
mend a significant amount of time off af- ter a long stretch of training and racing — more than just a recovery week? — Beth Anderson
Indeed, Beth. Especially after a full, long season of several months, taking some unstructured downtime is really crucial to your physical and mental recovery. Depending on your experience, training volume and race distance, this could mean a few days or even a week or two with no workouts at all. Follow this complete time off with a few weeks free of structured training. Instead of sludging through your in-season routine, spend time reconnecting with the joy of movement. Try a different sport altogether, like skiing, rock climbing or mountain biking; hike or paddle with friends; or explore yoga, Pilates or tai chi. Giving yourself this time off allows for deep recovery of both your body, which can be prone to overuse injuries, and of your mind, which can get pretty caught up in the details of pacing, power and time during the triathlon season. When you do return to
struc-
tured train- ing for next season, you’ll
be
fresher and more eager to return to triathlon. — Sage Rountree, author “The
of Ath-
lete’s Guide to
Recov- ery”
From swim, bike, run to transition, nutri- tion, strength training and equipment, all questions will be considered. Ways to submit questions for Ask the
Experts:
•
facebook.com/usatriathlon •
twitter.com/usatriathlon • Email
communications@usatriathlon.org
SPORT PSYCH
We hear a lot about post-injury workouts, but we never seem to hear about the psychology of getting through serious injuries and staying mo- tivated. The mental dam- age that can accompany some injuries is difficult to counter. How do we get through it in time to realize that even if we aren’t the same triathlete we used to be, we can still be triathletes? — Kevin Holmes
How we respond to
life’s challenges and changes is critical to our psychological well-being. A positive attitude and psychological interven- tions during rehabilita- tion greatly facilitate the injury recovery process. Consider the challenge
and put “Ask the Experts” in the subject line.
For our first installment, experts Bob Seebohar, Dina Griffin, Sage Rountree, Cheryl Hart, Marty Gaal and Jesse Kropel- nicki tackle readers’ questions on recov- ery, nutrition, sport psychology and run training.
James Wood
of rehabilitation as yet another “athletic quest” recognizing you already possess the skills needed for success: motivation, confi- dence, determination, focus and resiliency. The most important psychological skills are goal-setting, positive self-talk, visu- alization and relaxation training. Break recovery into manageable increments, set- ting specific long and short-term goals. The injury will teach you about yourself and open up new opportunities for personal growth if you allow it. Examine physical and psychological weaknesses and use this time to strengthen them. Don’t withdraw from triathlon — find
ways to interact by incorporating any form of training that your injury permits (swim- ming, biking, strength-training) and/or serve as a volunteer at a race to gain a new perspective. Finally, remind yourself that you are more than just a triathlete and en-
18 USA TRIATHLON WINTER 2014
joy other activities and aspects of your life. — Cheryl D. Hart, Sport & Exercise Psy- chology Consultant
NUTRITION
How do you carefully adjust your calorie intake to what is right for you during the offseason? — Cyndy Stockdale The most important thing is to combine the proper foods to optimize blood sugar and create better metabolic efficiency. Do this by eating protein, fat and fiber at each feeding while making sure the balance of carbohydrate and protein is roughly 1:1. The easiest way to do this is to use your hands as a guide. For meals, your entire left hand should be the amount of protein rich food you should eat while your right hand is fiber (such as vegetables). Fat will usually be found in protein foods. During a lower training load, decrease the amount
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