INJURY-BEATING Masterclass

CONSISTENT TRAINING IS THE KEY TO PROGRESSION, WHICH CAN QUICKLY UNRAVEL WITH A SPELL ON THE SIDELINES. BUT IT NEEDN'T BE SO WITH A FEW SIMPLE TRAINING TWEAKS...

- JAMES WITTS

Triathlon's multi-disciplinary nature not only cranks up fitness and fun, but by spreading training load across the body, it's also deemed a great sport to reduce the chances of injury. Which is wonderful. In theory.

In reality, it's been reported that 62% of triathletes suffer at least one injury per season, both from overuse, where injury strikes through repetition of movement over time, and acute, where injury strikes suddenly, like if you crash.

What follows are many ways to reduce your chances of overuse injury. But what about acute? What happens if you twist an ankle, for instance? Well, that's when it's time to call in the POLICE. This is the updated acronym to RICE and breaks down as: P is for protect so strap up the injury; O and L stand for optimal loading. They're the major changes to RICE. With RICE you were advised to rest but it's been proven to increase recovery time if you can keep a certain amount of movement. (That's not applicable if you're on crutches!) I is for Ice, C for Compression and E is for Elevation.

While injuries are often a part of being an athlete, that doesn't mean you shouldn't take them seriously. Calling 111 to see if you need medical help, or seeing your GP, is always a good idea if you are unsure if pain is something which needs treatment rather than a 'niggle'. With that too, give niggles like strains the time they need to recover, or they could get worse - and follow medical advice and recommendations before taking painkillers.

Anyway, that's all about curing injuries. The here and now is about preventing injuries in the first place...

10 WAYS TO REDUCE YOUR CHANCES OF INJURY

From bike fits to foam rollers, more sleep to self massage, the following tips should ensure you start your 2023 race season as injury-proofed as poss...

01 SHORTEN YOUR CRANKS