ITBS starts as a dull pain on the outside of the knee but quickly becomes painful, even to the point where the athlete can’t walk.

Causes

The injury is caused by the iliotibiel band rubbing against the femur on the outside of the knee.  The friction causes irritation and inflammation, and occurs when there’s a shortening of the IT band caused by anything from bowlegs, overpronation and too many downhill workouts to too much spnintwork.

First ensure that your shoes aren’t worn, as this is a common cause.

Second, look at your training: did you do too many fast sessions or suddenly increase your mileage?

Ice three to four times a day for 20 minutes.  Massage the area using circular motions, and stretch regularly.  If the problem persists, see a biomechanist to check if you need an orthotic to correct any biomechanical problems.

The rocking stretch is the second most effective treatment we know for ITBS:

Lie on your back with  our knees bent, feet on the floor, place your right ankle on top of your left knee, link your hands around the front of the left leg and pull the leg towards your chest to stretch the side of the right leg and into the glutes; hold for 30—40 seconds to relax and lengthen the muscle.  Do three times to each side, three times a day.

Trigger Point Treatment

The best results we have seen treating ITBS have been using Trigger Point rollers.  This treatment plan comes with all the equipment you will need to beat ITBS and can be used for other complaints such as heel and foot pain and other leg injuries.

One athlete/ITBS sufferer commented:

“For me physically my legs are felling amazing and I will not do a workout without doing some TP work in advance.  My super sore and tight IT band is now no longer tight and sore.  I was not even going to work on that as my hamstring was the main issue but now I can put all my weight on the Quad Baller which was impossible a few weeks ago.  It now only takes about 5 total minutes to do my entire body.” Thanks again.  Shannon Kurek, President, HFP Racing

You can get the Trigger Point treatment system at Trivillage.com.  Use the code triathlonsh-10-8 at checkout to get a 10% discount on the price.

If a cyclist falls onto a hard road surface, friction against the skin shreds off the top layers of the epidermis and the deeper-dermis.

The deeper the abrasion, the more blood — although even a mild skin abrasion is painful. Without proper treatment, abrasions can become infected.

Treatment

The simplest way to treat road rash used to be clean soap and water, an antiseptic cream and a dressing.  But new research suggests that this method may not be ideal since it can further damage the injured area, making healing slower.  Some antiseptics actually harm the tissue and affect the regeneration of cells within the wound.

The best method is to clean the area using sterile water under pressure (a syringe is ideal). You can even use gauze to lightly clean the area, but don’t rub hard or you’ll do more damage.

After the wound is cleaned, cover the area with a dressing.

Change the dressing regularly, keeping the area moist — it heals quicker, protecting itself against infection.  It is also advisable to guard against tetanus (an infectious disease that affects muscles) if the wound is open. If the abrasion is full of deep cuts, then see a doctor as stitches may be needed.

Cycling shoes, unlike those for running, are stiff, unforgiving items that offer little shock absorption from hard road surfaces and they are often narrow and constricting — but the benefits of support and power transfer outweigh the use of running shoes as a viable alternative.

As a result, cyclists often suffer from a condition known as “hot foot,” caused by excessive pressure on the balls of the feet during hard effort.  Hot foot occurs most often on long rides. It may develop sooner or more intensely on hilly courses because climbs cause greater pedaling pressure. The pain results when nerves are squeezed between the heads of each foot’s five long metatarsal bones. These heads are in the wide part of the foot (the “ball”) just behind the toes.

Cyclists with biomechanical problems, such as high arches or excessive pronation, suffer more than those with neutral feet.

Treatment

Insert a padded sock liner into the shoes to help protect against road vibration.  Also ensure that your cleat position is correct (the ball of your foot should be on the center of the pedal).  Give your feet a bit of breathing room by loosening the straps on your shoes — remember that your feet swell the hotter they get, so make allowances as you ride.

For chronic problems, you should see a biomechanist or podiatrist about custom-made orthotics.

With orthotics, your feet don’t absorb all the vibratory energy, helping you transfer more power to the pedal.

The knee is a complex hinge joint between the femur (thighbone), tibia (shinbone) and patella (kneecap).  A fibrous joint capsule encases these three bones, allowing some rotation, and forward/backward movement. It is this joint that causes problems for cyclists and runners.

Symptoms

Pain is normally felt underneath or to the side of the kneecap and is usually the result of misalignment in the knees and feet, and/or too much high-resistance training, which can damage and weaken the delicate ligaments around the knee.

Also, a saddle that is set too low means that the knee is constantly flexed through the pedal stroke, putting strain on the ligaments.  On the other hand, if the saddle is too high, back and hip problems may occur.

Knee pain is normally gradual, starting with a slight ache but later developing into a “hobbling” injury that leaves you battling to walk normally.

Treatment

To rule out a poor bike fit have your seat position checked.  The second focus should be to correct any biomechanical difficulties; a biomechanist or specialized podiatrist can advise you.

The way you train should also be considered.  Limit your strength training to once a week.  When cycling, try to maintain a high cadence of between 80 and 90 rpm; good pedal speed is not only about injury-prevention — it is also the most efficient method of pedaling.

You can use shorter cranks on your bike, too, which improves pedal speed, thus limiting pressure applied to the tendons when pushing a high gear.

Unfortunately, rest is the only treatment for cyclist’s knee, although a mild anti-inflammatory and ice therapy can reduce swelling in the area.

Whether it’s numbness between you and the seat or a condition of the hands known as “cyclist’s palsy,” numb body parts is a common problem in cycling.

Studies have shown that the pressure put on the perineum (the area you sit on can make men impotent if allowed to continue for large periods of time (professional cyclists are at high risk).

Cyclist’s palsy is a condition where the hands become numb from compressing the ulnar nerve at the base of your wrists while riding.

This is dangerous as you lose the feel of the handlebars.

Treatment

There are a number of ways to take the pressure off the perineum:

Buy a custom seat.   Many modern cycling seat manufacturers have developed seats specifically made for men and women.   If you battle with this complaint, it’s a worthwhile investment in personal comfort.

Get strong.   Novice cyclists tend to suffer more than experienced cyclists because they don’t generate as much lifting power in their legs and tend to sit harder on the saddle.  The stronger you become as a cyclist, the less you’ll suffer.

Vary your stance.   Top professional cyclists can ride for up to eight hours without pain purely because they vary their stance between sitting and standing, alleviating pressure on the perineum.   During training, practice standing even when you’re cycling on the flats.   Not only does it alleviate numbness but it’ll also help stretch your back.

This is probably the most common of swimming injuries.  Due to the repetitive nature of swimming (the shoulder rotates around 1300 times for every 1.5km, or mile, swum in freestyle), the 17 different muscles that hold the humerus (the upper arm, from shoulder to elbow) in the shoulder socket can become inflamed.

The joint becomes unstable, and tendons become inflamed and are pinched or impinged upon, which can be chronically painful.  For swimmers who have had this complaint it can be one of the most debilitating injuries.

Treatment

As with all injuries, prevention is better than cure.  Try this four-step treatment plan:

1.  Warm-up.  Follow five to 10 minutes of gentle swimming with the exercises below.  Do two repetitions each at 10—30 seconds per rep before and after your swim workout.

2.  For the muscles underneath the shoulder.   Extend both arms overhead in the streamlined position, then from the waist lean first to the left side as far as possible, then to the right.   Feel the pull all the way down your side.

3.  For the muscles in front of the shoulder.  Extend both arms straight behind your back, fingers  interlaced and slowly, steadily, raise your arms up behind you as far as possible.

4.  The muscles in the back of the shoulder.   Extend one arm across your chest so that the shoulder is under your chin and the hand, forearm and upper arm are parallel to the ground.  Without turning your body, use your other hand to pull the arm as close to your chest as possible.  Alternate with the other arm.

Swimmer’s eye is a common complaint among swimmers who wear ill-fitting goggles or none at all.

It is often caused by chlorine irritation or anti-fogging agents used in goggles, and leaves the eyes itchy and scratchy.

Treatment

Try over-the-counter eye drops or visit a doctor for a diagnosis.   Get yourself a pair of goggles that fit properly).

A pool filled with other swimmers is a breeding ground for many forms of bacteria. Everyone has bacteria in the ear canal, but the moist, alkaline environment can cause a painful and itchy infection and inflammation in the outer ear canal which may lead to a full-blown ear infection.

In extreme cases, an entire swimming squad could pick up an infection — which is more the result of a poorly sanitized pool than individual susceptibility to ear infection. Take the matter up with the people who run the pool.

Treatment

The best form of treatment is preventive.

After every swim, shake your head to one side, then the other to rid your ears of any excess water, then use a clean towel to dry out the inside of the ear. It’s simple and effective.

You can also buy over-the-counter eardrops containing an antiseptic. If you’re prone to ear infections it’s probably wise to wear a waterproof swimcap over the ears and use the drops both before and after a swim.

Avoid earplugs, since these can trap infection inside the ear! You can prepare your own eardrops from a combination of half vinegar and half hydrogen peroxide, although this solution has a shelf life of only a week. You can also use vinegar on its own; it restores the acidity of the ear. Buy an empty glass bottle with a short, stubby nozzle, sterilize it in boiling water and use for storing the mixture.

These solutions should only be preventive measures and should not be used to treat swimmer’s ear.

In severe cases where there is some kind of discharge, it is best to consult your doctor since a serious infection can have a consequence on your health.

The winter months mean a break from training for most of us. This time of year is either the “off-season” or the “preseason” depending on which way you look at it.  The winter months are the best time of year to invest in an area of training often overlooked by triathletes.  Strength training.  Strength training benefits triathletes in three main ways:

Injury prevention

Pre-season strength training focusing in particular on the shoulders and the hips can help avoid injuries to these two vulnerable areas.  The shoulders are susceptible to injury due to the freestyle swim which places strain on the front of the body and not on the back.  The back shoulder muscles should be strengthened with exercises that focus on the rear deltoids.  The result is stronger and more balanced shoulders that are capable of reducing stronger swim times and avoiding injury.

The hips are the other vulnerable area of a triathletes body.  The repetitive nature of running and cycling focuses strain on the same hip muscles.  By doing strength exercises that focus on the lateral movement of the legs rather than be surely forward motion in cycling and running you will strengthen the hips and help avoid injury.

Core Strength

As our triathletes your core stabilizes your body as you swim, cycle and run.  Your core connects and anchors your upper body to the lower body and controls the co-ordinated movement.  It includes the lower back and the deep abdominal muscles.  Rather than doing forward crunches, do multi-limb movements such as the plank and adding rotation exercises to standard exercises like chest press.

Greater Power

By adding strength exercises to your preseason training you will be able to take your performance to the next level.  Speed and endurance improve with greater power.  Faster swim times often depend upon developing a stronger pool and writing faster on the bike is a direct result of greater power.  You just need to look at the expensive power monitors that professional cyclists use to see proof of this.  Running faster is made possible by more powerful foot strides.  By including exercises like squats, lunges, calf raises, and tricep extensions, you will notice more powerful swim strokes and legs.

During their preseason try and include one if not two strength training sessions into your off season training plan.  Do two or three sets 20 repetitions with moderate resistance.  After 3 to 4 weeks you will notice improved performance which will be carried into the start of the racing season.

Triathlon strength training should not be overlooked by the training triathlete. It’s important that you have powerful muscles on the day of the big race.

Triathletes often make the mistake of neglecting the weight training aspect of their sport. Triathlons don’t involve any activities that directly require great strength. There’s no kicking, no body checking, no trying to knock the cover off a ball, no power lifting, and not even any vertical leaping. Many believe that weight training will bulk them up, thus slowing them down by adding extra weight.

Triathletes need more strength than just what the specific skill sets in a triathlon will give them. Triathlon strength training is about more than just making yourself able to “grip” the water more during your swim, push the pedals to the max during heartbreaking uphill climbs, and being able to give a great kick at the end of the arduous distance run.

Your strength training is just as much about preventing injury. You are less prone to injury, your muscles are leaner so that you gain power without putting on unwanted (fat-based) weight, and you actually are helping your metabolism to increase so you gain speed and endurance, not lose them.

For the triathlete, it is indeed important to strike that perfect balance between size and strength, and speed, leanness, and agility. So the question becomes: what’s the optimal way for a triathlete to approach weight training?

It’s usually best for the triathlete to make use of body weight resistance exercises. Some machine use and some free weights can used to supplement body weight exercises. Body weight resistance training results in lean, strong muscles with explosive power. The types of exercises that comprise this type of weight training also can help the triathlete build endurance, because they involve plyometrics and many repetitions.

The Best Weight Training Exercises

The best body weight resistance weight exercises for the triathlete are pull-ups, push-ups, dips, and lunges.

All of these should be done for 16 to 32 reps at a time.

In addition to this, squats are the best universal weight training exercise there is. Squats will build up strong legs, back and the ‘core’ stomach muscles.

You should focus on is “core strength” training. Core strength training will improve your swimming power, your uphill climb and sprint cycling speed, and your resistance to injury while running all at once.

Have you ever seen a triathlete in the final stages of the cycle leg of the race up in their upright handlebars rather than down on their tri bars in the aerodynamic tri pose? This is down to a lack of core strength.