It’s a common question. Why am I getting injured on an annual basis?
As far as I can tell, there are a few factors:
1. My right hip bone is higher and rotated forward a tad, which puts a little curve in my lower spine. I recall an incident when I did something stupid on a bike (ironically) when I was pretty young that probably caused that. A chiro I’ve seen suggests it’s probably not fixable because it’s been in place for so long, but consistent soft tissue and chiropractic work could keep me going. You can imagine that this puts a strain on things and results in various compensations. Eventually, something blows, and I’m injured.
2. I’m just not built for lots of volume. Even though I make it through multi-week high volume builds, I pay a big price trying to recover. One big week, no problem. Two maybe. Three in a row– too much. A high volume to me is 14-18 hours.
3. I have various food allergies and sensitivities– mainly anything having to do with wheat, gluten and dairy is a problem too. I’ve managed to eliminate the problems, but you’d be suprised how stuff can sneak in. Sometimes a harmless container of nuts might be processed on equipment that also processes wheat. Most recently, the Vitamin E of a ‘leaky gut’ supplement was derived from wheat and I didn’t notice that on the label right away. These allergens sneak their way into me one way or the other. Takes constant vigilance. So why is this a problem? Well, symptoms include swelling, gastro distress, skin rash, skin is fragile and doesn’t heal well, etc. Recovery when I’m dealing with the allergies is reduced I would presume, but in addition, the gastro distress seems to disrupt how well I use some of my core muscles and by training through that, I set myself up for strength imbalances.
So these are the reasons. As far as I can tell.
So here’s the plan:
1. Build periods no longer than 16 days (2 weeks with 3 weekends). Less volume overall, rest day every week including big weeks. Focus on 3 key workouts and if life prevents or shortens other workouts, so what. Don’t get into comparing my training hours with others.
2. If I feel something getting out of balance, I need to be vigilant about backing off and getting it fixed instead of hoping I can finish the build and rest it off.
3. Keep trying to stay clear of food allergens.
4. If training fatigue starts to dull my brain for work, that means it’s time for a rest day. No exceptions.
5. Keep it fun.
rule 5 should be at the top!