Day Zero Action Plan: handling a niggle before it gets serious

This is your immediate action plan when a niggle or injury sets in with training.

Many athletes make the mistake of either doing nothing or trying to do everything.

The key is somewhere in the middle. Niggles often need a little rest, a drop in volume, and one or two targeted exercises. There is no need to try every recovery method out there.

Save this email for the next time you notice a niggle.

(Quick note: Today I am mostly referring to training niggles, things that pop up in the middle of training, and any traumatic or fall-related injuries require a different approach. Skip this email and go right to a rehab pro if you had a traumatic injury)

What to avoid on day 0

Before we get into your action plan we need to highlight what to avoid the day that you get an injury.

Quick fixes don’t work.

Ice, pain meds, and other hacks will feel good at the moment but they might be slowing down your recovery. In the first 24-48 hours we want some inflammation in the area so that your body gets the materials it needs to heal.

Don’t throw everything you have at a niggle.

Stick to the action plan below.

Action Plan: what to do when you feel a niggle

Step 1: Unload the area

The best thing you can do immediately after noticing a niggle is to drop your training down and perform a quick unload.

• Drop any training that is extremely irritating to the area.
• Decrease overall training volume
• Avoid fast running and hills (these are common irritants)

The goal in the first 2-3 days is to make sure you’re not digging a bigger hole for yourself.

Step 2: Identify the structure at fault

We can change our approach slightly depending on what structure seems to be causing you some trouble.

This is a brief overview of common complaints.

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See a rehab pro if you want more help identifying the exact structure.

Step 3: Perform a pre-training screen

Before you continue with training try performing a quick screen.

Do you have:

• Pain when hopping on one leg?
• Pain with walking?
• Pain at rest?
• Has the pain worsened since day 0?

If you answer yes to any of these questions then there could be something bigger going on and it’s worth getting it looked at.

Step 4: Optimize recovery

The final step in this process is optimizing your recovery.

If you’re noticing a few niggles then likely 1 of 2 things are likley true. You’re training too much or you're recovering too poorly.

Training too much deserves its own note so here are some things to think about with recovery.

We want to try and optimize the big 4:

• Prioritize sleep. Aim to get 7-9 hours of high-quality sleep every night.
• Fuel your training. Make sure you are eating enough for the training (and rehab you will be doing).
• Balance training load. Aim for a balance of high and low-intensity work.
• Manage stress. Stress is stress, work, life and training all fill the same bucket. Recognize when the bucket might be getting too full.

Next Steps: When to Seek Professional Help

I have already mentioned a few instances but let's recap here so it’s clear.

Here are my big 3 of when you should ask for some professional rehab help (physio, chiro, athletic therapist, etc.)

• Did you fail the run screen?
• Are you feeling like your training is held back by niggles?
• Are you confused about what to do next for training and rehab?

If you answered YES to any of these it’s time to see a pro.

Otherwise, continue reading because I have something else that will help.

Introducing the Triathlon Rehab Toolkit

I’m in the process of creating this toolkit as a one-stop shop for athletes like you. Whether you’re dealing with a niggle on your own, finishing rehab with a professional or confused about how to build back your training, this toolkit has the template, frameworks and tools you need to get back to training.

​Click here to sign up for the waitlist and be the first to receive the tools you need to get back to training (you just need to click the link).​

That’s all for today!

Chandler