QUESTION: I have pain in a certain body part, what should I do?
Pain can be a result of many different things.
If you’ve rested the painful area and after three weeks you still experience pain, we'd advise you to see a sports-focused Physiotherapist or Athletic Therapist in your area as there could be something functional causing the injury/pain.
We do not advise athletes to continue training if they have a diagnosed injury. We are also not medical professionals and can not answer questions about specific injuries or other medical conditions. Please contact your doctor if you're unsure of what to do.
QUESTION: I've had an injury or a surgery, when can I start training again?
Please consult your doctor or your medical team to determine when it's safe to get back to training after an injury or serious illness. (See below for how to use the 10% rule to safely get back into training once you've been cleared to train again.)
QUESTION: What if I have a mild cold/flu/illness, should I still train?
If you come down with a seasonal virus like a head or chest cold, you may still feel well enough to train. If so, and if your doctor has given you permission, then go for it; sometimes a sweat session is good when you're under the weather. But listen to your body and don't overdo it.
If you find yourself sick with a full-body illness with body aches, chills, fever, headache, or extreme fatigue, it's likely better to just rest. And remember, illness happens to everyone. If you're sick, you're sick. Don't stress out about it. You won't do yourself any favours pushing too hard or pushing through a serious illness -- you may even set yourself back if you try to work out despite how you're feeling.
QUESTION: I've been sick in the days leading up to my race and/or I'm sick on race day. Should I race?
Whether you race or not is really up to you.
If you race while you're sick or within a few days of having an illness, don’t come in with a single expectation. If you've been sick and you race with expectations of hitting times or other goals, you'll likely be super disappointed. This is because your body simply can not function optimally if you're battling an illness, no matter how hard you have trained.
If you choose to race during or right after an illness, expect the race to feel awful but remember, it is NOT indicative of the athlete you are.
QUESTION: I was too sick to train for several days, how to I get back into my training?
If you're down and out with an illness that keeps you in bed for a several days and you're forced to miss training, here's how to ease back into training (as long as your doctor has given you permission to do so):
- Forget about the missed workouts. This is a critical thing to remember: we never go backwards to make up missed workouts, we only move forward. If you've missed workouts, you've missed them, and that's okay. It will not derail your training, it does not mean you won't be ready for your race or have a good result in your race. Trying to play catch-up will do more harm than good.
- Open up your training plan to today's date, and do the workout prescribed for that day.
- Once you've started your workout, if you start missing intervals because you're still not feeling 100%, that means you're not ready to come back. Either finish the duration of the workout at a low intensity or cut it off altogether depending on how you feel and try again another day.
If you've missed enough time where you need to do a shorter version of the day's workout, use the 10% rule to get back to doing the full workouts as prescribed. The 10% rule is:
Week 1: Complete as much of today's workout as you can.
Week 2: Add 10% to the time or distance you completed from Week 1.
Week 3: Take your rest week.
Week 4: Add 10% to the time or distance you completed from Week 2
Repeat this process until you reach the prescribed distances.
QUESTION: How do I start training again after a surgery, COVID, or other serious illness?
Once you're cleared to return to training by a medical professional, start with the workouts you're being prescribed today, and follow the 10% rule. The 10% rule is:
Week 1: Complete as much of today's workout as you can.
Week 2: Add 10% to the time or distance you completed from Week 1.
Week 3: Take your rest week.
Week 4: Add 10% to the time or distance you completed from Week 2
Repeat this process until you reach the prescribed distances.
QUESTION: What do I do if I’m coming to the MōTTIV training app after an injury or a long training layoff?
After a long layoff for illness or injury, you re-start the same way you would when you started training the first time. Whether it's the first time on our plan or you've been injured, join us whenever you're ready and start with the workouts we prescribe to you.
And if you can't complete the workouts prescribed for you, complete what you can using the 10% rule:
Week 1: Complete as much of today's workout as you can.
Week 2: Add 10% to the time or distance you completed from Week 1.
Week 3: Take your rest week.
Week 4: Add 10% to the time or distance you completed from Week 2
Repeat this process until you reach the prescribed distances.