Episode summary
Emz, Tim and Cal talk about injuries in triathlon. They cover why injuries show up late in a build, the warning signs to watch for, and how to decide whether to race hurt. They also talk about why the people around you matter on race week. The episode opens with Cal's 2027 race plans.

What we cover

• 2027 race planning (1:04): Cal weighs 70.3 Cairns, Port Macquarie, Taupō, Vietnam (Da Nang, in May) and a possible Hawaii trip. His aim is to choose courses that play to your strengths.
• Allostatic load (5:06): Injuries often appear late in a build, when training stress adds to work, family and life stress. Some athletes do better on 15 hours a week than on 20.
• Common injuries (6:45): Tim sees calf, Achilles and hamstring injuries, plus lower back issues and bone stress injuries in iron-distance athletes. He cites a study of 26-week Ironman builds. In it, 56% of injuries were overuse and there was one acute injury per 1,000 training hours.
• Race-week stress and tapering (8:33): Travel, bike builds and a busy work life all add load. Taking load off before a race matters. Tim and Cal also discuss Christian Blummenfelt's 40K race-pace run the week before the Ironman World Championship.
• Racing hurt or not (13:37): Cal raced Port Mac with a calf strain and kept perspective. Emz shares why she skipped the start line this year after racing on a stress fracture in the past. A friend raced with a knee injury and is now facing a long layoff.
• Honest coaching (18:06): Tim says to get a coach or friend who will be honest, and to think long term.
• Warning signs (19:24): Tim watches for:
  • tightness in the same spot every morning that doesn't ease with a warm-up
  • performance drops
  • mood changes, poor sleep and dreading sessions
• Tendons and bones adapt more slowly than fitness does. Tim recommends a quick body check every morning.
• Managing niggles over a career (23:02): You build a toolbox of strategies over time. The balance is between being wrapped in cotton wool and pushing too far.
• Fuelling and weight (25:14): Emz talks about her stress fracture, under-fuelling and heavy training volume. She now weighs more and is fitter, stronger and faster.
• Your support crew (27:06): Cal and Tim discuss the pros who insulate themselves in race week, including Lucy Charles-Barclay, Jan Frodeno and Greg Bennett. They say the right people lower stress, and the wrong ones can push you in the wrong direction.

Key takeaways

1. Overuse injuries are the most common kind, and they often appear late in a build.
2. Treat a niggle early. A stress reaction caught early can mean about four weeks out instead of a stress fracture.
3. Training load is only part of total life load.
4. Choose honest, long-term-minded people for your team.
5. There is always another race.

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