HElp Center

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.

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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.)

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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.
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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.

But 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 presently battling an illness or just battled illness in the days leading up to the race, 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 or the training you've done.‍

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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):

1. 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.
   
   
2. Open up your training plan to today's date, and do the workout prescribed for that day.
   
   
3. 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.

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‍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.

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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.

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If you can't follow your training plan at all for a week or less:

There's not much to worry about. You won't lose your fitness in a week, so if you're totally unable to be active, you'll be okay. In fact, complete rest may mean you are extra refreshed and ready to nail your workouts when you're back at it!

If you CAN find ways to be active, definitely do it but don't stress about the details or duration.

But, when you're ready to come back, remember: 

‍DO NOT TRY TO MAKE UP WORKOUTS THAT HAVE BEEN MISSED!

In training, athletes should never look backward, only forward.  Just start training on the present calendar date when you return to your MōTTIV workouts. If you try to make up workouts, you'll only dig yourself into a hole.

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If you can't follow your training plan for one to two weeks:

Make an attempt to get as much physical activity as you can during that time, even if it's not what your plan prescribes. If you're on vacation and staying in hotels, try and find time to use the treadmill, stationary bike, or hotel pool and do what you can.

If you don't have access to a gym, try and go for some long walks or hikes. Some cities even have short-term bike rentals which you can use to get your legs turning over. If you can match some physical activity to something in your training plan, great, but don't do anything that could push you toward injury.

And again, when you're ready to get back to your plan, DO NOT TRY TO MAKE UP WORKOUTS THAT HAVE BEEN MISSED!

‍Just start with the training you're prescribed today and move forward. If the workouts feel a little bit tough, keep doing as much as you can until you're back up to par.

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If you can't follow your training plan for a month or longer:

With a layoff of multiple weeks in the middle of a training plan, it's going to be very challenging to fit in enough training to get you to your race goals. Depending on the distance of race you're doing and how fit you were before the layoff, you may still be able to finish the race but you will likely have to adjust your time/finish goals.
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For some, a month (or longer) layoff will be too long away from training to be able to complete the race. If that's the case, you may want to re-schedule to a race at a time when you don't have to take a lengthy break in the middle of training.

If you find your workouts are too challenging when you get back to your training plan, refer to the 10% Rule as a guideline for how to build back up to your previous level of training.

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