EP 387: Surf Life Saving & Ironman Racing: Performance, Recovery & Top Athlete Habits (Part 2)

In episode 387 of The Physical Performance Show, host Tim Studley picks up part two of his conversation with fellow Pogo Physio physiotherapist Lewis Craig, continuing last week's deep dive into surf life saving and Ironman racing. This episode shifts focus from injury patterns to managing niggles, optimising performance, and the habits that separate top-tier surf ironman athletes from the rest.

Tim and Lewis discuss the collaborative decision-making involved in managing a recurring niggle, the key training and screening recommendations every surf life saving athlete should have in place, the lessons Lewis has learned working with elite athletes in the sport, and his top tips for improving performance — from sand-specific training to fuelling properly for a demanding training load.

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IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL HEAR:

A recap: this episode picks up where Part 1 (episode 386) left off, continuing the discussion on surf life saving and Ironman racing

Managing recurring niggles: why the decision to rest or continue training should be a collaborative one between physio, athlete and coach

How timing within the season affects the risk-benefit of resting versus maintaining training load

Why a first-time niggle warrants a more cautious, rest-forward approach compared to a chronic, familiar issue

Practical ways to modify training around a niggle — for example, adjusting swim technique (removing paddles, adding kick, more dry-land warm-up) rather than stopping entirely

The physiotherapist's role in performance: keeping athletes pain-free and injury-free so coaches can focus on skill and aerobic development

Baseline recommendations for surf life saving athletes: two gym sessions per week, individual screening, consistent dry-land warm-ups, and tracking training load

How swimmers can track training intensity despite the difficulty of measuring heart rate in the pool, including simple session RPE-based load tracking

Why tracking training load matters most when returning from injury or time out of the sport

The performance and injury-reduction upside of athlete and team awareness around REDs and energy availability

The value of a collaborative support team: coach, physio, dietician, sports psychologist and massage therapist working together

Lessons learned from working with elite surf life saving athletes, including individual variation in pain tolerance, treatment preferences and communication style

Common themes among top athletes: professionalism, a genuine quest for knowledge about their bodies and training, and long-term training consistency

Lewis's top three tips for improving performance: sand-specific training with a focus on calf and lower-limb capacity, prioritising shoulder health from a young age, and taking fuelling seriously

The best piece of performance advice Lewis has been given: you can only benefit from the training you can recover from

Closing thoughts on the sport deserving more attention, and interest in having surf life saving athletes themselves on the show in future

QUOTES / TAKEAWAYS:

"It should always probably be a collaborative decision between the physio treating the athlete, the athlete themselves, and the coach."

"Can I take one or two, three days now to maybe potentially avoid a bigger block or weeks of interrupted niggling soreness?"

"You can only benefit from the training you can recover from."

"Eat more than you think you need."

"There's a professionalism, there's a quest for knowledge, and then there's a consistency thing."

"It's trying not to confuse doing more with being best."

TIME STAMPS:

00:17 – Episode introduction and breakthrough experience

00:23 – Episode 387 introduction: Part 2 with Lewis Craig on surf life saving

02:22 – Managing a recurring niggle: how to approach the decision to rest or train through

03:20 – Timing within the season and its effect on rest decisions

04:20 – Why a first-time niggle warrants a more cautious approach

04:50 – Modifying training instead of stopping: examples from swimming

05:47 – The physio's role in performance: keeping athletes pain-free so coaches can coach

06:46 – Baseline recommendations: two gym sessions per week

07:41 – Screening to identify individual injury risk factors

08:06 – The value of consistent dry-land warm-ups

09:06 – Tracking training load and intensity in swimming

10:35 – Session RPE and simple load-tracking methods

11:06 – Why tracking load matters most when returning from injury

11:36 – Awareness of REDs and low energy availability

12:05 – Recap: gym, screening, warm-ups, training load, energy awareness, support team

12:32 – Lessons learned from working with elite surf life saving athletes

13:30 – Individual variation in athlete preferences and pain tolerance

13:59 – Common themes among top athletes: professionalism and consistency

15:24 – Lewis's top three tips for improving performance

16:22 – Recap: sand-specific training, shoulder health, fuelling

16:52 – The importance of eating enough to support training load

17:17 – The best performance advice: recovering from training, not just doing more

18:15 – Closing thoughts and interest in future athlete guests

18:45 – Episode close and thanks to Lewis Craig

19:17 – Recap of the two-part surf life saving discussion

19:36 – Pogo Physio Telehealth Consultations and closing details

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YOUR HOSTS:

🏃‍♂️‍➡️ Timothy Studley - Physiotherapist: Instagram @timothy_physio

💪 Lewis Craig - Physiotherapist and Clinical Lead, Pogo Physio: Instagram @_lewiscraig_

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