Sports
Viça Saraiva on Past Extreme Training and Recent Surgeries
At 48, the triathlete reflects on extreme training volume in the 2000s and how his body paid the price decades later.
In a candid conversation, Viça Saraiva looks back on his massive training routines from the early 2000s and reflects on cumulative wear and tear. The triathlete details a series of recent surgeries and explains how he now pursues athletic longevity responsibly.
For anyone who has followed Brazilian triathlon over the decades, the name Viça Saraiva is a benchmark of dedication and history in the sport. At 48 and still actively competing, the athlete looked back on Café com Tri at the heavy training routines of his youth and how excessive past volume took a significant physical toll decades later.
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Brutal weeks and the eventual toll
When asked what he did in his mid-20s or 30s that would be impossible to repeat today, Viça was emphatic: excessive volume. Recalling his preparation for the inaugural Ironman Brazil in Florianópolis in 2001, he detailed the routine designed by coach Beto França. Although the standard baseline at the time was already the traditional "60 10" (a 60 km bike ride followed by a 10 km run), certain peak weeks reached extreme levels.
During one of those weeks, the schedule racked up a 120 km ride and a 20 km run on Tuesday, a 28 km run on Wednesday, a 120 km ride on Thursday, over 20 km of running on Friday, a 120 km ride on Saturday, and a brick workout of 150 km on the bike followed by a 28 km run on Sunday—all alongside daily swim sessions. At the time, without modern power meters or heart rate zones (Z1, Z2), workouts were logged on paper and pace was tracked with Timex watches, logging splits of 4:10/km to 4:15/km. Viça notes that, even while performing at his peak, he knew deep down that such wear and tear would bring future consequences.
Three surgeries in 13 months
The physical toll came due roughly twenty years later. Starting in 2022, the triathlete underwent a series of three surgical procedures within just 13 months. The first operation was on his spine. During physical therapy, a meniscus tear suddenly emerged in his knee, requiring another surgery.
Shortly thereafter, severe rhizarthrosis developed in his hand. Despite struggling to close his hand after racing Ironman Mérida, Viça delayed surgery until the end of the season to compete in the Brazilian National Championship. The hand condition, exacerbated by genetic factors, requires injections and creates direct mechanical limitations when gripping the handlebars and performing everyday tasks.
Longevity and accountability at 48
Despite the surgical history and necessary adaptations, Viça continues to train and compete. He notes that very few triathletes from his generation in Brasília remain consistently active, pointing to peers like Kenny and João Carlos.
To sustain longevity in the sport, his current strategy avoids the excesses of the past. Continued competition demands discipline in volume management, focused recovery, and the understanding that preserving the body is essential for performing in the decades ahead.
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