Subject: RE: Beginner - doing the March 27 tri I am sort of cramming a lot of training in prep for my event, stepping above the 10% increase a week rule. I track my resting heartbeat when I get up to insure I am not overtraining. (I now use a heart beat monitor to keep me in line. It is really useful! ) Also listen to the aches and pains of your body to make sure nothing is getting out of whack. When your first start there will be many. Just monitor that none are getting worse and work on technique to minimize injuries. Technique is everthing in the water and on the run. Make sure you get the best nutrition and plenty of rest. I suffer from lower back strains a few times a year, due to years of improper chair posture (desk job! ) and tight hamstrings. When I first started swimming my lower back was tight also: 3-4 swims a week, a few weeks later and it is fine. Lots of stretching (2x day ). The bike is really working me now. It took 3-4 times to get into the tuck in my spin class. And I still cannot ride more than 30 minutes on my road bike down on the aero bars before I feel my lower back. More stretching. I stopped pushing for a long stretch right after my workouts as I threw my back out on one of these after a long ride a couple of weeks ago. It really slowed my training. Now I try to stretch morning and night and don't overdo it. Keep it up, good luck. |