Subject: RE: Sprint Tri 2K5 Candidate Welcome to the Trispot. I'll see if I can offer some advice.
>With running, you have to make sure that your cardiovascular fitness and just plain physical toughness keep up with themselves. What I mean is that when someone begins running they sometimes get shin splints and other injuries just from the impact. Since you're in good shape, I'll assume you're not carrying too much extra weight, so personally I would skip the walking parts. You don't have to fly ahead of schedule, but maybe replace some of the walks with runs, stay on the same timetable, and see how you do.
>A mountain bike for training is totally fine. You'll even see a few at races. Plus, there's the old "train heavy, race light" saying, so a mountain bike will help in some ways.
>I think following the schedules to a T would be a good thing. I've been running way too many years, and I always get off of my schedules. Sometimes I get injured or overtrained or have disappointing times because of it. This year I'm finally following a marathon schedule exactly, and my running is better than it has been in a long time. The one exception to following the schedules is if you're body doesn't like it. Backing off or switching sports until you feel better usually doesn't hurt your progress much.
>Definitely enter races along the way. Short term goals will be motivating, and the races give you valuable experience. And they're just plain fun.
It's good to see you're excited about this. Be sure to let us know how you progress.
-dave |