Training Thursday

Saturday, August 14th 2010

The Luray Triathlon is set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the beautiful town of Luray. A two loop swim in pristine Lake Arrowhead gets athletes ready for the 25 mile bike on paved roads surrounded by the woods and farms of the Shenandoah Valley. The 10K is an out and back with rolling hills and all on the roads of Page County.

So, this is the race I'm training for. Or, will be training for. My sister gave me my first week's training schedule and I have yet to start it. (Please don't tell her) 

I will be doing the 10K run part of the race with my sister doing the 25 mile bike ride. We still need some sucker one to do the swim in Lake Arrowhead, so if anyone is interested, please let me know. Carter, do I see a plane trip in your future? 

Week 1: Getting Started

• Time: Start with a daily 15 minute walk at an easy pace. Weekly total goal: 60 - 75 minutes.

• Walk five days the first week. We want to build a habit, so consistency is important. Spread out your rest days, such as making day 3 a rest day and day 6 a rest day.

• Shin Splints: a common problem for beginners is feeling the pain of shin splints during their first week or two of walking training.

The hardest part for me will be the shin splints. I always get them. It never fails and is probably why I haven't started training yet. My goal is to go for a walk Friday morning before work and again on Saturday, rest on Sunday and then pick it back up for Monday and Tuesday mornings.