Fitness 2019 thread

[mongers]

So how are you doing, what are your plans?

Any mountains to climb?

[Liep]

Running and cycling a bit, in march I have 4 weeks to cycle around Portugal and southern Spain. I'll probably have to climb a mountain or two.

[Threviel]

Paternal leave has fattened me up, I'm up to 84 kg (13.23 stone for you brexiters) right now, and that's at least 10 too much.

So last Friday I went running, we have a treadmill in the garage, so the kids were milling around in there with me. And today I ran again.

I have issues with my knees, so I take it easy. Fridays run was 4 km (20 furlongs for..) and today was 3 km (meh, you can convert for yourself). I also did some exercise with the exercise ball. That is brutal for my stomach muscles, but again, I take it easy.

My plan is to be in better shape when it's time for our motor home trip. It would be nice to go jogging and also to buy some clothes. And there's a 10 km run with my work in August, would be nice to do that comfortably under the hour so I try to keep 6 min/km. (about 17000 furlongs/fortnight)

[Tamas]

I am keeping a decent weight (81kg) mostly by minimising carbo-intake (within reason). This year I'll need to supplement it with ample cardio as my fitness is lacking and I think I am getting to the age where my heart starts suffering for it.

[Threviel]

And on the minus side I'm baking a Bienenstich right now. https://www.oetker.de/rezepte/r/bienenstich-klassisch.html

[Grey Fox]

I run about 3 km 4 times a week on my threadmill. It's been a year since I've started to run the improvement has been substansial but my feet still ache while running. Shins are getting better but will have difficulty if I push the speed up to high.

Learning how to run when you are over 30 isn't easy for the body or the mind.

(I have lost no weight, don't care to. Muscle - Fat offset has kept me at 180lbs.)

[Liep]

I have issues with my knees, so I take it easy.

Beginning to feel that as well and was shown a technique to lessen the strain on the knees. It's basically a faster cadence and lifting the knees a bit more, it makes you land on the front of the foot instead of the heel and it takes some of the shock absorption from the knee. It's bloody hard on the lungs though.

[Threviel]

I have issues with my knees, so I take it easy.

Beginning to feel that as well and was shown a technique to lessen the strain on the knees. It's basically a faster cadence and lifting the knees a bit more, it makes you land on the front of the foot instead of the heel and it takes some of the shock absorption from the knee. It's bloody hard on the lungs though.

I've heard about that, if they get worse I will have to learn it. If I take it easy on the treadmill my knees aren't too bad. I run with a 1 or 2 degrees upward slope all the time. We have a very nice gravel road in the forest just behind my house, a 5 km run with about 140 height meters. It's very beautiful and one sometimes gets to see wild animals. I once rounded a corner and ran into a family of elks lying down having a rest. I went full Usain Bolt the other way.

But I can't really run it regularly, the downward slope absolutely kills my knees.

[Tamas]

Running is horrible on the knees. Switch to a bike.

[mongers]

Running is horrible on the knees. Switch to a bike.

Word. 

[Threviel]

I have a not very good mountain bike and also I sometimes cycle with the kids on a trailer behind. It's just that I find cycling so very boring. To get the same exercise as running I have to spend more time on something that is absolutely mind-numbingly boring.

That said, I am trying to convince the wife of our need for an exercise bike in the garage. Slow progress so far.

[Tamas]

I have a not very good mountain bike and also I sometimes cycle with the kids on a trailer behind. It's just that I find cycling so very boring. To get the same exercise as running I have to spend more time on something that is absolutely mind-numbingly boring.

That said, I am trying to convince the wife of our need for an exercise bike in the garage. Slow progress so far.

You need an exercise bike where there's a TV. I find it helps. It is absolutely boring to sit on a stationary bike

[Threviel]

Yeah, I usually listens to podcasts or something. I find that it helps to have something to think on when on the treadmill, otherwise I just keep looking at the clock.

[mongers]

I have a not very good mountain bike and also I sometimes cycle with the kids on a trailer behind. It's just that I find cycling so very boring. To get the same exercise as running I have to spend more time on something that is absolutely mind-numbingly boring.

That said, I am trying to convince the wife of our need for an exercise bike in the garage. Slow progress so far.

I think the problem here is regarding it as an extra onerous task you have to do.

A  better approach is to integrate it into one's daily life, be that sometimes cycling to work, doing some local shopping, visiting a friends, going down the pub etc.

So that it's just another mode of transport, which happens to get you fitter as an added bonus and will probably save you money, occasionally even saving some time if your local road traffic is anything like it is here.

[celedhring]

I'm back to 110 Kg 

I've been extremely sedentary these past 3 months and put on a lot of weight - job has been very intense. I started a proper diet and I'm back going to the gym regularly, so hopefully there will be progress.