Fitness 2010

[Brazen]

On Sunday I did eight miles at run 3, walk 2 minutes. Longest run EVAH!

It was freezing slush underfoot, and I have to confess I seriously wobbled over this one. I had contemplated doing it all on the dreadmill, but I find it so much harder, hotter and boring than real life. I considered finding a flat, clear road and running up and down it, but couldn't track down even a mile's worth. I thought seriously about giving up.

But I strapped on my new shoes with my extra bouncy insoles, dug out my Garmin, cued up The News Quiz and headed out towards what passes for countryside hereabouts.

After less than a mile, the dry pavements ran out. The first slug of slush that I kicked up onto my shiny white uppers soaked straight through my socks. Not long after, things got more rural, pavements got narrower, the way got more hilly and the slush got deeper, slippier and more in my shoes.

My half-way turning point hadn't come when I ran out of footpath entirely, so I diverted through the golf club for a bit. Deserted and white as far as the eye could see. I'd have relished it more if it hadn't started snowing again at that point...

The Garmin stopped receiving the satellite signal and refused to try again after 6.93 miles, so just as well I was doing an out-n-back and was past halfway! My phone seems more reliable at getting location signals (it uses wi-fi too), but it's a bit bulky when I want to travel light.

I came back numb from the waist downward and it took a half hour bath to feel human again. My new shoes look like they've lived a little now.

Disappointingly it took me a full two hours – the pace of a fast walk. But given the conditions I'm bloomin' proud of myself for doing it at all. I'm slightly dreading the fact it's just going to get further and harder every week until April though :S

[Liep]

Will start my marathon training with a little vacation to Tenerife, bikes will be rented and we shall tour the island with 100km every day, 60km on mountain stages. Should be tough and fun.

[Brazen]

New longest run EVAH - 9 miles at run 3 mins, walk 2 in 2hrs 11 and a half minutes. This makes my average speed 14.36 min miles or 4.1mph - at least it's a bit faster than walking 

[Monoriu]

For some reason I keep injuring myself.  My knees now seem to behave.  But the side/back of the torso is in trouble.  After using the Strider machine for 30 minutes, every time I move there is intense pain. 

[Iormlund]

I'm seriously considering setting up a tiny gym at home (bench, dumbells, whatever I can fit on such a small space). Anyone has any experience or advice?

[Monoriu]

I'm seriously considering setting up a tiny gym at home (bench, dumbells, whatever I can fit on such a small space). Anyone has any experience or advice?

I considered buying a small running machine.  One look at the living room convinced me that I don't have that kind of space. 

Advice: buy a bigger place.

[BuddhaRhubarb]

been really slack on the food front lately. cold dark and rainy weather has kept me indoors this winter. Starting today, less lazy from me. Less snacking. My evening snack attacks have been getting cleverer and more enticing recently. I really don't want to start packing on the weight again. So, if I don't go for a walk, run etc, then I'm doing the step machine at home whenever I get the snack urge in the evenings.

It's tough trying to change a lifetime of sedentary-ness sometimes I stumble and fall back, but unlike the pre-high BP days I catch myself now and put a halt to the madness before I get back up over my goal weight which I achieved last year.

[Cecil]

Beach 2010 here I come.

[Martinus]

Today I joined "Pure" - a gym/sauna/bath, which is apparently one of the most high end fitness clubs in Warsaw. It also advertises actively on gay websites. I got a discount membership on a referral programme from a current member, who happens to be my last Friday's date. Active sports life here I come. 

[merithyn]

Due to some gallbladder issues, I'm on a low-fat, lean meat diet that doesn't include caffeine or chocolate for the next 21 days. It does, however, include copious amounts of lemon juice, apples and apple juice. Yay?

I've also been exercising no less than four days a week. Not seriously killing myself, but certainly getting my heart rate up and putting my muscles through the wringer. And all of it is starting to pay off. I think I'm actually getting a waist again.

[Berkut]

So I started playing basketball again on Sunday mornings, and did something to the somethingatic nerve in my lower right back, just before XMas. Excruciatingly painful, I must say. This is actually a re-injury of an old injury, from a couple years ago.

Had to take about a week off of officiating, which sucked rocks. It felt a bit better, so I started reffing again.

Did the same thing while reffing a game about a week ago. Not quite as bad this time, still had to turn in a weekends worth of games.

Saw the doc, she said I had a chronic injury that was going keep flaring up. Basically there is something structural about my lower back on that side, and it would be prone to injury until I strengthened it. However, I cannot strengthen it until the immediate injury is resolved, because there is too much inflammation and swelling.

She told me to take the rest of the eyar off from officiating, let the immediate injury heal, THEN do some physical therapy (she recommended Yoga and then Pilates), THEN start up activity again.

Taking the rest of the season off isn't an option though, so I am just going to do my best to take it easy during games, and avoid sudden changes in direction, and hope for the best.

back problems really suck.

[Ed Anger]

I ate half a pecan pie yesterday.

[garbon]

Today, I've consumed 2 glasses of orange juice and a glass of the foulest sangria I've ever made ().

[Brazen]

Did a very slow 10 miler last week at 3 mins running, 1 walking, mainly because the way out was almost entirely uphill which left me with nothing in the tank coming back.

This week did  12 miles at 2 mins running, 2 walking, total time 2 hours 57. My average speed was faster than last week even though less of it was running!
Seems 4.1 mph average is my go-too speed as I've done this for nearly all my long runs except last week, which I think puts me in for a 6 hour 20 Marathon. That's a bit depressing.

[Jaron]

I lost 7 pounds this month. Weird, because I wasn't even dieting.