Running/Jogging thread..

[CoCo]

Highly recommend early morning running because of the atmosphere - misty or sunny, plus it kick-starts your metabolism for the day.

Absolutely am a morning run person for many of the reasons you listed. Very peaceful.

 

[juck]

Holy moly! I am in the worst cardiovascular shape that I can remember.

I used to only run and not lift and my cardio was above average. Nothing special, but I could run.

Over the course of the last two years or so I switched from all cardio to all lifting. I gained much more muscle, however, it came at the expense of also picking up some extra lbs.

I've changed my diet almost entirely over the course of the last 9 weeks or so and the results have been great. In an attempt to lose the extra weight around my midsection I thought I'd get right back Into the swing of things with my old cardio routine, boy was I wrong.

I definitely have my work cut out for me. It's quite embarrassing how far I've fallen from a cardio standpoint! At least my weight is down, lol.

Ur where I was. I used to run a lot and was in great athletic shape.then I went to 75 lift/25 run and i gained loads of muscle but also fat. Now Im trying to shed and been running and biking probably 80/20 lift.Im up to about 15-20 miles a week jogging. Im steadily losing. Diet has been very restrictive. I noticed as u get older ur metabolism gets slower lol. Im losing and have lost 20 lbs but it comes off like 2 lbs a week lol.

 

[JBS]

To go along with adding cardio to my weekly routine, I have decided it is also time for me to work on my midsection!

Holy crap is my core WEAK! As I mentioned earlier, I used to run, then I switched to weight lifting. Never have I spent time on strengthening my core and I am paying for it now. My midsection isn't too fat, but it is definitely weak! I absolutely hate working out my abs..no wonder they are so weak.

Oh well, have to start somewhere. Mainly hav to get rid of these love handles on my obliques.

Anyone have any good AB exercises? FOR ROOKIES!???

 

[a_minimalist]

To go along with adding cardio to my weekly routine, I have decided it is also time for me to work on my midsection!

Holy crap is my core WEAK! As I mentioned earlier, I used to run, then I switched to weight lifting. Never have I spent time on strengthening my core and I am paying for it now. My midsection isn't too fat, but it is definitely weak! I absolutely hate working out my abs..no wonder they are so weak.

Oh well, have to start somewhere. Mainly hav to get rid of these love handles on my obliques.

Anyone have any good AB exercises? FOR ROOKIES!???

Planks and sit ups. Then work in leg lifts as your progress.

 

[juck]

Thing about abs is I noticed the best way to see them is by diet and cardio.

 

[juck]

Got 6.5 mi in today. Felt great. Nice weather.

 

[Wimbo]

I read the first few posts, but not the whole thread... so, forgive me if this has been covered. As awesome as the OP's routine is, I really suggest adding one or two heavy stretching/yoga sessions per week. Not like warm up stretching, but more like 60 minute sessions. I used to be heavy into cycling (100-150 road miles per week in rolling hills) + heavy lifting & I developed serious muscle imbalances that messed up my knees pretty bad & shortened my lower back muscles significantly. I have had one surgery & am looking at at least one more. The repetitive motion stuff (cycling, running) combined with strength training can exasperate the issue. Join a 1-2 day per week yoga class to substitute for some of the other stuff & you will be much better off for the long haul.

If you are apprehensive about yoga... you will be surprised when you get into a class. There are all varieties of fitness/flexibility/age in most classes. You will not feel out of place.

 

[juck]

I read the first few posts, but not the whole thread... so, forgive me if this has been covered. As awesome as the OP's routine is, I really suggest adding one or two heavy stretching/yoga sessions per week. Not like warm up stretching, but more like 60 minute sessions. I used to be heavy into cycling (100-150 road miles per week in rolling hills) + heavy lifting & I developed serious muscle imbalances that messed up my knees pretty bad & shortened my lower back muscles significantly. I have had one surgery & am looking at at least one more. The repetitive motion stuff (cycling, running) combined with strength training can exasperate the issue. Join a 1-2 day per week yoga class to substitute for some of the other stuff & you will be much better off for the long haul.

If you are apprehensive about yoga... you will be surprised when you get into a class. There are all varieties of fitness/flexibility/age in most classes. You will not feel out of place.

I agree. I have been doin a lil yoga routine before bed I also do inversion. It really stretched ya out. Thats unfortunate u developed this. Thats odd however. I never heard of anyone having this. How do u think u got the imbalances. I mean many many people have a mixed routine including every athlete everywhere. Not all of them do yoga.I dont lift real heavy anymore. I do no deads or squats anymore either. For legs I do lunges ,and leg extensions on both sides.

 

[juck]

4.5 miles today

 

[Wimbo]

I agree. I have been doin a lil yoga routine before bed I also do inversion. It really stretched ya out. Thats unfortunate u developed this. Thats odd however. I never heard of anyone having this. How do u think u got the imbalances. I mean many many people have a mixed routine including every athlete everywhere. Not all of them do yoga.I dont lift real heavy anymore. I do no deads or squats anymore either. For legs I do lunges ,and leg extensions on both sides.

Part of my problem was anatomical. I have chondromalasia (probably spelled that wrong). My femur and my kneecap dont line up right, and the repetitive motion caused damage over time. Lots of people get hurt because of imbalances, they just may not know it is the reason. Your body is born in a sort of natural balance. The push and pull muscles counter each other to keep your posture in line, but it is easy to mess that up. For example: a guy who benches all the time, but does not work his back very often will end up with shoulders that pull forward, causing the upper back to round over some, causing extra pressure on the spine, etc, etc. Same with someone who does a lot of sit-ups, but no lower back work... the imbalance impacts your posture, which cascades into several other problems. Same idea with strong quads but weak hamstrings. Not only muscles are impacted, but connective tissues as well. Ask an endurance athlete if they or someone they know have ever had an IT band issue, and how much pain that caused... it is debilitating. Heavy lifting shortens your muscles as they grow. Proper stretching is important to offset all of this, and allow your body the freedom of motion it was originally designed to have. I really messed up with all this... now in my 40's, I am trying to address the problems, but I have a long way to go.

 

[Hoofbite]

I'd love to be able to crank out 4-5 miles a day. My legs would literally cramp and knot well before that and I'd be crawling home.

Pretty sure my form is 100% hot garbage.

Gonna try to put some work on it and see if that pays off.

 

[a_minimalist]

I'd love to be able to crank out 4-5 miles a day. My legs would literally cramp and knot well before that and I'd be crawling home.

Pretty sure my form is 100% hot garbage.

Gonna try to put some work on it and see if that pays off.

If you go to a good running shoe store they can tell what is wrong and even offer a good shoe that will assist in correcting it. The one by me actually videotaped my feet while running to tell me what shoe would be best. I wish I went there before I developed plantar fasciitis from bad shoes and long runs.

 

[Hoofbite]

If you go to a good running shoe store they can tell what is wrong and even offer a good shoe that will assist in correcting it. The one by me actually videotaped my feet while running to tell me what shoe would be best. I wish I went there before I developed plantar fasciitis from bad shoes and long runs.

I went to the New Balance store just today and the guy there said it didn't look all that bad.

Of course, running for a couple strides and hitting a pressure mat is totally different than running for a few miles and reverting to old habits that are most likely the cause of my problems.

I picked up a pair of shoes, not so much on recommendation but more-so a combination of what he thought would be good, price and how they felt. They are wider than normal and I can feel a lot less pressure on the sides of my feet. Gonna give em a shot here soon.

 

[juck]

I went to the New Balance store just today and the guy there said it didn't look all that bad.

Of course, running for a couple strides and hitting a pressure mat is totally different than running for a few miles and reverting to old habits that are most likely the cause of my problems.

I picked up a pair of shoes, not so much on recommendation but more-so a combination of what he thought would be good, price and how they felt. They are wider than normal and I can feel a lot less pressure on the sides of my feet. Gonna give em a shot here soon.

Shoes are everything. I just got some Mizuno Wave Riders. Very impressed.