Idle Workouts

[Twig]

I used to have shin pains every time I tried to run before this. I suspect its because I had a really hard time running "correctly" with shoes on. My running now is always barefoot or in socks on a treadmill. My legs are never sore now that I've gotten past the first week, and that was just muscle ache, not shin pain.

This is a just personal experience though and I have no idea if its even true or if I just got better at running somehow. Either way, socks on treadmill probably not a good idea. I've never even come close to slipping but everyone always warns me of it.

[ariskany_evan]

Was driving to yoga last week and saw a group of about 20 dudes running down the sidewalk on Sunset Blvd hauling heavy-looking tires and wearing crossfit shirts (there's a studio about 2 blocks away from where I saw them).  Some had looped around a bus stop and were making their way back.  Kind of terrifying!

 

So that said, I'll stick with my yoga practice for now, though I need to start getting more aerobic stuff going on as my metabolism is finally giving out (and I don't feel like making changes to my eating/drinking habits just yet).

[Griddlelol]

I see a lot of people in here running. I loathe running! I find it incredibly boring; how do you guys push yourself to do it? I know 5K isn't exactly a long run, but I still find the whole thing tedious.

I do work out a lot, I've recently been pushing the whole tabata training thing. It's really fun! Unfortunately for me, 10 years of playing rugby have made me incredibly injury prone now. I just recovered from a shoulder injury, still have a back injury and a wrist injury. I like to play contact sports and lift weights. It's the stuff that gets me interested, but with all these damn injuries I feel like I should try something a bit softer like running.

[Nachimir]

Music. I suspect I might not need that now I live somewhere with a lot of good views, but it made a massive difference for me when I was running in cities.

Also, keeping running to the point where you get an endorphin rush. When I first started it took some weeks of training and discipline before I got to that instead of feeling sick.

Running with someone else is a great way to keep each other motivated, too.

[Griddlelol]

Yeah that's definitely part of the issue, the city I live in is ugly as sin. Plus when I do occasionally run there's always some smartass who decides to shout out their car window at me. 

 

I tried running with my partner, but she likes to go slow. So slow that I could probably walk to keep up. I like to go at quite a fast pace. 

[Merus]

I enjoy running because the scenery changes. I do have access to parks and beachside paths, which makes a difference, but I also have a game in my headphones that mixes things up.

 

So I managed to get over the 5k plateau! 6ks! I hope to get to 10ks by August, or even better 14ks, or ideally 14ks in 90 minutes which means that I'll qualify for the restricted categories in the City to Surf in August.

[Nachimir]

Yeah that's definitely part of the issue, the city I live in is ugly as sin. Plus when I do occasionally run there's always some smartass who decides to shout out their car window at me.

 

Hmm, maybe the canals? I don't know Manchester very well yet, but I'm not far away (Todmorden) if you fancy some fell running (It's pretty brutal compared to the hills where I came from)

Earphones are great for blocking out twats who shout from cars.

 

Workout news: I went on a long bike ride and injured my foot :/

[Badfinger]

I found out today that I've been doing squats and burpees a little incorrectly. What a difference in the workout, wow.

 

 

I also loathe running. High five.

[Griddlelol]

I tried the canal run with my girlfriend before. It's certainly more pretty than other runs I've done, but you still end up going into industrial grey areas. Also, the paths are prime for twisting your ankle with loads of stones and pot holes.

I realised the same thing a few weeks back with squats! Wasn't going low enough, saw some guy in the gym doing it right and looked it up online. I had to drop the weight down, but now I'm back to were I was before and it's so much harder. Squats are one of the few weight lifting exercises that make my whole body tired. Such a fantastic exercise to do.

[Twig]

I have not run for a week and a half because I traveled to Washington for some stuff and thus out of my comfort zone (plus I don't have running shoes, which I will be buying when I get back). It is worst. I will have to do a bit of catching up to where I was before I stopped. I've also been eating like shit because the person I'm staying with eats like complete shit (he is... the largest man I know... he gets a pizza and... and he puts SALT on the pizza), and it sort of rubs off on me because goddamnit I love pizza.

 

Luckily I go back home tomorrow and will be out of this terrible environment.

[Twig]

Heyyyyy it's been a while since I ran (almost two weeks!), so take what I say with that in mind.

 

I got some running shoes. They fit well, my feet don't slide around and don't feel too constricted. I wore them for this morning's run. Almost immediately after I started running after the warm-up walk, both the arch of my left foot and my right knee started hurting. I finished up five minutes of running (following to the current step of the C25K program, which I decided to go back a couple days on to catch back up and reacquaint myself with running) and took my shoes off to run barefoot (on treadmill) as an experiment. No pain on either of my feet or either of my knees. I finished the run without the shoes on. The only thing that hurt were my muscles that I hadn't used for two weeks, which is the right kind of hurt.

 

So, I can't run with shoes on? That sucks. I want to eventually start running outside, but obviously I don't want to do it barefoot.

[Erkki]

I don't know much about running, but maybe shoes aren't meant to be great on a treadmill? Your body weight probably moves differently on a treadmill than on still ground. If I were you, I would try them out outside.

 

That said, I've been wondering if some of the problems I had with running were also wrong shoes. Some years ago I ran pretty long barefoot on a beach, later I've always tried with shoes on forest tracks and couldn't run for very long. I heard there's a shop nearby that can measure one's feet and recommend specific shoes for them -- I might try that.

[Twig]

I've typically run outside (or on tracks) in the past, in shoes of course, and always experienced at least right knee pain. Such that I can completely rely on it happening and it was the biggest limiting factor in me actually running! That's why, in some earlier posts in this thread, I was asking a lot about barefoot running. I honestly think maybe I'm just not made for running in shoes! I think you're right that I should at least try it once, which I may do next week once I get back into the swing of things, but I'm not too optimistic.

 

Might also have to look into those toed-shoes even though they're totally aesthetically unappealing.

[Nachimir]

There are also non-toed shoes designed to mimic barefoot running as closely as possible, like Nike Free. Probably don't get as close to it as Vibrams though.

[Argobot]

Twig, have you ever been fitted for running shoes at a professional store? The better ones will often make you run in the shoes before you buy them, to make sure that your body distribution is correct. I've done that before and it has generally worked out for me.

I ran my first 10k Sunday around Seattle's Lake Union. It was a beautiful course and despite some lingering soreness, I'm pretty happy with how it went.

[Twig]

No, I have not. I guess I should.

[Griddlelol]

I feel incredibly pretentious saying this, but you need to either get fitted, or do a lot of research. Getting a good running shoe is kinda hard, and can get expensive. I never knew I had flat feet until I tried to buy a running shoe.

[Nachimir]

It's not pretentious. I had years of injuries trying to run in the wrong shoes, and it didn't take much to find out what shoes were right for me.

 

Twig, try a wet footprint test, and look at the wear patterns on all your other pairs of shoes. Those plus about one minute on google will tell you most of what you need to know, and a professional running shop will give you the exact right advice.

[Twig]

I don't think it's pretentious either! I'm new to all of this so I'll take any advice. The problem is I don't really have money and I don't know how expensive it'll be to do all this or to buy the right shoes now.

I think one of my feet is flat, and the other is not, if I remember correctly. Probably my left foot is the flat one, since it's the one that hurt when I ran yesterday.

[Erkki]

I just did some kind of foot test at a sports store and bought running shoes for my foot type (flattish). They were also offering custom-made soles, which I think I will also get -- I found out my Achilles heel is bent a lot inwards while standing, but it should be straight above the base of the heel.

[Erkki]

Went running today! At first it seemed impossible, like I would not be able to run more than 2-3km and it was really hard. I tried some tips a colleague gave me: keep cadence at 180bpm, change speed by changing length of steps, look straight ahead. I used a metronome so no music at first. Then I got to a place where I could do some stretches and decided to go for a bit longer run instead of turning back. I put on music and that made such a difference -- through the metronome I could hear my breath too much and it really bothered me, so I think the biggest effect of the music was to not make me hear how wrong my breathing was

 

Ran about 6,6km, but I lost feeling in my feet for the last 2km. I think I should probably take it slower...

[Erkki]

Went running again today -- same route but had more regular walking sections: 6min run + 1.5min walk, repeat 6 times. I guess I might want to keep going with this, looks like I'm at about Fri/Sat of Week 3 of this 8 week program (http://www.runnersworld.com/getting-started/the-8-week-beginners-program?page=single) but I have to juggle this with other exercise.

[Erkki]

I think I've established that even doing a lot of workouts is useless for weight loss when combined with shit eating habits. After 2+ months of working out almost daily, sometimes up to 9 times a week, I still haven't lost a kilogram (may have lost 1-2 cm from waist, though). Meanwhile I basically dropped my low-carb diet as I couldn't focus on the diet any more with other stuff going on. I also drank a beer almost daily, due to various reasons, sometimes just due to having some excellent beers in the fridge.

 

But I got totally addicted to working out daily and now I feel bad when I miss a day.

 

I may go back to the low-carb diet, but have to gather some willpower...

[Merus]

Yeah, almost always for weight loss the diet is the problem. Exercise is important, but if you're not seeing weight loss results and you exercise regularly (2-3 times a week), it might be worth re-examining your diet. Carrots, for instance, are a delicious snack, and somehow I forgot this.

[dibs]

Yeah, almost always for weight loss the diet is the problem. Exercise is important, but if you're not seeing weight loss results and you exercise regularly (2-3 times a week), it might be worth re-examining your diet. Carrots, for instance, are a delicious snack, and somehow I forgot this.

 

Probably caus they are not as delicious a snack as you are trying to convince yourself they are:P

I do best when i keep a food diary. Its amazing when you look back and see just how much of your calories come from completely unnecessary snacks and treats. I was driving for around 3 hours last night and ate a bag of crisps, popcorn, 2 kinder hippos and 3 kinds maxi bars. Srsly, i have to break the snack while driving thing.