The Work-Out Thread

[Peeps]

[verb_to_trust]

Outstanding

[verb_to_trust]

i would like to run a marathon. i have never run one. i have never run a race longer than a 5k.

stats: i'm 36 in march. 5'9" and 172 lbs. i should probably be closer to 162. had a double fracture on my lower right leg last spring/summer. i currently run 3 times a week (weight train the other days) for an hour at a time (treadmill - it's minnesota, and i've got young children who play in the kids' area at the ymca). i usually do the fat burn program, so there are intervals of incline. most days i go 6 miles. today i went 6 and 3/4. the most i've ever run in an hour is 8, but i suspect that may have contributed to those stress fractures.

i'd like to run one in under 4 hours. grandma's marathon in duluth, mn, is june 23rd. it's a fairly flat course. i'm considering it, but i suppose i need to make a decision soon if i'm going to train for it.

so.....thoughts from anyone who had done one? advice?

and a final question - what the hell do i do about my nips? mine are not large, but they often hurt at 4o minutes. i have mid-run nightmares where i look down and see 2 circles of blood.

Sounds like you have a decent start already. The trick here is that you're seeking a decent finishing time.

I would do five days a week with three "easy effort" runs, one speedwork/interval run, and one long run. To run a sub-4 marathon, you need to be running about 9-minute miles. I would do your "easy effort" runs at about 9:30. I would suggest mile repeats for speedwork and shoot for sub-8's. Work your way up to 5 or 6 mile repeats with no more than 4-minute breaks in between. Even if you can only do a couple of these at first, that's fine. Don't even look at your time for the long runs. Mileage is all that matters here. Make sure to set at least a .5 percent incline on the treadmill for easy effort, speedwork/interval, and long runs.
I like having Tuesday's and Saturday's off. That gives me one full weekend day with the family.
Don't take the day after your long run off. Running the day after your long run is always a good idea because it builds endurance and mentally gets you through those "I'm hurting and really want to stop" moments.

I know you live in Minn., but you need to get outside and run once in awhile. Man was not built for the treadmill alone.

Try to eat well. Make fruits and veggies at least 50% of your diet and carbs should make up most of the other 50%. Skip red meat altogether, unless you are feeling iron-deficient.

If your feeling really shitty or have family obligations, feel free to skip a day, but not two, and try not to skip your long run.

To avoid the nipple thing try applying Udder Butter or Bodyglide and wearing a tech (synthetic or 100% polyester) shirt. If that doesn't work, do the Band-aid thing. You might also find that it will stop when you start losing weight.

After you have your first marathon under your belt, I'll give you the minimalist rant.

This is good advice. I may take some of this to heart and use it myself. I'd love to to a full marathon in the fall.

[Strat]

You're going to be able to hump the schlitz now!

[Harry Lime]

Holy shit, son! Nice.

Your face in the Sept. 14th picture is priceless.

[Peeps]

yea, its like chris hansen finally caught me

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

I started eating better last week, and just now finished up on the treadmill, nothing special, went a mile switching between a 3mph walk and a 5mph jog, took right at 16 minutes. Again, nothing great but its my first time back on it in over 2 years. Plan to go again tomorrow

[Strat]

Im really proud of myself for the past year. The last few weeks have been really good.

With that being said - Holy fuck did I get drunk saturday night. Spent most of yesterday trying not to puke in public - ultimately failing at lunch. Ended up being a lazy ass all day yesterday and eating Thai food for dinner. Today was not much better. I had Wendy's and now im going to order a pizza. I feel like ass.

Bup bup. There we go.

back to the gym tomorrow.

[verb_to_trust]

For medical reasons, I haven't been drunk in over 7 months. I gotta say, I do not miss days like what you have described above.

[nyquillyn]

10 miles in 79 minutes

Hit the canals with the 2 older kids in the running stroller. Felt good, but I had no pep in my legs. Reached the turnaround in 40 and tried to pick it on the return, but I just didn't have it in me today. Finished in 79 after a shitty half-mile finishing kick. I'll use the stroller and 2 kids as an excuse, but really I just sucked today. Pretty terrible.

And , peeps! 10 more pounds and I'd totally do you.

[Strat]

For medical reasons, I haven't been drunk in over 7 months. I gotta say, I do not miss days like what you have described above.

I sometimes wish I had a medical reason Maybe not. That could be insensitive. I am seriously contemplating giving up getting drunk. Strict limit. Im too old for such tom foolery

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

10 miles in 79 minutes

Hit the canals with the 2 older kids in the running stroller. Felt good, but I had no pep in my legs. Reached the turnaround in 40 and tried to pick it on the return, but I just didn't have it in me today. Finished in 79 after a shitty half-mile finishing kick. I'll use the stroller and 2 kids as an excuse, but really I just sucked today. Pretty terrible.

And , peeps! 10 more pounds and I'd totally do you.

Damn, i don't think ill ever get to the point where i run 10 miles, let alone 10 miles in less then 100 minutes. Nice work, and i just hope to at least be back around a 10 minute mile in a few weeks

[verb_to_trust]

For medical reasons, I haven't been drunk in over 7 months. I gotta say, I do not miss days like what you have described above.

I sometimes wish I had a medical reason Maybe not. That could be insensitive. I am seriously contemplating giving up getting drunk. Strict limit. Im too old for such tom foolery

Getting drunk has its place. I am on a strict 2 drink limit, so I get to be the DD and survey landscape in such drunk havens as wedding receptions and sports bars. Never being impaired has its perks, but sometimes after a long week at work or when spinning Tom Waits vinyl it'd be nice to get hammered like the good old days...

[verb_to_trust]

Anybody got any advice on how to shave a few minutes (at least one) off of my 4 mile time before this winter fun run i'm doing Feb 2nd? I told my buddy if I didn't finish faster than him i'd jump into the Mississippi River...

Should I rest for the two days leading up to the race? Carb load for several days leading up to race day? Speed isn't really my thing, i'm much more comfortable as a distance runner....

[nyquillyn]

I would try to get in 2 or 3 more hill/speed sessions. For a 4-mile race, I'd do half-mile repeats. I think you said your shooting for 6:30 miles, so I'd do the repeats at sub-6 pace (5:45 if you can). Do at least 4 of them. For a hill session I'd do a 5 percent incline at a 7:30 pace for 4 full miles. This will be pretty grueling, but you'll be rewarded on race day.

You really only need two days of carb loading. I would advise you to skip the meat sauce (go straight marinara) and try wheat pasta.

Also, shoot off for a quick mile the day before the race. It'll loosen you up and it's a great way to visualize your race.

[surfndestroy]

For medical reasons, I haven't been drunk in over 7 months. I gotta say, I do not miss days like what you have described above.

I sometimes wish I had a medical reason Maybe not. That could be insensitive. I am seriously contemplating giving up getting drunk. Strict limit. Im too old for such tom foolery

Getting drunk has its place. I am on a strict 2 drink limit, so I get to be the DD and survey landscape in such drunk havens as wedding receptions and sports bars. Never being impaired has its perks, but sometimes after a long week at work or when spinning Tom Waits vinyl it'd be nice to get hammered like the good old days...

I'm the same boat as you. For medical reasons I can have a few but not drunk and I get drunk way easier than I used to. The good is with medical issues addressed I can be active like I was in the past but man I miss the magic that can happen when you're in/out of control between midnight and 3am on a Saturday night.

All that said, I did have breakfast in a new bar in Seattle Sunday. It will be a go to when I'm there. I think every one there is a solid drinker, I like that crowd.

As for working out, added a sprint triathlon for July to my schedule. That gives me a major event every month from April thorugh October. I just can't believe I'll be sober going to bed the night's after those events. That'll be a first.

[Dr. Van Nostrand]

Day 2 on the treadmill, did a bit better then yesterday, got my mile down to 13:35 and went for 20 minutes total and got to 1.44 miles. feeling pretty good after just 2 days

[vegman]

Anyone here belong to an LA Fitness? Do you like it? My membership at my little local gym is up for renewal and I think I'm going to switch since they never update anything and it's just too damn small and crowded.. They just opened a brand new LAF about a mile away from me and I'm going to check it out today.

[nyquillyn]

Anyone here belong to an LA Fitness? Do you like it? My membership at my little local gym is up for renewal and I think I'm going to switch since they never update anything and it's just too damn small and crowded.. They just opened a brand new LAF about a mile away from me and I'm going to check it out today.

We've got a ton of them around here (PHX). My major concerns about them (cleanliness and old machines) will probably not be an issue because yours will be brand new.
But be careful, they pretty much just chlorine their pools to death, which makes them unswimmable for me.
Also, if you have kids and plan on taking them to the child care area, I would keep an eye on the cleanliness of the area and ask about the number of kids per staff member.
As far as the machines go, they generally "cheap out." They have treadmills that won't go below 6-minute miles, which, at times, means I wouldn't be able to do speed work on them.
Like I said, your gym will be clean and likely have newer machines because it's new, so these concerns (other than the pool chlorine) will be a non-issue. But the cleanliness of a gym can drop quickly.
I'm really not a clean freak, but I do want a clean shower and whirlpool/hot tub without that brown pubic froth lingering near my face.

[EJ]

Anyone here belong to an LA Fitness? Do you like it? My membership at my little local gym is up for renewal and I think I'm going to switch since they never update anything and it's just too damn small and crowded.. They just opened a brand new LAF about a mile away from me and I'm going to check it out today.

I don't belong, but I've worked out at a couple of brand new ones in different states. I can't speak for older ones, but I was very impressed with them. They were spacious, clean, and all new equipment. I wouldn't have a problem joining them.