Get fit together support group, and: Join the President's Challenge!

[Lani]

Oooo, Bill, sounds like you need a massage to work out your back. If you don't have a regular massage therapist, ask your gym. They ain't cheap, but you sound like you need it.

You might consider taking ibuprofen, and do a hot/cold treatment on your back. And don't strain it any more than it already is. Do you wear a weight belt when you lift?

[Bill Catherall]

We have a massage therapist that comes into our office once a week. (Now let me find that "reminder" email from HR...oops...deleted it) $20 for 20 minutes and I think on Fridays. Normally I wouldn't bother. I mean, that's a DVD we're talking about! Plus, I've seen her and she doesn't look strong enough to deliver a really good massage. But if this pain keeps up I might make an appointment. Before today it was just a little bit of stiffness with no pain. Today it's full on piercing pain.

I don't use a weight belt because I don't usually lift really heavy weights. I also observe good form. Plus, for most of what I do a weight belt wouldn't provide any benefit. I've never hurt my back lifting before. And today I wasn't even lifting with my back, just squating...and squating about 60% of what I normally squat....argh! It was pain just waiting to happen. I felt really stiff during stretching and that worried me a little bit. But I figured it was because of the time out of the gym. So I tried to be somewhat cautious. Unfortunately, I wasn't cautious enough.

[dsnyredhead]

I went to a physical therapist once who gave me a back massage. It was one of the worst experiences I ever had. I got to the point where I begged him to stop. He was one of those "no pain no gain" type of guys. I was rather irritated over it.

I guess depending on your back condition, it might help some people. Since my back pain is disc related, it did nothing for me.

[Lani]

We have a massage therapist that comes into our office once a week. (Now let me find that "reminder" email from HR...oops...deleted it) $20 for 20 minutes and I think on Fridays. Normally I wouldn't bother. I mean, that's a DVD we're talking about! Plus, I've seen her and she doesn't look strong enough to deliver a really good massage. But if this pain keeps up I might make an appointment. Before today it was just a little bit of stiffness with no pain. Today it's full on piercing pain.

$20 for 20 minutes isn't bad.

If she is a certified massage therapist, she WILL be able to apply the appropriate pressure for you. The idea is not for her to dig in and grind her fists into your back. It's to slowly work out the knots so she doesn't injure you. When I get a massage done and I am particularly knotted, my therapist actually USES HER ELBOWS. It's an extraordinarily effective way to work through the muscles. Just let her know if she's not being strong enough.

Hope you're feeling better now.

[timl33]

Background info: I've run 4 marathons, and the results each time have been the same. I've cruised for about 16 miles and the wheels have completely fallen apart in the last 10. In an effort to run an entire marathon (and not just stagger the last few miles), I've decided to hire a coach through www.tripower.org. The coach is the same coach that works with us during our Tuesday night track workouts, so he's someone I know. He does do coaching throughout the country, so you need not live in San Diego to take advantage of his services if you're interested.

So the stated goal is a 4 hour marathon for me. This is the first week of training and I thought some of his comments to me might be helpful to some of you.

------------------------------------------

For this first week, and the next couple of weeks, we will mostly be doing easy running, with the exception of the Tuesday night track workouts. We will mostly be working on increasing the mileage a bit for the first month, hopefully getting to a point where you are able to run a bit higher mileage at a comfortable level, and then we will start adding a bit more harder runs to the mix in addition to the Tuesday night workout.

Right now the main thing that you should be shooting for on the easy runs is to get them under 10 minute per mile pace, regardless of the length of them, and to still have a perceived effort that is easy. For this part you will have to keep me informed on how that is progressing so I will know better how to set your times on the harder workouts.


Monday: off


Tuesday: Track workout: 4 x 1200 @ 5:48, 4:00 easy rest


Wednesday: 4 mile easy run

weights


Thursday: 6 mile easy run


Friday: off


Saturday: 12 mile easy run


Sunday: 4 mile easy run

weights

[Lani]

It's a story about Deke, who sounds like a really nice fellow. He's from the Deep South, and he used to run his own Southern BBQ restaurant until he got so obese he couldn't walk 50 paces without collapsing. He has had diabetes for 10 years, and must use a wheelchair and oxygen tank to get around.

It puts a real fact on our obesity problem here in the U.S. -- and his food addiction for the "yummy" stuff like baked beans, Cheetos and pork butt roast, is what made him gain so much weight over the years. He is 52 years old, is 5'9", and weighs 296 pounds.

This link is text-only but this one is the multi-page graphical version, with a photo of Deke. I didn't have to subscribe to washingtonpost.com to read these, but if you wait a while you might need to.

[Lani]

Hey Tim, that's great to hear that you've hired a coach. Based on your training profile, looks like he's assuming you are at least a solid intermediate athlete with a strong running base. I think you will do awesomely!! I hope we have a chance to meet in January (and we can grab whoever other MP readers/Padders have signed up, for a get-together!).

For those of us who aren't as competitive and who need a training schedule, I would recommend both Hal Higdon's marathon training guide, as well as Jeff Galloway's. Galloway uses a method of combining walking with jogging, which some people like. I prefer not to walk because once I start walking, I am not disciplined enough to start jogging again! LOL

[timl33]

Hey Tim, that's great to hear that you've hired a coach. Based on your training profile, looks like he's assuming you are at least a solid intermediate athlete with a strong running base. I think you will do awesomely!! I hope we have a chance to meet in January (and we can grab whoever other MP readers/Padders have signed up, for a get-together!).

It helps that he's watched me run for the last year now. He knows how fast (or how slow) I run and can better help me with my training.

The one part that I wanted to get across to everyone else training for the WDW marathon is to start slowly and then work up. I'm starting now, though coach said that I probably didn't really need to start training until September. I'm trying to build a solid base for the harder workouts in the fall. You don't have to be particularly talented or be a fit person to do a marathon (I could stand to lose 10-15 pounds myself), but you do need to put in time and effort into this. In every long race I've done, I've undertrained and this is my effort into stopping that cycle. Good luck all!

[Lani]

The one part that I wanted to get across to everyone else training for the WDW marathon is to start slowly and then work up.

Great advice, Tim. Anyone who has signed up for the full marathon event will probably do well to heed Tim's suggestion of starting their training in earnest now. You'll lower your chances of injury due to overuse (that is, adding too much training too quickly).

I rarely run more than 6 miles at a stretch right now, but I have a half-marathon in mid-October so I'll start doing the longer runs soon. Fortunately I have a solid cross-training base already (including resistance training) and am probably running around 18-20 a week for now. Once I start really training, I'll be doing longer weekend runs, mid-week speed work, and combining spinning and stairs with my running to decrease the impact on my knees.

Oh, and we're also planning on ascending Half Dome in Yosemite in September, hence the stairs (I do half an hour twice a week).

[timl33]

Yesterday my coach mentioned something that I thought I'd pass along. The optimal running cadence for a marathon should be close to 85-90 per minute. I think that means counting each drop of a foot, so it's really closer to 170-180 steps per minute if you count both feet.

Anyways, I was moving a little too fast. Coach said that this is actually the OPPOSITE problem of most people, most people lenghten their stride too much and have a slow turnover rate. I had a short stride and turned-over too quickly. I'm now trying to find that balance in between. The trick is to have a steady 85-90 steps per minute and to speed up, just lengthen the stride a little. This will be something I work on in the next few weeks, to get an optimal cadence.

[Lani]

Tim, I have the same problem. I took a workshop last year to try to run faster, and was told I can take steps fast just fine, but that each step was too short!

[MouseWife]

Hi y'all!

Well, I have been keeping up just fine with my work outs but not so well on my correspondence.....

Life is throwing me some curves {and darnit, not on my body!! } and all of time not spent with the family or working out is used to deal with the issues.

AND I need some advice~ I wanted to lose those last ten pounds {heck it WAS 5} by running. BUT it seems that I have gained muscle and pounds!! What the heck? What can I do?! I have these cool jeans that I loved how they fit my legs but now I feel like the Incredible Hulk!! Grrr!!

What can I do to stop the muscle and keep it lean? Heck, I want lean. But I do enjoy running with the Hubster and we have been trying to mix it up and keep it interesting.

Any advice????

[Lani]

What can I do to stop the muscle and keep it lean? Heck, I want lean. But I do enjoy running with the Hubster and we have been trying to mix it up and keep it interesting.

Well, don't give up resistance training altogether. But you might want to lighten the load a bit instead of pushing so much. What you should do now is to have your body fat composition tested -- not just calipers, but talk to your doctor about getting a hydrostat test. You need to know what your body fat % is.

Mostly, you probably want to place more emphasis on cardio over resistance training (but like I said, don't stop it altogether).

Are you eating breakfast? Have a light breakfast to get your diet-induced thermogenesis going (your body expends calories to digest and absorb nutrition and you want your body to start it early in the morning), avoid eating three hours before bed, drink half your body weight in ounces of water (for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water a day -- PURE water; not anything flavored that requires your kidneys to have to work).

But mostly, it's probably finding the right balance between resistance and cardio. Have you considered working on running faster?

[MouseWife]

Well, don't give up resistance training altogether. But you might want to lighten the load a bit instead of pushing so much. What you should do now is to have your body fat composition tested -- not just calipers, but talk to your doctor about getting a hydrostat test. You need to know what your body fat % is.

Mostly, you probably want to place more emphasis on cardio over resistance training (but like I said, don't stop it altogether).

Are you eating breakfast? Have a light breakfast to get your diet-induced thermogenesis going (your body expends calories to digest and absorb nutrition and you want your body to start it early in the morning), avoid eating three hours before bed, drink half your body weight in ounces of water (for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water a day -- PURE water; not anything flavored that requires your kidneys to have to work).

But mostly, it's probably finding the right balance between resistance and cardio. Have you considered working on running faster?

I should have a physical. Is that part of it? Maybe?

You know, I did cut back on my cardio so-so, so this past week I upped my aerobics back to an hour instead of 45 min. I enjoy that a lot.

I eat a light breakfast of fruit and then a brunch of oatmeal with fruit. I think I am not drinking enough water...that is for sure according to your suggestions {thanks!}.

Ooo, run faster??? Perhaps I could if I ran on a level surface. We are surrounded by hills. Even the trail running has hills. Hmm.

Thanks for your help and for all of the advice. I will think about it and see where I can implement it.

[Bill Catherall]

BUT it seems that I have gained muscle and pounds!! What the heck?

Have you been using body fat calipers and keeping a record? How do you know it's muscle you've gained?

Although calipers are not highly accurate, if used consistently with a scale they will show you whether you are gaining/losing muscle or fat.

I seriously doubt you are gaining that much muscle in your legs just from running.

Anyway, muscle is something you want to gain. It requires more calories to maintain so you end up burning more calories even when you're just sitting around doing nothing. It essentially increases your metabolism making it less likely for you to regain the fat you lost. It also shapes your body and gives you the curves you want, including having a slimming effect.

You're not going to bulk up. You won't turn into Joanie Laurer (yeowza) over-night. For one thing, you've got the wrong hormones pumping through your veins. But mainly, you're not training and eating in such a way as to get those kinds of results.

[MouseWife]

LOL Yeah, it could be those Krispy Kremes...but seriously, you can see them. I had been steadily losing weight and then I have been at this weight for some time. I was right at 140 and now can not get under 143..not a big deal but to me, yeah. I have to get over the numbers and have taken the steps towards that by not going in and weighing in anymore.

We want to get calipers but I think that we need to research them so that we know what we are doing.

And no, not that much weight but then again it is relative to what your {my}brain can handle!!! LOL Before when I was just doing circuit training it was all even and just looked firm. I liked that.

I hope it gives me that slimming effect. I am not quite where I want to be yet. I do like that you say it will help burn calories while I just sit around. I have picked up reading again and that will help ease my guilt...

Well, ya never know, I just might be your next Governor.

Thanks for the tips. And the hopes for some curves...

[Bill Catherall]

Just seeing muscles doesn't necessarily mean they have gotten bigger (in most cases). Simply strengthening your muscles or losing body fat can lead to more definition. And it is possible to strengthen without significant changes in size. However, there will be some initial growth that will soon plateau. That could be what you are experiencing. Because you started something new your body had to adjust.

Have I mentioned how much I love the FatTrack digital body fat calipers? They come with a tape measure too. Really easy to use. Not incredibly accurate, but consistency is key with any body fat calipers. None are accurate. They come with detailed instructions and it will automatically compute your percent body fat.

[MouseWife]

Just seeing muscles doesn't necessarily mean they have gotten bigger (in most cases). Simply strengthening your muscles or losing body fat can lead to more definition. And it is possible to strengthen without significant changes in size. However, there will be some initial growth that will soon plateau. That could be what you are experiencing. Because you started something new your body had to adjust.

Have I mentioned how much I love the FatTrack digital body fat calipers? They come with a tape measure too. Really easy to use. Not incredibly accurate, but consistency is key with any body fat calipers. None are accurate. They come with detailed instructions and it will automatically compute your percent body fat.

LOL Hey, don't rain on my parade!! Okay, but that word, 'definition' surely describes more than muscle. I don't feel much stronger.

I was supposed to have used a measuring tape from day one, never have yet. That was last April. Did I say I am forgetfull?

Anywho. I did a step that may or may or not be a positive one. I went through my 'smaller' clothes box {I collect clothes, and, all sizes, what doesn't fit I put away and work towards fitting into them...}, saw what fits me now and gave the rest away. I think I may have reached my final plateau...

AND I want to say to everyone, I still eat darn Krispy Kremes! The Hubster {since joining me on my altered eating} said No! but I told him Yes!! I think it is best to enjoy what I want in moderation rather than deny myself. I had to laugh and tell him 'See, I did not blow up...'

[Bill Catherall]

LOL Hey, don't rain on my parade!! Okay, but that word, 'definition' surely describes more than muscle.

Haha. Sorry. I wasn't trying to rain on your parade. I thought you were worried about gaining too much muscle and I was trying to ease your fears.

Yeah, "definition" can be attained by either a gain (or strengthening) in muscle or a loss of fat, depending on how you start out. A very skinny person with a low percent body fat might have to gain muscle to be more "defined." But someone with excess body fat would have to lose the fat and could be more "defined" without gaining any muscle. For example, most guys want to have nicely defined abs. A "six pack." So they'll spend tons of time doing ab training and building/strengthening those muscles. Unfortunately, they don't spend much effort on eating right. Nice abs are made in the kitchen. With abs you can't see the definition if there's a layer of fat cover them.

Now...if only I could take some of my own advise. I think I've discovered I'm a carb addict. When I try to "enjoy in moderation" I end up overdoing it. With many sweets its really easy to over eat without even knowing it. I can down one package (not a box...a package, 8 sheets) of graham crackers without even noticing. That's over 1000 calories right there. Yikes!

[Hakuna Makarla]

hello))))))))

I am not sure how to join or what to do to join this group but I to was the over 100 to lose group Since booking my disneyland trip MArch 5th of this year I have lost 80 pounds. I have 85 pounds to go and am feeling like a new person ( well I should since I lost the eqivilant of an 80 pound kid off my body LOL! I have good an bad days, but always stick to my goal of 10 pounds a month no matter what! I lost a lot in the first several months and have 4 more pounds to go until I leave next week ( I want to meet my goal for the month before I go so I can have some treats ) I really want to try a funnel cake and carmel apple. After that I will go back to dieting on broiled and BBQ'd foods and some fresh fruit.

[Bill Catherall]

I am not sure how to join or what to do to join this group

Just follow the instructions in Lani's signature.

[timl33]

So the last few weeks I've done a couple of race type events. The first, back on July 31 was the Urban Challenge, a MouseAdventures type race that had us scouring all over San Diego for certain places.

Results are here:
http://www.urbanchallenge.com/sandiego/index.shtml

My teammate James' photo album is here:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4286033321

In the past, these events have taken us roughly 4 hours to complete, and we've usually run/jogged about 8 miles. This time, we somehow finished in under 2 hours and ran about 6 miles. The big difference this time was knowing where we were going at all times.

By the way, this event is really neat. I recommend it to anyone who wants to play next year. I did see some Urban Challenge T-shirts at the last MouseAdventures event, so I know there's a few of you out there.

Yesterday, I ran the America's Finest City Half Marathon. Coach told me that this was a good measuring stick for how in shape I was. The plan is to take the race fairly easy effort-wise and see what happens. I accidentally left my watch at home, so the entire race I was going by feel. A little under 2 hours later, I finished and felt quite spent. The race started easy enough, mostly downhill, but the finish was a 2 mile gradual incline that left me pushing harder than I would have liked. I might be in trouble for the full marathon, but we'll see. I have several more months to train for this.

If you're doing the WDW marathon, just keep on training. It'll be here before you know it, but you do have time to train to give it your best.

[Lani]

Wow Tim, sounds great!

Karla, like Bill suggested, just follow the directions in my sig.

[Lani]

It looks like a number of Active Lifestyle participants had slight setbacks that put them out of contention for an Active Lifestyle award, and then just gave up!

If you don't think you can maintain the 5-times-a-week-for-5-out-of-6-weeks Active Lifestyle schedule, my recommendation is that you move UP to the President's Champion award category! Yes, that doesn't seem to make sense... except that it's purely point-based, and not on how often you work out. That way, as long you periodically work out, you will earn your points.

Good luck, everyone! Don't give up!

[Lani]

Alex and I ran the Big Sur Half Marathon (http://www.bigsurhalfmarathon.com) this morning down in Monterey, California. Because they are about two miles away, we stayed closer to the event last night. I was a procrastinator, and managed to miss out on rooms in Monterey, so we stayed in Salinas, about 20 miles away.

Monterey holds a big marathon event in April, but they broke out the half-marathon and it is offered as a standalone event in the fall. This was the second annual event, so it's still new, but the organizers did a GREAT job (probably because they're already used to doing the full in the spring).

Unlike larger events like Walt Disney World marathon/half-marathon in January where they want you in the queue 60 minutes beforehand, this was much more casual. Most people didn't line into the starting area until about 15 minutes before the event.

Alex hadn't really trained. And although I hadn't done a lot of long runs, I've been running 5 miles a day, including speed work, as well as lifting weights. It took us about two minutes to get past the starting line once the event started, and off I went! I got a kiss from hubby, who knew he was going to go slower than me.

It was a tad bit chilly, but not too cold. The route goes through Cannery Row in Monterey, and then it starts going along the shoreline. It was misty but still pretty scenic. The course is an out and back, but the turnaround is at 7.5 miles or so, instead of exactly halfway. The fastest runner passed me on his way back when I was just past mile 6. It did "rain" a bit -- it wasn't that bad; it was mostly strong mist. But I was glad I was wearing a visor so my face was protected.

They had GU at the aid station near the turnaround. Although I normally don't eat sugar, I had a packet of chocolate-flavored GU because I knew I could use the energy. Well, with my body not being used to pure sugar, it really got a big boost! All of a sudden, my legs weren't really tired or sore at all, and I got a good rush.

There were timers at every mile marker, and I discovered that I was running faster than I thought. Although my last 3 miles were slower than the earlier miles, I managed to finish at 2:11:21, which is the FASTEST I've ever done a half marathon! Having good, cool weather and a fairly flat course helped a lot.

Not only did we get a nice long-sleeve finisher's shirt (which isn't really a "finisher's shirt" but a "I registered" shirt since they gave it to us at our bib pick-up), finishers got a really nice ceramic medallion on a leather thong. Very nice!

At the finish area, they gave us space blankets, and then they put us through the food tent, where we got free apples, bananas, big cookies, muffins, energy bars, fruit cups, raisins, grapes, and fruit juice. They even gave us a box to hold all the food in! And then we walked out to the award stage area, and they were giving away more stuff! Cups of hot minestrone soup (not bad, and pretty good when you just ran 13 miles and you're kind of cold), and free dark beer! You had to have your bib on, but how cool is that?

All in all, an excellent event. I would recommend it heartily for anyone wanting to do a fun half-marathon. They even have an official walkers' division for those who want to racewalk the event. Monterey is a beautiful little town and it would make a wonderful little weekend trip!