Susie_Derkins

In Pittsburgh, right between NJ and OH. Nat Geo named us one of the best trips! It's not super awesome in November, but still lotsa fun!

Awesome article, thanks so much for sharing!

An added bonus of planning a morning workout is that it'll keep you from drinking too much the night before.

Congratulations on your B.A.! Going back to school is tough, but I bet you're super glad that you saw it through. Also, congratulations on starting your journey! I'm also new to these boards, but I've found folks here to be really supportive and helpful. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Enjoy! SD

Congratulations on your marriage! I've actually been thinking about this a lot, as I'm getting married in early June. I'm planning to do a 75 minute ashtanga ("power") yoga session. For me - Yoga, moreso than anything else, alleviates my self-esteem/body-image issues, at least temporarily. It'll leave me sore, but not debilitatingly sore, so I can still dance and such. The shivasana (lying down meditation part) may ease my nerves a little <-- though, to be honest, I'm not expecting anything short of a tranquilizer to calm me down. I've mulled over this a lot. Contemplating my morning workout keeps me from freaking out over canapes. PRIORITIES.

Inspired by today's post - by thatgirljj...My big, giant, ridiculous goal is to perform on aerial silks with Cirque du Soleil. My less giant, more reasonable goal is to take aerial silks classes. My tiny, immediate goal is to build upper-body strength. Today I practiced assisted chinups and pushups!

Thanks for that link! I would like a bar at some point...but right now I feel so pathetically far from being able to use it. I think dumbbell rows is a good way to train. I've been doing some of that as well.

Not even remotely close to "traditional" yoga, but I enjoy Jillian Michaels' "Yoga Meltdown" DVDs. They're affordable and quick (each workout is about 30 minutes)... though, because it's brief, it lacks a lot of yoga's meditative elements, which you may or may not prefer.

THIS IS VERY COMMON and absolutely nothing to be embarassed about! Google "Runner's trots" to see just how common it is. To avoid it, I try not to eat for 2 hours before my run and drink just a little (maybe 4oz?) just before heading out. Also, I try to route my runs past public bathrooms (some parks, grocery stores, big box stores like Target, and libraries are usually safe bets).

Definitely a compliment! As a coworker, he can't exactly say, "Your booty is rockin!"

As a lady, I have to chime in for the pro-beard team. Also, I think an easy rule to follow is to dress and shave as others do. Before your interview, recon the people who already work there and see what they look like. Try sitting on a bench near the building one morning (have a newspaper or something so you don't look creepy).

Thanks for the resistance band suggestion! Yes. I would say that being able to do them is one -of many- measures of fitness/strength. For me, personally, it's a goal on my bucket list, a sorta "touchstone" of my strength training. Also, when hanging out with friends, chinups/pullups are easy to show off with (moreso than rows or lat pull downs) and I'm obnoxious like that.

Thanks for the warm welcome, all! Thanks for asking! My mile is 7:36. I can do assisted chin-ups, using weight assistance equal to about 50% of my bodyweight. So this one needs a lot of help. I can squat about 45% of my body weight. Right?! It's awesome. You can download or stream it for free. The creator, Tim Hunkin, also has an awesome website.

If you're just easing into running, carb-loading before running isn't super necessary. Unless I'm running over 7 miles, I generally eat a simple snack of carbs and a little protein about 2 hours before running. A slice of toast with PB, Clif bar, that sort of thing. Also, no shame in walking! I think many folks ease into the C25K program doing a walk/run hybrid on the longer days. Good luck!

Hi Red, I'm also new and also working on the blasted pullup. (Technically, I'm working on a chinup - because it's easier.) As someone whose past is also littered with ED's, I really admire your focus on a fitness-related goal, not a weight goal. Best of luck! I've enjoyed what I've seen in the forums so far and I think you'll find a lot of support here. alex

Hi! I'm Alex, 24, vegetarian, reforming cardio-junkie. My upper-body strength leaves a lot to be desired. Goals: Run a 7 minute mile. Complete a chinup. Squat 75% of my weight. Plan: One hour of yoga per week. Three full-body strength-training sessions per week - and no skimping on the core. Limit cardio-specific activities to 150 minutes per week. Reward: Splurging on trapeze classes (makes the upper-body and core strength REALLY relevant!) I've done years and years of cardio, always with the intention to lose weight and be thinner. Unsurprisingly, I'm still working through some body-image issues. I've found that strength-training gives me a peace and confidence that I never found in running or biking. My overall goal is to be more well-rounded; fast enough to catch the bus and strong enough to move heavy things. I also want to subvert peoples' assumptions - who expects the 5'2" Asian girl to be deadlifting in the weight room? Thanks for reading! P.S. My nerdiness includes board games, the Secret Life of Machines, and spreadsheets.

Hello, A friend once summed shin splints to me as "Too much, too soon." I'm glad to hear that your second run was more successful. When I first started running, I increased my time by 10% each week. I've heard lots of wonderful things about C25K. Best of luck! alex

Hello VA, I'm also new here. Right on with the shredded cauliflower - I also like to do the same with cabbage and toss it with a tiny amount of rice beneath stirfries. Congratulations on the lake walk! Spring is a great time to establish good habits like this. Best, alex