LaraBear Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 I have been a runner on and off since high school. I have trouble keeping up through winter (not a cold weather person) and therefore tend to not start over again in the spring here and there.I aim at well-being: a smart carb diet works for me (I have some blood sugar issues). I also want to fight back and not let age wither away my muscles and turn them into fat. Between work and at-home-sitting at the computer I lead a very sedentary lifestyle, so I also want to find something active that I would actually like, besides running. I have enrolled to my first half marathon this summer, but it is unlikely that I would be able to actually run it due to some knee pains. The reason I got in here is that I don't know any active people in real life. I mostly just know overweight people. Some of them have been that way when I got to know them, but not all. It is not reasonable to start throwing away old friends just because mid life has made them bigger, but I seriously need some (new) fit minded friends. Unfortunately there isn't much I can offer. I know a thing or two about nutrition, but mostly about what works for me. I am also a vitamin D fan. I used to constantly get sick. If there was a cold virus, I would get it. When I had my vitamin D levels checked and started taking supplements, I have had way less colds and they also are shorter and milder. Link to comment
sumdawgtwigg Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Welcome! I love me some running too! I'm also not a cold weather person. Good luck with you half marathon! Are you going to try and 5k's or anything before it? "It's always the ones that don't do anything that try to bring you down" - Henry Rollins "There is no meantime, there is only now" - The Ditty Bops Trail Blazing Elf Ranger Sumdawgtwigg Level 3 STR-3 DEX-4 STA-4 CON-3 WIS-5 CHA-2 Fitocracy My Game Blog DO IT CHALLENGE! Link to comment
Roocifer Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Welcome! As a fellow fair-weather runner, I totally hear you about having trouble sticking with it in the winter. I don't have knee issues, but I've had hip flexor problems for a while - I've found that doing some basic strength training (squats, lunges, planks, that sort of thing) has really helped me to run pain free. When is your half marathon? Current Challenge: Roocifer's Eat and Run Challenge | Fitocracy Level 2 Scout: STR: 4.25 | DEX: 8.75 | STA: 8.75 | CON: 6 | WIS: 7.5 | CHA: 7.75 I feel my boots trying to leave the ground, I feel my heart pumping hard, I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings. - Mary Oliver Link to comment
LaraBear Posted June 12, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Thanks for the warm welcome. I guess the half is my thing for this summer. It is on the 20th of July. Plenty of time to do strength training, right? Link to comment
Morrigainz Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hey and welcome! I'm super into strength training right now but I also love running. It was my first foray into fitness. There is nothing wrong with wanting fitness-minded friends. It helps with the motivation and all that!I've been trying the last few years to get into cold-weather running. Proper gear REALLY helps. I have a lot of Smartwool stuff and it's amazing. I still don't run in super cold weather, but I could run in 20 degrees F fairly comfortably. Level ? Half-Dwarf/Half-Amazon Warrior STR:21.25 STA:15 DEX: 10.95 CON: 14 WIS:15.5 CHA:17 SWOLE BUCKS: 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Link to comment
EightDigit Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Welcome! I'm more into strength training than running, but I usually put in at least 10 miles a week. I never thought I would be able to say that- I trashed my knees pretty seriously when I was younger, and they were a source of considerable pain for the 10 years or so. Squats, lunges, and cycling really REALLY helped. Really.Really.In any event, welcome EightDigit - Level 1 Dwarven RangerSTR: 3 | DEX : 3 | STA : 3 | CON : 2 | WIS : 2 | CHA : 2Gardens are not made by singing "Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade.-Rudyard KiplingBattleLog | G+ Account Link to comment
Roocifer Posted June 12, 2012 Report Share Posted June 12, 2012 Thanks for the warm welcome. I guess the half is my thing for this summer. It is on the 20th of July. Plenty of time to do strength training, right? Definitely! I was surprised at how quickly I made progress when I first started strength training, so I think you could make a lot of gains between now and July 20. Steve posted a really great beginner body weight workout here if you're interested - I also have the Rebel Strength Guide and I love it. Good luck with your training! Current Challenge: Roocifer's Eat and Run Challenge | Fitocracy Level 2 Scout: STR: 4.25 | DEX: 8.75 | STA: 8.75 | CON: 6 | WIS: 7.5 | CHA: 7.75 I feel my boots trying to leave the ground, I feel my heart pumping hard, I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing, as though I had wings. - Mary Oliver Link to comment
LaraBear Posted June 14, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 MirGSS funny you should mention Smartwool. I just love the stuff. When it is cold it makes a big difference whether your feet feel dry or wet. I don't think I could run in any weather below freezing point without Smartwool. Thanks for the link Roocifer! Definitely giving that one a try.(Off to do some squats and lunges...) Link to comment
JediNickD Posted June 14, 2012 Report Share Posted June 14, 2012 Welcome to the forum! I hate running in general, but I do it because I hate being slow or getting winded easily way more than I hate running. I'll put up with a treadmill in the winter time. Journey to You: Coaching, Mentoring, and Personal Growth World 6 Level 5 | Epic Quest | Toastmasters: Where Leaders are Made | Institute for Jedi Realist Studies | Extra Life 2023 | YouTube Channel | Epic Nerd Camp "No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try." -- Yoda | "We are what we repeatedly do." -- Aristotle Spoiler Distinguished Toastmaster Agnostic Rationalist Jedi Dwarf Black Belt Martial Artist Monk Ranger Assassin Engineer Scientist Philosopher Student Nerd World 6 Level 4 Stats: STR 150.0 | DEX 160.75 | STA 151.0 | CON 152.0 | WIS 158.0 | CHA 150.0 World 1 Level [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22] World 2 Level [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10] World 3 Level [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12] World 4 Level [1, 2 (post lost), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11] World 5 Level [1, 2, 3, 4, 5] World 6 Level [1, 2, 3, 4, 4.5] “If you are willing to be terrible at something for a short period of time, you can be great at anything.” -- Sinbad (Stand-Up Comedian) Link to comment
LaraBear Posted July 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 I guess strength training paid off. I finished my half marathon without any knee pain in 1:25:30. I was actually last in my age group, but I don't care. One of my five year goals was to finish a half marathon and now I have done it!From now on I guess I am concentrating on shorter runs for fun (and a 10k race in September, where I try to be faster) and cross training. For cross training, this is what I wrote in my blog in April about this goal: "I can start by doing some walking for overall fitness, but this goal is about finding other exercise I feel like doing again. I plan to try cross fit and pilates or yoga. These things just tend to cost money more than what I can spare at the moment. Maybe the goal includes re-thinking my financial priorities?"I am more and more enthusiastic with strength training. I have been doing my push-ups, crunches, lunges and squats. I have a pair of dumbbells, too.Big thanks to everyone for your support here! Link to comment
Eth Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 Congratulations! I'd love to be able to do a half-marathon someday. As for time, hey, that's only about 12 minutes more than my 10k time, so as far as I'm concerned you're doing pretty well.Glad to hear the strength training's going well. I'm in a similar situation trying to get started there. Eth - Level 8 Breton WarriorSTR 24.5 | DEX 9 | STA 20.5 | CON 13 | WIS 10.5 | CHA 8.5Current Challenge: The Warrior Within | FitocracyMain quest progress: 44%44% Link to comment
SirEarl Posted July 21, 2012 Report Share Posted July 21, 2012 half marathon! congrats! Yoga is the bomb diggety. I just recently started "You don't life for be sad, no?" Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.