<p>Hopefully if you fall off the wall, there is a nice, soft mat to fall onto! I thought it was mostly about legs, but some of these routes, you really are using your arms, and it would be very helpful to have good finger strength. It is fascinating to watch people actually jump up to the next hold point, it almost seems impossible.</p>
<p>Bus driver, I think trying out rock climbing and searching for an activity you love is a brilliant way to go. Organic movements like that probably keep your body on its toes, so to speak, as I understand one needs a bit of ninja stealth on routine to convince the body to keep responding :)</p>
<p>I know this sounds strange, but I’m always a little wary of high rep weights – eg use the maximum weight you’re able to in order to preserve the joint, in lower reps to exhaustion. This notion (perhaps a form of bro science as it came from a trainer with a very fine cut) stuck with me because growing up, a friend’s father was a tribologist – basically, an engineer who calculated wear on machine parts/joints. He used to have a lot of opinions about repetitive motion and would discuss same passionately at dinner 
</p>
<p>So like you, I do like activities that seem to work everything together – eg I’ve been using Nordic ski poles (and in winter, snowshoes) to “exerstride” up a hill in winter and spring, or the airdyne when I can stand the heat, or aquajogging, that while it doesn’t give you weight-bearing benefit, gives resistance via the water that seems to tone a bit. Even when I’m on the treadmill, I use little hand weights to engage the upper body.</p>
<p>That same guy, PizzaGirl (cut trainer, not tribologist ;)) would likely tell you that your weight work IS cardio if you do it right. Eg. With me, he’d have me do a short (15 min) stint on the elliptical to get my cardio up, then fast, short, very heavy circuit sets (whole body) for 20 min. Then done, 3x week. The trick was to always use progressive weight…as soon as you could complete 8 reps with proper form, he dialed it up.</p>
<p>In your case, on weight days, if you warm up a bit with cardio and then maintain a pace, you could get the twin benefits of weight plus cardio I think. </p>
<p>That time with the trainer was the only time in my life I had visible abs People literally could not believe the sculpt I got from it. I had to relocate to another city for work, and left to my own devices, never recreated the intensity or found a similarly motivating trainer, but the effects did last a good few years until I got facet joint syndrome and slowly became sedentary for a decade.</p>
<p>Since reinventing myself as a more active person this year, I am starting to realize it would be a good time to consider working with a trainer again. But I think this time I’d hire someone to work with me at home, with home workout programs, to watch my form and push me a bit until I habituated enough to maintain the routines.</p>
<p>I’ve met with two in this city and didn’t like either. Lotta wannabes out there. My old guy, who now runs a bunch if gyms, kinda spoiled me for others I think. But maybe that will be my thing for 2014…finding a new one and tuning it up next year after making my weight goal this year.</p>
<p>Of course, I could always just try to keep up with idad He’s off on a new routine and I’m still mucking about with that little kettlebell set he taught me. I just need a bigger kettlebell!</p>
<p>Yeterday, ran 4.88, some resistance bands, then went for a swim. Too hot to do anything else.
Today: 16 mile bike ride. Caught six crabs in our crab pots today. Steaming them now. Crab cakes for lunch…yum.</p>
<p>Yum is right. What time is lunch?</p>
<p>NMinn, glad to see your posts again. Try not to overdo with your knee! I’m feeling a little creaky today. No wall climbing in my future. </p>
<p>BB, when is your race?</p>
<p>Fresh crab cakes for lunch?! WHAT am I doing here in Ohio!!! Sounds like heaven.</p>
<p>Good willpower test - I stayed up late working, overslept and found myself in a situation where I didn’t have the time to work out in the morning that I planned to. Ordinarily I would have just said the heck with it, but I made myself get into workout clothes, go to the gym, run a short distance and do about 10 min worth of weights, then shower and change. I didn’t even spend 30 minutes there in total, but I think the key is that I held myself accountable for the habit.</p>
<p>Does it mean I have a problem when I’ve signed up for something so stupid (makes Loonie’s look like just a warm up) that I’m afraid to tell my family members?
This would be an August 3 marathon back in the general vicinity of Loonie’s, only in the daytime and on a much hillier course. They assign each entrant a “special” name on their bib to reflect the insanity of this whole thing. It’s called Blister in the Sun and is limited to 100 crazies. It fits my schedule and there are a lot of slow Maniacs that do it. I’ve always sworn that I wouldn’t go near the thing, yet I dropped the application and check in the mail this morning. It’s a 5 mile figure 8, so you hit your car 10 times with lots of opportunity to quit. I suspect it will involve a lot of walking.</p>
<p>Great determination PG! </p>
<p>I also think it is healthy to establish a “trust” with yourself that one day “missed” will be ok and make a deal with yourself to perhaps ramp things up on the next workout. Sometimes things are out of our control.</p>
<p>I try not to worry if I miss my regular gym day, I just try to make a point to go at the next opportunity. Usually I go Monday, Tuesday (cardio only) and Thursday. Sometimes I only make it twice but I do make a point to never miss a day two weeks in a row.</p>
<p>Oh, I agree that one day missed is not a crisis; it’s just that I could easily turn a one-day missed into several-days missed and lie to myself, kwim?</p>
<p>Good job, pizzagirl. I understand not wanting to miss a day (the current streak aside). When I was pregnant, I was afraid to stop doing at least SOMETHING, because I truly thought I would never do anything again if I took a break. It’s sort of a warped mindset, but it felt real to me!</p>
<p>I think I would die of boredom, MOWC (not that I’ll be running a marathon anytime soon) but running through a parking lot? However, I can see you doing this race and no, I don’t think you have a problem. That said, I have a problem. I am afraid to actually run on a race. I like completing the training, but am just fearful of actually “racing”. Is it bad to run just for the sake of running? I have now found a training plan for a half and I’m telling myself its something I could do. Plus, I just want to. Hmmm.</p>
<p>I have great faith in your abilities, MOWC, so I don’t worry about something like this for you too much when you do it stand alone. I’m guessing you know your family will have some concern because it’s so soon after this past marathon you did, leaving you limited recovery time.</p>
<p>Sabaray - I know how you feel. I have now run three 5K’s and before each one, I was as nervous as could be - even though I knew intellectually “what’s the worst that happens? I decide to stop running and just walk the rest of the way and go home. I don’t know anyone here I need to impress.” I don’t know what’s so different in my mind about a 5K race versus just getting on the treadmill and not stopping til it’s 3.1 miles, but it’s different to me.</p>
<p>I like your post, kmcmom, that makes a lot of sense to me.</p>
<p>Sabaray, you can think of it as a 5K race or a 5K run. I prefer the latter! There is no one I’m “racing” except for maybe my previous run time!</p>
<p>My advice is to sign up for a local, low key run - something that maybe is geared for families or is small and does not involve thousands of people. Don’t tell anyone that you are doing it. Just sign up and go. You can then decide afterwards if you want to share you did it. I suspect, no matter how you did, that you will want to share AFTERWARDS about your experience!!!</p>
<p>Part of it is just not wanting to do a 5k in my local area because it is a smaller group of runners than a larger race. Part of it is just not being interested in a 5k as a distance. D is now in DC so is scouting for 10ks and halfs that would be good for a newbie and where I wouldn’t feel so self conscious, I guess.</p>
<p>Sabaray, making sure you know about this site - so handy to find races!!!</p>
<p>[Race</a> Menu](<a href=“http://www.runningintheusa.com/Race/Default.aspx]Race”>All Races Overview)</p>
<p>I also want to share a first 5K experience for me.</p>
<p>I was NER-VOUS!!! My S did it with me for support - ok, he was supportive before and after but actually left me in the dust DURING the race! We got to the venue early, registered and all - lots of people - FRIENDLY people mulling around. People seemed to naturally strike up conversations. I was sure to mention to EVERYONE that I talked to that it was my first race. I needed to to that to sort of “protect” myself - incase I needed to walk, in case I did something foolish, in case I couldn’t finish -whatever! (I did none of those things!)</p>
<p>When we were lining up for the race I saw a couple of people I had talked briefly with. They were SO encouraging! And, during the race (the route had you going down one road and then turning around and going back - so you would see people that passed you on the other side of the road heading back) a couple of them made a point to spot me and were smiling and shouting words of encouragement - this meant the world to me - it was happy, fun, a bit hard (and I was still anxious) but I realized what support runners in general provide for each other. At the end, again, a couple people came up and high fived me - that did my 53 year old soul a whole lot of good!</p>
<p>Still start each race anxious. But the mood and camaraderie at every race is apparent!</p>
<p>Thanks for the encouragement and sharing, abasket!</p>