<p>wow! you guys are awesome! </p>
<p>found out yesterday my cholesterol is still waaay high, and I’m possibly prediabetic… Spent today figuring out what I’m supposed to eat on a low fat low carb gluten free diet. Normal weight, don’t smoke, no family history of diabetes. I like my doctor but yeesh! flying blind, here. appointment with a registered dietician on the to-do list 
So the new year goals will include a more faithful approach to fitness.</p>
<p>Speaking of miles…I know MOWC tracks miles on RunningAhead. Any other online mile/workout trackers out there? Something that can easily track excercise strength core intervals as well as miles. Upload garmin data, etc</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I wouldn’t put a high priority on the low fat stuff. </p>
<p>Top two steps would be cut sugar and cut refined carbs. “Pre-diabetes” should be reversible in almost all cases with a diet that doesn’t spike insulin levels. The pre-diabetes (and possibly the cholesterol) are symptoms of insulin resistance.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I use SportTracks. All my workouts and hikes upload to a single place:</p>
<p>[SportTracks</a> 3](<a href=“http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/]SportTracks”>http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/)</p>
<p>Ooops. They are not worthy for realz:</p>
<p>[Marines:</a> Most Female Recruits Don’t Meet New Pullup Standard : NPR](<a href=“Marines: Most Female Recruits Don't Meet New Pullup Standard : NPR”>Marines: Most Female Recruits Don't Meet New Pullup Standard : NPR)</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t think a 3-push up test is unreasonable for 20 year old women seeking to be Marines. Something is wrong with the training programs…</p>
<p>Here are some of Boyle’s female hockey players doing 3 chinups:</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYdkTW7jnho[/url]”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYdkTW7jnho</a></p>
<p>You can log all kinds of exercises to RunningAhead. One of our USA national team uktra marathoners logs his drinking on RA. He calls it swimming, though.</p>
<p>Heard that story on NPR today, Idad. Later in the interview, there was a retired Marine who said that he created a training program for the women in his unit to train them so that they could do the 3 pull-ups. His comment was that right now women recruits weren’t getting the training they needed to do the 3 pull-ups. </p>
<p>I watched the youtube clip that you posted of the US Hockey Team woman doing the rear-foot elevated split squats. Tried to do it today in the gym and was barely able to do four on one leg and only two on the other leg. I also used 20 pound weights–didn’t have heavy kettle bells like the woman on the hockey team. </p>
<p>Anyway, I’m inspired. I think that split squat is something I can aspire to achieve. I’m not fast–I’m just a plodding walker–but I’m very strong for a geezer (I’m 61!). So–that’s my goal for 2014 to be able to do those rear-foot elevated split squats and do it with perfect form.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You won’t have any problem. Start with regular split squats, then go to body weight rear-foot elevated split squats. There’s a balance/comfort component to nail down. It’s an awkward feeling position. Trying to add too much weight too soon probably interferes with that. </p>
<p>2 x 20 lb DBs is a lot of weight for this exercise. I think the most I’ve ever done is 2 x 30. I think you are better off doing sets of 10, even if it’s bodyweight only, and then adding weight over time, rather than trying to do a weight that is so heavy that you can only do four reps.</p>
<p>The women at Boyle’s are literally lifting the heaviest weights that any woman on earth has lifted on that exercise. They are setting the benchmark.</p>
<p>I found it very, very useful to start from the bottom up. Put a pad on the floor, go to the bottom position with my knee on the pad, and start each rep going UP, then back down. Also, focus on the heel of the front foot. That’s where all the action is…</p>
<p>Then, do goblet rear-foot elevated split squats. Holding the weight in the goblet position will force good technique. And, when you outgrow that weight (for me, 30lbs was about my limit), then go to two DBs at your sides. The disadvantage of starting with two DBs at the sides is a tendency to lean forward.</p>
<p>Here’s a video of Mike Boyle teaching his coaches how to teach the rear-foot elevated split squat. This video helped me a LOT. It’s a fantastic exercise. All the benefits of squatting with very little load on the spine.</p>
<p>Finished my planned run, then headed for the weights section of the gym. There was a young man in there doing some sort of a circuit with his iPhone timer. He was impressed that I grabbed the 15 lb dumbbells. :D</p>
<p>Idad, thanks for posting the article about Marines - kind of sad. It got me thinking that I should set a goal of passing the test. ;)</p>
<p>Oops, I forgot the rear foot elevated split squat teaching video:</p>
<p>[Inside</a> the MBSC Staff Meeting: Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaXttrJcVTA]Inside”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaXttrJcVTA)</p>
<hr>
<p>BB: </p>
<p>Unlike 20 year old Marines, I think chin ups are really tough for us middle-aged folk. The double whammy of declining strength and increasing mass gives us a decidedly unfavorable strength-to-weight ratio. I would guess that being able to do 3 chin ups is pretty rarified air for women in my age bracket and not typical for men, either.</p>
<p>Having said that, the band-assisted chin ups that are probably the best progression to chinups are fantastic exercise their own right, so diving into the challenge is going to pay dividends no matter what. The other exercise I like is the lat pulldown machine, but kneeling on the floor (on the knees, facing the machine, rather than sitting on the seat. When I set a goal of doing a chin up, I wasn’t sure I would ever get there, but I figured the journey would worthwhile. It ended up taking me six or seven, maybe eight, months to do the first one, if I recall.</p>
<hr>
<p>
</p>
<p>When I was going to Planet Fitness, I was always impressed with the people who were obviously doing a pre-planned workout like that. I would be lost without my little printed exercise list – unless it’s something I can easily memorize like my kettlebell circuit. It would be too easy to just say, “aw screw it, that’s enough for today…” rather than working thru the list. Funny, the games we play to stay motivated…</p>
<p>Momwc, kudos. I daresay I’m not worthy, in the Wayne’s World kind of way (which, um, makes you Alice Cooper :))</p>
<p>
me neither, idad, but see comment #1 re mile intervals :)</p>
<p>Greenbutton, welcome. Stick around and we can probably help you dial back the pre-diabetes thing. My h’s sugar went from 125 down to 106 after just a few months of “being fed lean” as he puts it, earlier this year. </p>
<p>Basically, we avoid foods high on the glyceimic index and really limit processed food. We also, however, avoid anything that SAYS low fat because a) that usually means high sugar and b) real fat is good for you…fake fats aren’t and c) fat is both satisfying, meaning you’ll eat less, and pretty good for metabolic balance.</p>
<p>In your case, a good quick way to get up to speed on working out a food plan might be to start with cruising through the first South Beach diet book. It kinda gives you a baseline of how to think about foods in terms of glyceimic index even if you don’t choose to adopt exactly the SouthBeach diet.</p>
<p>And of course, exercise helps on both fronts. Best wishes on your quest.</p>
<p>Well I had to check in and say a huge congratulations to MOWC on the 2013+ miles for the year. Long live the streak! I am truly not worthy :).</p>
<p>I started a great new job in November, but the downside is that I now sit all day. My body is used to rushing around for 8 hours a day, so with absolutely no change in what I eat, I am now the not so proud owner of 4 extra pounds :), yay me!</p>
<p>I am plugging along with my running, and have my second half coming up in 5 weeks. My big goals for next year are to get 2 days a week of strength training in and to run a half in May with no walking. Oh, and to lose 4 pounds…</p>
<p>I find now that I work out more, I sleep really deeply. Though I’m in that stage of life where sometimes I wake up at 3 am wide awake … Ugh.</p>
<p>Ready to get back in action after vacay!</p>
<p>It was an active vacation with lots of hiking and biking, so I wasn’t idle, and now after a day of doing nothing, I am ready for the old schedule again.</p>
<p>Ran 8 miles with my daughter this morning as part of a support run (we aren’t there in person) for one of our women’s running group members (MaineLonghorn is running in this, too, as support) who is fighting cancer. Our friend is doing 50 miles accompanied in part or in full by some of our ladies and those of us not able to be there ran what we could in support. I haven’t run 8 in awhile and I did OK. It was 32-40 degrees and cloudy/gloomy. New Hokas felt great and bouncy.</p>
<p>Good for you!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, I must confess that I do kinda look like Alice Cooper after Airdyne mile intervals. Alice Cooper in Nike running shorts… :)</p>
<hr>
<p>Positively balmy in NH today. 41 degrees, which is actually bad news for hiking conditions. I’ve got the smoker fired up with enough bar-b-q for the freezer to get thru the winter. On at noon, should be done sometime between 10 pm and midnight.</p>
<p>~ 4 mi rolling hills run. Cool, no wind, comfortable.</p>
<p>Beautiful sunny day here - nice 3.2 flat run outside, no wind. I’m guessing tomorrow will be the treadmill as we are expecting lots of rain. Blech.</p>
<p>Trip to TJMaxx and netted a Nike DriFit running jacket originally $90 for $29.99!! A little more than windbreaker weight and a great watermelon with grey trim color - happy!!</p>