<p>8-10 minutes of running will help build endurance!
1:1 is a fine way to do 5K. 2:1 might get you done a little sooner. Just don’t stop dead in front of me or I’ll shove you out of the way like I did the little kids! (smile)</p>
<p>3.1 this morning in the humidity. Did a route with more uphills so I had to walk more to keep the HR where I wanted it. I set a vibrate alert at 135, which helps me not to have to be staring at the Garmin the whole time. My age-graded time for that horrific 5K on Monday is below 25 or just above 25, depending on whose table you use. Not too bad, considering. (see how far I’ll go to find SOME consolation?)</p>
<p>Northminnesota, the thumb shifter on most mtn bikes or hybrids can actually require a fair amount of force because that shift lever works against the derailleur spring tension to move the chain up to a physically larger gear. SRAM makes a grip shifter that eliminates both the thumb and forefinger shift levers in favor of twisting the grip on your handle bar for or aft to shift in each direction. Shimano may also make such a shifter. A slight wrist rotation does all the work. I’ve used the SRAM versions and like them a lot. Check with your local bike shop about retrofitting your bike.</p>
<p>NM - I have the twisting shifters on my bike, they work well.</p>
<p>I’ve also found that the weight of my upper body on my hands can cause some thumb pain, especially if I find I am squeezing the grips too hard. So instead of wrapping my thumb around the grip, I will put it on top of the grip next to my other fingers. For me this relieves a lot of the pressure and pain on my thumbs.</p>
<p>The weight loss graph (at 3, 6, and 12 months) show a pretty dramatic difference in weight loss. 5.7 versus 12 pounds at three months. 4 pounds versus 11.7 pounds at twelve months.</p>
<p>The second graph is a real indictment of the low fat for heart health hypothesis. The 10 year risk for heart disease (Framingham score) increased 0.4% for the group eating low fat/high carb and decreased 1.0% for those eating low carb/high fat. The Framingham score is calculated from total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, age, and smoking status. Lower risk of heart disease has been the only rationale behind recommending low fat diets.</p>
<p>I would love to know what the low fat diet consisted of in terms of quality of carbohydrate consumed. Were the carbs consumed of the vegetable and quinoa variety or perhaps the Honeynut cheerio and donut variety? </p>
<p>I haven’t seen much reported on what they ate and I haven’t popped for the $30 to read the actual research article. I’m tempted, but I’m gong to wait around and see if more details come out.</p>
<p>The food consumption as based on 24 hour food diaries taken at intervals during the year. The participants met with dieticians weekly for the first month, bi-weekly for the next 5 months, and monthly for the last 6 months. The fact that both groups lost weight suggests what you would expect: at least some adherence to a program with routine dietary counseling. I would be shocked if the adherence was outstanding. I can’t imagine that the low-carb group actually hit the target of 40 grams per day net carbs. That’s VERY low and quite hard to do, from my experience.</p>
<p>Here’s a link to a couple more of the graphs, (thanks to the Diet Doctor):</p>
<p>One is the weight loss graph, but next to it is the body fat graphs. Despite losing 4 pounds (on average) the group eating the low fat diet actually INCREASED their body fat percentage at 12 months compared to baseline. They had lost more lean muscle mass than fat mass as the scale dropped. That makes weight maintenance really, really difficult; the goal is to lose body fat and maintain (or even increase) lean muscle.</p>
<p>Speaking of lean muscle: I can’t procrastinate any longer: TO THE BASEMENT!</p>
<p>I would also be interested in knowing more about the definition of “low fat” and “high fat”. There’s a difference between the fats from fish, avocado etc and eating highly marbled cuts of steaks. For those studies that are advocating “high fat/low carb”, what fat sources are being promoted?</p>
<p>All of the recent articles and studies have piqued my curiosity. I’m going to conduct a self study. I’m going to cut all pasta, bread and cereal out of my diet (except for Ezekial cinnamon raisin English muffins at breakfast) and will increase fruits and veggies as well as “healthy” fat sources such as nuts and avocado. I will maintain my protein intake from lean meats, fish and chicken breast and keep my total caloric daily intake balanced at my basal metabolic level plus activity expenditures as I do now. I will maintain my daily protein intake at 120-125 gms/day and limit carbs to 100-150/day. A few months ago, I had a 7 point caliper pinch test done to determine % body fat and at 5’8" and 157lbs came in at 11%. After 2 months, I’ll have the test done again. Along the way, I’ll continue to log my strength and cardio training to see if the change in diet has any impact. Should be interesting to see the outcome. I’ll then report the results.</p>
<p>I volunteer to be part of the high carb donut group. Just kidding. </p>
<p>The original article “defines” the groups as follows: </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>and </p>
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</p>
<p>I just looked at MyFitnessPal for the last ninety days and I’m exceeding my recommended intake of fat/protein regularly and only occasionally on the carb side. I think I eat closer to the low-carb than the low-fat group at this point. </p>
<p>From the NYTIMES article on the low carb group:</p>
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</p>
<p>If I recall (I’ve read too many articles on this study), they were getting somewhere in the range of 43% of their total calories from fat overall.</p>
<p>Personally, I think the recommendations to replace saturated fat with unsaturated fat are perilous. In the case of substituting margarines and crisco, it’s a disastrous recommendation from a health standpoint. I don’t think it’s at all clear that the industrial seed oils like corn oil and canola oil are healthy alternatives.</p>
<p>Really good workout in the basement. Bit of a grind… it’s hot and muggy here. No A/C in the basement gym. Excellent warmup. Really good DB snatches. Core was good – and that’s saying a lot for ValSlide Alligator Slides, twisting side plank, and cable chops.</p>
<p>Did my last run (I think) before my 5k Sunday. Suppose to be 90 tomorrow and Friday so I’ll either walk or bike a bit but no more running till Sunday. Keepin it fresh!!! </p>
<p>IDad, I would treat as immediately suspect any study that was recommending margarine or Crisco! I’m assuming that the study didn’t actually recommend them but that you are simply pointing them out as unsaturated fats that rate high on the yuck factor (unhealthy) because they come in solid form and are very processed.</p>
<p>Did my food log for today and it’s going to be very tough to figure out how to keep within 150 grams of carbs. That equates to about 32.5% of my maintenance caloric intake before exercise is factored in. Using that % after factoring in exercise burn would put me well over 150. Also, if I use …8 gms of protein per body pound, that puts me at about 125 gms which equates to 27% of my maintenance pre-workout caloric intake. So that leaves about 40% fat. That just “feels” high to me since I am accustomed to about a 25-30% fat intake. I see a nutritionist in my immediate future to better dial in my basal and exercise caloric needs and macro nutrient levels.</p>
<p>Had my follow up ribs X-ray today. Broke ribs 8 and 9. Healing well. But no yoga yet. He told me not to fall. I am back doing Valslides. 3 1/2 mikes after work.</p>
<p>My corporate team was 2nd in our division, behind my blazing 5K! We’ll take it!</p>
<p>2nd low HR run. 5 miles 12:46 pace 135 avg HR. I’m going to have to run off the beaten track from now on. Two people asked if I’m on rehab. Not good for the ego. Hopefully the mile pace starts to drop as I do more and increase time volume to. 1 to 1 1/2 hours</p>
<p>Second place is pretty good with the team leader just coming back from injured reserve!</p>
<p>mkat:</p>
<p>Those nutrition numbers are for non-hiking days. On a 6+ hour hike, I add 72 grams of SuperStarch protein drink (about 400 calories), divided up into four shots, one every two hours, starting about 30 minutes before the hike. I also wolf down 2 ounces of salted roasted almonds on rest stops. SportTracks says the last few hikes I’ve done have burned 1200 to 1800 calories. I have no idea if that’s right, but it’s very clear that I’m in a caloric deficit and almost certainly burning off some stored fat.</p>