<p>Cool. When your daughter is pushing you to do another rep, does she scream, “Just do it, because I said so!” at you? I don’t know about having a child as a personal trainer. Like they say, payback is a … :)</p>
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<p>In fact, it’s ALWAYS a good idea to bring along a pump, a patch kit and a spare tire, and to know how to fix flats. Cyclists planning to make the call of shame sometimes find out that cell phone service is lacking in just the deserted, low-traffic areas that are good for cycling.</p>
<p>iPod nazi 1
interesteddad 0</p>
<p>Wow. I’m repeating the last two workouts with the full three sets and heavier weights this week. Plus, I added two upgrades today: real pushups instead of granny pushups and full side bridges from the feet instead of the knees. I couldn’t go as deep with the pushups (I had been touching my nose to the floor) and I couldn’t go quite 45 seconds, but I got in three sets of 12, which I’m happy with.</p>
<p>Same with the full side bridges. I could go 45 seconds on my good side, only about 35 seconds on my bad side. Not bad.</p>
<p>And, I modified the squat press a bit to knock off Exercise 1 from [The</a> Spartacus Workout](<a href=“http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/high-intensity-circuit-routine/printer.php]The”>http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/high-intensity-circuit-routine/printer.php). I did the “Goblet Squat Press” with a 14 pound dumbell. Three sets of 12. My arms feel like I just flew in from Cleveland.</p>
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<p>For the intervals at the end, I tried something different, from Mike Boyle. I have been doing time based intervals: 10 seconds hard, 20 seconds easy. This sends my heart rate above 90% after the second interval and it never really comes down. This means that you have to pace yourself on the hard bouts, because with continuous heart rates above 90%, you just run out gas.</p>
<p>Today, I went all out as hard as I could go (Boyle says that fit men should be able to do Level 10 to Level 12 on the Airdyne, 450 to 600 watts) for 10 seconds, then simply waited as long as it took for my heart rate to return to 70% of max. I was able to hit Level 12 to Level 15 on all eight fast intervals. I saw 90 to 100 rpms. Heart rate was peaking right around 90%. I’m sad to say that it was taking 1:45 for my heart rate to return to 70% of max. Too long, but I think this kind of interval trains the body to peak and recover. These intervals did not feel as painful as the timed intervals. Interestingly, the bike said that I burned more calories and covered more miles, even though I was essentially stopped for nearly two minutes between intervals – just barely moving at 20 rpms to keep the muscles from tightening up. I could certainly achieve much much higher intensities during the fast segments. Interesting stuff.</p>
<p>Oh, it was 84 in the house, so this would fall into my hard workout category. 
I deserve to lose some weight this week!</p>
<p>Six miles. It felt pretty easy and I felt as if I could keep going for another mile but am sticking with my plans. The new clothes were nice. No chafing so I do not have to wear compression shorts so there is a savings there. They basically did what they were supposed to do, keep me dry. They are quite light too.</p>
<p>The ease of the run might have been due to a ton of rest over the weekend, weights on Saturday, or a protein bar a few hours before the run. Or the clothes. At any rate, I shave about two minutes off total time. That is really not much, but I have been struggling at improving times at this distance before.</p>
<p>I think that a good goal would be to get to ten-minute miles by the end of September.</p>
<p>BC:</p>
<p>Is your race on Thursday?</p>
<p>Yup. Forecast is now partly cloudy with highs around 77. Just about the perfect temperature in this heat wave. My ideal temperature would be 65 degrees and partly cloudy but that’s not going to happen this summer.</p>
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<p>Haven’t looked at this thread for several days, then read this just as I returned from an 8-mile ride. Just my second time out. Went out with H last week, but he wants to stay on the bike paths (all pretty much gravel), but we’ve had rain almost every night during the night lately and I don’t want to hit any puddles (those of you who remember my story of H’s ‘incident’ with a ‘puddle’ will appreciate my hesitation). So last week I only rode just under six miles. Today, on my own, I went over 8… stuck to paved paths and it made it much easier. I’m still not as used to and as comfortable being on the bike as H is, and feel better going at my own speed, especially around curves, corners, and path transitions. Took me about 45 minutes, but I also encountered several traffic lights I had to yield to.</p>
<p>Great job, everyone!</p>
<p>Tonight was my first full 5K run since my injury - light “hills” on my treadmill. I was done in 27:20, with descending miles, and I did not feel too tired. The worst part is that I forgot to turn the oven on before my run, so we are still waiting for dinner: H is starving, and I’m not As far as healthy eating goes, my horoscope says that H and I will be eating a lot of zucchini and Cypress cucumbers in the upcoming week, so tonight’s menu includes baked garlic chicken breasts and zucchini “stew”.</p>
<p>oooohhh… would love to see recipes for those both!</p>
<p>I’ll come ride with you, Teriwitt. I don’t think I’ll be riding bikes with my wife. We can’t seem to agree on a route. I’m just not that comfortable on the bike at this point (not like I’m going to fall over, but I need some time in the saddle), so I like to plan a route on the very rural country roads near our house where traffic isn’t an issue. She insists on a route into town (where there is a nice bike path, but heavy traffic whizzing by for half the ride coming and going). So I just do my thing.</p>
<p>I have a little 5.3 mile loop with a bunch of hills. I’ll just keep plugging away at that for a few outings to increase my hill climbing capacity and get a little more comfortable on the bike. When I can ride that loop without stopping, I’ll start adding to the loop – there’s a really nice lake to ride around.</p>
<p>blackberries are now ripe. Must stop. Often
Couple of weeks ago it was wild plums.</p>
<p>Teri, I’m known to measure my ingredients using “pinches” and “handfuls”, so here is a very approximate description of how I make my zuccini “stew”. I slice 1 smallish red onion, 5-6 large cloves of garlic and cook them in 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil until onions are opaque. Then I add 3 large zucchini, cubed, 2 large carrots, shredded, and cook (covered) until zucchini chunks are just starting to become tender, then I add 1/2 glass jar of spaghetti sauce, some basil (dry or fresh depending on what I have on hand), black pepper and salt to taste and cook until everything is well done. It tastes great with a dash of shredded parmesan cheese!</p>
<p>For baked chicken, I marinate 2-3 chicken breasts (free range tastes the best) with a couple of tablespoons of rice vinegar, a tiny bit of olive oil, some chopped garlic and black pepper (to taste), place them in a glass baking dish, smear 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of vegan mayo on the top of each chicken piece (regular mayo mixed with sour cream 1:1 works OK, but I like the vegan kind), and bake in a 400-degree oven until done.</p>
<p>I just want to say thanks again to every one posting on this thread. It has really helped keep me motivated and accountable…just what I need! I started my 90 Challenge program on Saturday and have really worked hard at my workout routine these past few days. My triceps are a little sore and my legs have been burning as I ride that bike! Met with a personal trainer this morning and got a new weight work out. Yay! I have a nutritional seminar to go to tomorrow and I am excited about that. I hope I can sustain this enthusiasm and dedication to reach my goal weight and level of health by next August. Thanks again for your help! :)</p>
<p>n minn:</p>
<p>I think you’ll probably win the challenge! There can’t be anyone else in the contest who can pedal a recumbent bike for 70 minutes! Getting a weight training plan and meeting with the nutritionist to review your diet – you’ve already gotten your money’s worth out of the contest, even before you take home the trophy!</p>
<p>I agree about the value of daily motivation and staying enthusiastic about the process of eating less and moving more. It’s huge in staying focused.</p>
<p>This really has been a wonderful thread- inspiring and supportive!</p>
<p>My 6 mile run this morning was a struggle. How much can go wrong? It was almost 80 degrees at 5:40am to start. I thought I had a nice half bottle of G2 (Gatorade) just before I went out the door. (when I returned home I discovered I all but about an inch was still there…) My hamstring/hip felt really pretty good today running (not so much now sitting at my desk). However, my left ball of foot was KILLING me! I wasn’t sure if it was the various shoes with which I have been experimenting (Newtons and now some new Brooks I got at the Brooks event yesterday) OR the cycling shoes/cleats. H thinks my cleats are too small and concentrate too much pressure. Also, I got dehydrated (not horribly, but it certainly affected my run) and had to stop several times to rest on the way back. Hills, too, even though I didn’t do my hardest “out the door” course. I am trying to stay fairly flat, but without driving somewhere, it’s impossible. So-I made it but my HR average was 159 (10 beats too high) with a max of 177, which is absurd. I am running a VERY slow pace and even on hills I should not be hitting over 163 or so.<br>
I have PT tonight. I’ll see what he says about the foot thing. It would come and go- ranged from almost couldn’t stand it to no pain at all. No pain at all walking around now or even pushing on it.<br>
The Brooks event yesterday was brutal. I was outside from 2-7 (under a roof for much of it, but outside) and it was almost 100 degrees. We were soaked all day. We had some mister fans, but it didn’t help much. It was sort of fun- or at least it would have been for about 2 hours. I now own a big 18" stuffed Brooks shoe that was the prize in the game booth where I worked.</p>
<p>Thanks for the support idad! I don’t expect to win…there are almost 400 people doing it at my local club! (and they group men and women together…we know how that goes! 
) I usually go to a little satellite club right up the street instead of the “big” club. Too much spandex and women who exercise with their hair and makeup on! Don’t think anyone would appreciate my drowned rat imitation or the wet t-shirt contest I seem to enter every day! I made a nice breakfast this morning…scrambled egg whites with chopped red pepper and portabella mushrooms. 105 calories according to MyPlate…very filling and tasty. Will have some fruit in a bit. Yesterday I ate too much fruit (cherries and grapes) according to my Daily Intake Value which meant too many carbs. Really…could eating too much fruit be what is holding me back?</p>
<p>MOWC…glad to hear the hip pain is a little better!</p>
<p>NorthMinn…fruit is terrific but can be high in calories and sugar. Try substituting some veggies like cucumber, cut up zucchini, peppers, etc. </p>
<p>I used to have a fruit smoothie every morning…made only of fruit. I now have it only on
the weekends. I figured it was adding about 250 calories to my daily count. I now throw a few raspberries (and a sprinkle of walnuts) on my morning high fiber cereal. And I usually have a nectarine or apple or blueberries during the day - but that’s it. I eat LOTS of veggies though. </p>
<p>Anyway, I still need to drop a few but I’ve gone down almost 20 over about 9 months and I’m maintaining it. Now if I could just do 70 minutes every day on my bike, I’d be in good shape! Right now, I’m too much of a weekend warrior.</p>
<p>Anyway, GOOD LUCK NORTHMINN! YOU CAN DO IT!!</p>
<p>According to idad’s calculator, my maintenance calories are about 3,000/day. Now let’s say you have an egg muffin for breakfast (300 calories), a sandwich for lunch (500 calories), and dinner (1,000 to 1,500 calories). That’s only 1,800 to 2,300 calories per day and it should be fairly easy to lose weight with that alone. Taking out sugar drinks, cookies, chips, sweets, etc. can make it feel like it’s hard to get enough calories in a day.</p>
<p>On run days, I usually go with 400 - 500 calories for breakfast and lunch, then run, and then do 1,000 to 1,500 calories for dinner. On some days, I’ll just skip breakfast and lunch. I’ve found that these protein bars that you get at the supermarket or Trader Joes provide you with a few hundred to several hundred calories and get rid of cravings. I think it’s something about the combination of fat, protein, and carbs that satisfies hunger. Sometimes you can eat a bag of chips and still feel hungry because your body wants something that isn’t satisfied by the food that you’re eating.</p>
<p>Someone asked me last night why I’m bothering to lose weight and he didn’t think that I would be able to take it off and keep it off. I didn’t tell him about my support team here.</p>
<p>MOWC:</p>
<p>Pain in the ball of the foot is usually “metatarsal joint” pain. It’s the joint between the long bones of the toes and the foot, located at the ball of the foot. Most commonly at the second or third toes. There are nerves at those joints that get compressed causing numbness and pain in the ball of the foot. I know…it’s the one ache and pain that I’ve been enjoying. </p>
<p>It is commonly worsened by shoes that are too tight, squeezing the toes together. I noticed that my bike ride caused it to flair up a bit. Add those two together and your bike marathon could well be the culprit.</p>
<p>Better shoes and good arch support (Brooks + Superfeet) have helped mine a lot, but it’s still an issue sometimes towards the end of longer walks (4+ miles) and if I walk on consecutive days. It’s definitely a repetitive stress type pain. Stepping wrong on rocky path can also set it off for me.</p>
<p>There are “metatarsal pads” (two or three inch cushions placed on the ball of the foot behind the joints) that allegedly reduce the pain. I have not tried these to this point.</p>
<p>If it’s not something that’s bothered you running in the past, I would chalk it up to the biking and give it a day or two of rest to calm down. It’s basically a joint inflamation problem.</p>
<p>I had metatarsal problems in my 30s. I think that switching to New Balance EEEEs and using aftermarket insoles solved that problem. I looked at those Italian bicycle shoes a long time ago and wondered how anyone could get their feet in those things. The ones that I saw all looked pretty small.</p>