<p>Thanks. I think FLAT is a big part of the answer. I’m going to have to be careful at home and it takes some real work to stay away from hills.</p>
<p>MOWC:</p>
<p>I know it’s not your “thing” and not the same as distance running, but have you played around with running sprints to get a more concentrated training effect with less mileage? Does speed aggravate injuries more or less than distance?</p>
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<p>I plan to take this jogging thing very deliberately. Just adding the jogging intervals to my walks and I can feel it in my legs for a day or so – not pain (knock on wood), but general soreness from working muscles in a different way.</p>
<p>As a competitive runner I’ve done lots of speed work (sprints for me are 400s or 800s). My personal belief is that for an older runner it can be inviting injury if you are not VERY careful. Hills mimic speed work in many respects, and shorter races (5K) do as well. The older runners I know who do much speed work are very injury prone. Some quick strides or “fartlek” is fine, but really focusing on 200s or so scares me. Old age again…</p>
<p>Both speed and distance can aggravate an injury. Speed adds increased impact force and stress while distance tends to result more in repetitive stress-type injuries. I think that speedwork adds to the cardio system and probably results in more strength long-term as the body adapts to increased stress.</p>
<p>I brought my running stuff in but I’m not sure that I’ll use it. I need to find a smaller knee brace (old ones are XL/L and are too large now) that’s comfortable. CVS has the most comfortable but they don’t come in the usual four sizes; just two. Wearing those during the day helps the knee heal up faster. Son is coming home tonight as he has a local interview tomorrow so I’m sure that he will want to go to the YMCA. I think that we’ll stop off at WalMart to get some weights. I’m considering getting two 25-pound dumbbells (convenient weight that I’d use) and/or four ten-pound weight plates. Those should keep him busy for a while.</p>
<p>I still think you should be on the lookout for ways of applying your endurance athleticism in complementary non-running ways. Figure that, even if it’s only one day a week, every time you get your endurance fix paddling a kayak or mountain biking or whatever you can dream up is probably one more day that you’ll be able to run down the line. That doesn’t solve the void of competitive running, but from a real-life fitness standpoint, it’s probably sensible. Of course, with your luck, you’d tear a rotator cuff! </p>
<p>I guess you’ve kind of already done that with the hot yoga as that’s a way of getting an intense non-running workout.</p>
<p>I’m just glad that you aren’t hobbled with pain. If flat is the solution, at least that is possible to find just about anywhere. Not very scenic, but there’s always a high school track or dreadmill.</p>
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<p>WalMart also sells a $5 dumbbell bar that takes standard weight plates. I don’t really like reconfiguring dumbbells all the time, but it is a good approach when you are actively moving up in weight. Good way to maximize the value in plates that will fit a barbell or dumbbells. When it’s time to move up again, you can either add more plates or go back and fill in with the next pair of dumbbells, like you are considering with the 25s.</p>
<p>I have two more workouts this week and then I will have completed all three phases of New Rules of Lifing for Abs. Fifty six workouts, if I’m not mistaken. I plan to go back to do the whole thing again, substituting variations for some of the exercises or just pushing the weight up. But, I’ll probably take a few weeks off and do some Spartacus and iPod nazi – lighter weights, but more reps, and a faster pace. I’ve made some big gains in some areas (core, for example) and I’d like to go back and revisit some old favorites – like the one-legged stability ball pushups and the t-pushups! I think I’m finally ready for the lunges that iPod nazi and Spartacus love so much and that have always given me fits. The last month of doing reverse lunges with a fairly heavy dumbbell have been paying off.</p>
<p>Well, I’d like to keep the dumbbells at 22.5 pounds or even drop them to 20 pounds for curls (I can’t do as much weight on the curls) but it would be nice to have 25s for the chest press and overhead press. 25s and 30s are pretty useful weights to have around and I’ll use them myself someday if our son outgrows them. We are weight-plate limited right now. We are using all of them except for one oddball 10 pounder that I bought for doing pushups. My son has mentioned that it would be nice if he had weights at his apartment too. I suggested that he do pushups.</p>
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<p>Very glad to hear that! You might have found a way to run (flat!) and let your injury heal at the same time! Yay. </p>
<p>I second what you’ve said about hills and sprints. Especially sprints - that stuff should be left to the younger bunch. I’m blessed to have a very flat trail nearby, so even when I’m not 100%, I can still go for a run.</p>
<p>Ya’ll have any tips for an ol’ (formerly) fat guy just starting to jog? I feel like I am landing on my mid-foot, which I gather is the prefered way to go. Anything I should be particularly trying to do or not do?</p>
<p>I came across this video and thought it would make a fun exercise of the day: alternating dumbbell bench press.</p>
<p>This one is done on bench, but it can also be done on an incline bench or, stability ball, or even standing.</p>
<p>[YouTube:</a> Ben Bruno’s Alternating Bench Press](<a href=“Alternating Dumbell Bench Press - YouTube”>Alternating Dumbell Bench Press - YouTube)</p>
<p>This video is pretty amazing. Not bad for a recent Columbia grad (Class of 2010). He’s using two 110 pound DBs. I think they’d even forgive a little mild grunting at Planet Fitness on this one! I love this guy’s videos. Always perfect form.</p>
<p>BCEagle: He’s a local boy. Grew up in New Castle – the little island in Portsmouth, NH where Wentworth-by-the-Sea is located. He’s a young coach at Mike Boyle’s.</p>
<p>First Workout Today:
3x3 Bench Press
3x3 Back Squat
3x12 Pull Ups
3x6 KB Swings</p>
<p>Then I was playing around with some stuff in the gym and almost hurt myself trying to do T-push ups with the “perfect push up” handles…</p>
<p>Did my biking and pushups. Worked on weights today. Upped all of my weights to try and shake this plateau. I am tired and will be sore tomorrow. Couldn’t do my KB as I could feel my back give a little and I didn’t want to chance it.</p>
<p>And, in an attempt to balance all the Zuzanna videos I’ve posted, here’s another one:</p>
<p>[YouTube</a> - Ben Bruno’s Goblet Squats](<a href=“Goblet Squats - YouTube”>Goblet Squats - YouTube)</p>
<p>This one is breathtaking. Goblet squats with a 120 pound dumbbell. 21 reps!</p>
<p>These two exercises of the day are things that all of us can (and should do). They can be done with any size dumbbells by anyone at any level. This goblet squat is the best way to learn a proper squat. Just grab a five or eight or ten pound DB and get started.</p>
<p>Did a bench press of 100 pounds today!! First time to hit that mark. It was a nice milestone. I’ve been building up to it since January–started at 70 pounds. </p>
<p>BC Eagle–you mentioned Trader Joe’s protein shakes–are you referring to the shakes that come in a can (Pure Protein–35 grams of protein, 4 g. of carbs)? I have been drinking those for the last few weeks. I’ve been working on eating more protein and I find that I can’t get the recommended amount in my regular diet because I don’t eat much meat. So, I’ve added the shakes for lunch a few times a week. I put the protein drink in a blender with a banana or blueberries and plain yogurt and 1T of a fruit spread along with lots of ice cubes. I can’t drink it all at once and will drink it over the course of an afternoon. This is the first protein shake that I don’t mind drinking. Most of the others I’ve tried are wretched. I feel the same way about the protein bars.</p>
<p>Yup, those are the ones that I mean. Mixing with fruit and ice sounds interesting. It’s hard to get that much protein in general. Something that comes close is Trader Joes Meatless Meatballs (2 servings or 12 meatballs).</p>
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<p>Wow. Those protein shakes are obviously paying off! I better get the lead out. I’ve got a ways to go to get to 100 pounds!</p>
<p>IDad- I think you are on the right track with your jogging/running. Keep it at a conversational pace and just keep lengthening the running part.</p>
<p>I figured out that a lot of the reason there were so many Speedos on the beach was because there are a lot of Europeans here and that is much more the norm for them.</p>
<p>Those darn European swimmers! Apparently, quite a few swim teams travel to Florida for some nice weather and training this time of the year. And one kid even managed to get in deep trouble on the beach:</p>
<p>[Olympic</a> hopeful rescued on Miami beach after being buried in sand](<a href=“Sports News, Scores, Fantasy Games - Yahoo Sports”>Sports News, Scores, Fantasy Games - Yahoo Sports)</p>
<p>These are mainly men over 40 and 50 that I’m seeing. Some look Ok. Most- not so much.</p>
<p>We picked up 4 x 2.5 pounds. It turns out that we only needed to get two as I bought two 2.5s before (I posted it here). No problem - we have spare capacity. I really wanted to buy 4 x 5 but they only had 1 5 pounder. The limiting factor at WalMart was that they were poorly stocked with standard plates. They had all of the Olympic plates though. I find this to be the case in general - nobody seems to want the Olympic plates.</p>
<p>I asked our son about the metal hex fixed weights and he said that he didn’t like them. I also looked at the weight plate system. $57 for one dumbbell and 8 plates. I think that I could do better buying the barbells and plate weights individually and they would be interchangeable with my current stuff. I just need one dumbbell at 22.5 so that would be $5 for the core+locks, and $17 for the two ten-pound plates or $22 to meet my needs.</p>
<p>Son has tried out the 25s and likes them. He says that they are just a little heavier.</p>