<p>It is really, really hard to do what MOWC is doing.</p>
<p>I thought about doing it this week. I had planned 6.25 mile runs for MTWR and maybe a mile or two Friday, either before tennis or after tennis but after would depend on how long and sore I was from tennis and it could be 0 miles.</p>
<p>I found it hard fitting things in and then yesterday, my son has something where he needs a ride into Boston today and daughter had a dentist appt. So I went into the office really early planning a short run and I got to working on a problem and then ran out of time. I’m in Boston right now at Starbucks connected to the office and will work for a few hours and then back to NH. I still have work to do tonight and figuring out the nutrition timing and whether or not I get a decent run in is a headache.</p>
<p>Full-time job + random life events makes it hard to workout for an hour+ everyday.</p>
<p>The good thing about streaking is that it is a mile (believe it or not, there ARE official streaking rules…) minimum, and you can usually do that (not always, but usually) even if you have a mild flu or very little time. For 10 minutes, you don’t even really have to shower afterwards.</p>
<p>I got motivated and ran at lunch. 6 miles done. Overdressed since I pretty much brought clothes for after work with no sun. It worked out well. I found a back door out of the building near the locker room. My badge won’t let me back in (stupid contract assignment) but someone else was coming in the back and let me in. So no prancing through the lobby. I feel better, but now I have to sneak out and get some food!</p>
<p>I thought that it was two miles because that seems to be your minimum.</p>
<p>One other thing that I found out about doing multiple smaller runs - the laundry really piles up and I have to switch to my lesser-liked clothes.</p>
<p>I’m definitely impressed with popping out six miles when you don’t feel like it.</p>
<p>Very observant, BCE! If I get out the door for “just a mile”, I usually wind up going at least 2, with the exception of the day after a marathon or in 2009 when I had the bruised ribs from the spectacular fall in the Wisconsin marathon. Today the plan was 4 and then maybe 5. When I started I thought “How nice would it be to have the mid-week 6 mile run DONE and not have to figure out how to do it tomorrow when it’s really too late in the week anyway.” The hardest step is the one out the door…</p>
<p>I ran today. You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to say that. It turns out that my ankle pain was not related to running. It was the beginning of some kind of viral infection that took a tour of my joints, while simultaneously giving me flu-like symptoms. It is finally clearing up, the only thing left is some pain in my little finger. So, onward to the 10k, which will probably not go a well as I had originally hoped, but that’s ok.</p>
<p>Yay blankmind and MOWC. Sounds like everyone ran today!</p>
<p>Not me. I’m going to lift heavy stuff and put it back down. I’m a fair weather walk/jogger. I am going to play with the last of the new fitness goodies – a flat weight bench. So, I’ll have to do some dumbbell bench presses in my workout, lying on the bench instead of a stability ball. And, I can use it for my three point DB rows, instead of putting my hand on the wobbly step ladder. I got one that is low enough (16 inches) to work for rear-foot elevated split squats and it’s a nice height to use as a tall step. It’s sturdy enough to use for plyo box jumps, but the ceiling in the basement probably isn’t tall enough for that. I’d hit my head if I got any extra air!</p>
<p>Again the question of “What Would MomofWildChild Do”? gets answered the same way every time – she just freaking does it!!</p>
<p>Makes me hang my head in shame that I let yesterday’s scheduling snafu rob me of a workout. Doesn’t matter what “the streak” is, I am so impressed by her determination to stick to her goals. Seriously, WWMD? is going to be my mantra for January!</p>
<p>I understand the going to sleep for a short nap and waking up the next day, whether it’s a little after midnight or when it starts to get light out.</p>
<p>Great job on the running. I can’t wait to be able to really start. I want to lose another 6lbs and keep upping my cardio and then I am breaking out the ipod and starting with the treadmill. </p>
<p>Today is a rest day for me. I really need it. I could barely get through 30 min cardio yesterday. Combination of over doing it too soon and too little calorie intake. Need to get better on my nutrition.</p>
<p>Nutrition becomes more important as you do longer and longer workouts. I brought cheeze-its for my workout which became a non-workout. Son finished the box that I bought last night - that’s annoying. I may have to leave a box in the office for carbo-loading.</p>
<p>Thanks, CJane. Glad I can inspire! It sometimes feels like it did when I was pregnant with each kid. This was after my REALLY strong competitive running days. I kept running- not every day and not fast- but I did it. Someone asked me why I was still running and I said, “I’m afraid if I stop I might never do it again!” One day a woman followed me around the mile loop at Kenneth Cooper’s Aerobics Center and said that she wanted to stay close because she was sure I was going to have the baby (WildChild) out there on the track! </p>
<p>My main concern right now is that I need H to get my computer hooked up at the new house (more complicated than it might sound, as is everything he does with electronics…) because I can’t sync my Garmin until he does and my runs don’t count until they are on [RunningAHEAD</a> - Free online running log and training plans](<a href=“http://www.runningahead.com%5DRunningAHEAD”>http://www.runningahead.com) :)</p>
<p>Haven’t posted in awhile. I owe MOWC a debt of gratitude when she posted the RunningAhead “website” a couple months back.</p>
<p>That’s where I found the maffetone low heart rate training program.</p>
<p>Since then I’ve become a disciple of the maffetone low heart rate training method. Basically beginning (or former fat guy runner like myself - with apologies to idad!) need to build an aerobic base. Basic training method is to run at 180 heart rate minus your age with some adjustment factors.</p>
<p>Aerobically I was out of whack. I got my 5k time down to 21:41 in October but it was basically all anaerobic. Since then I have been on the low hr training. At that heart rate in October my mile times were high 14 minute miles. Now I’ve progressed and am close to getting under 12 minutes a mile at my 130 heart rate. It is really tough to get used because it is a walk or shuffle starting out. Your ego takes a hit. I had people asking me if I was rehabbing!</p>
<p>From what I understand, this low hr training is the best way to train for fat burning. It’s not high hr running (which I used to do) but lower hr (180 minus age) that is best for burning fat.</p>
<p>That is an unfortunate myth. It is true that, at low heart rates, your body is burning fat for the highest percentage of the calories being burned. But, here’s the catch: at low heart rates, you aren’t burning very many calories.</p>
<p>I know absolutely nothing about training for running, but for fat loss, high intensity is king. The higher you can get your heart rate, the better. Not only does it burn more calories during the workout, but there is a mechanism, not well understood, that results in higher energy consumption for up to 24 hours after high intensity exercise. In addition, high intensity exercise results in more lean muscle gain – research suggests that this may be because it stimulates human growth hormone. And, finally high intensity exercise seems to reduce insulin resistance, which is a key factor in most of us being overweight.</p>
<p>So, low heart rate training may be the best possible way to train for distance running (I have no idea), but it is not optimum for fat loss. For most effective fat loss, you would probably want to do some interval running – alternate high speed high heart rate bursts that get your heart rate above 90% of your max with slow intervals when your heart rate can recover. You could start with as little as 15 or 30 second sprint intervals. The soccer conditioning experts believe that anything up to 4 minute intervals are effective.</p>
<p>I believe that they goal in training for distance running is to teach your body to exert the least possible energy and to be as efficient as possible. For fat loss, you actually want inefficiency – to burn the most possible energy.</p>
<p>What a fun workout. Played with all my new toys.</p>
<p>Used an empty 45 pound barbell for squat jumps and sets of front squats. Used the new weight bench for the 3pt bent-over DB rows and alternating DB bench press. Fantastic. And, the best thing is that my Reebok step fits perfectly under the bench for storage!</p>
<p>I did try a few [plyo</a> box jumps](<a href=“Inside the MBSC Staff Meeting: Plyometrics with Mike Boyle - YouTube”>Inside the MBSC Staff Meeting: Plyometrics with Mike Boyle - YouTube). No danger of hitting my head on the ceiling – the ol’ (formerly) fat guy would be lucky to get that kind of spring! 16 inch height is probably about right for me and the bench is rock solid. So, I’ll be able to plug these into my “power” sets – another great hip hinge exercise as the vertical jump is all hip. That was my plan originally when I thought about a bench a year ago, but I never found one that was the right height for me to use as a step or a box – everything was 19 inches, which is just a bit too tall for me, so I bought the Reebok step. Tried a few rear-foot elevated split squats and the height seems about perfect for those, too. Probably ends up being a bit under 16 inches with some give in the padding.</p>
<p>Single leg deadlifts felt really good today. I really have made some strides in the hip hinge and being able to push the hips back makes the single leg deadlift work better.</p>
<p>Today’s med ball was sideways wall tosses. I have a really bouncy med ball and I’ve been doing these from about six feet back from the wall and catching the ball on the bounce. Something like [url=<a href=“COMBINE TRAINING - YouTube”>COMBINE TRAINING - YouTube]this[/url</a>] except that I was doing it standing and my ball bounces faster, so I wasnt throwing it as hard.</p>
<p>My medicine balls are like dead weights! Bouncy sounds fun.</p>
<p>Ohiopublic- Glad you found the low HR group on RA. It’s a great group. I have done several stints of low heart rate training. It’s a great way to get back in shape or recover from an injury. I also was at 14 minute miles. I’ve been offered rides! It can be very frustrating, but it works. By the way, I’m HStreet on RunningAhead.</p>
<p>I had a few minutes between my buses and popped into the Nordy’s to check out some shoes. Running shoes, that is. The SA was a total idiot. First, he insisted that I needed an 8 1/2 when I knew that a 9 might be too tight, then he disappeared for 10 min and emerged out of the back room with a sky-high pile of boxes… full of Steve Madden wedges and other non-running crap. Irritating. If a lady says she needs running shoes, don’t bring her glitzy teen footwear! I did not want to reward his lame service and did not buy anything. Will be trolling Zappos tonight, since the Brooks outlet is already closed. </p>
<p>Bouncy medicine balls? Yup, that sounds cool. Mine go plop and don’t move if I drop them.</p>
<p>Great run, MOfWC! Blankmind, good to hear that you found the cause of your problems.</p>
<p>Hah. Everyone kept cheering me on when I was doing the walking segments in my 5K like I must have been about to keel over. It was funny to me, because my whole plan, and what I had already done maybe six times in the week or two before the event on that course, was to run 400 meters, walk 400 meters, and so forth. So, to me, it was just like all the other times.</p>
<p>Ran two miles - felt famished. My nutrition was screwed up by my schedule and I find that I have to time the nutrition to run or play tennis well.</p>
<p>I went over to Marshalls and they had a ton of women’s tech stuff on the main walk to the men’s section. Marshalls actually had some tech stuff in my size there - I picked up an Adidas tech sleeveless (so now I have 5 which means less pressure on mid-week laundry) and a pro-combat shirt. They had two of the former and three or four of the latter. I am going to try the pro-combat for running and tennis to see if it feels good in either of those two venues.</p>
<p>Tomorrow we get three inches of snow so my schedule may again be messed up.</p>
The SA was a total idiot. First, he insisted that I needed an 8 1/2 when I knew that a 9 might be too tight, then he disappeared for 10 min and emerged out of the back room with a sky-high pile of boxes… full of Steve Madden wedges and other non-running crap. Irritating. If a lady says she needs running shoes, don’t bring her glitzy teen footwear! I did not want to reward his lame service and did not buy anything.