Been really struggling with my workouts. Going every other day this week. Wondering if my stress is zapping my energy. I have finally admitted I hate my current job and maybe even profession.
Hmmm…is exercise cleansing my brain or do I just need more carbs to keep me fat and happy?
Not going to give up though. I am enjoying seeing my collarbones and feeling a little like an athlete. Losing this weight is changing me. A lot. Is this normal?
I think that losing weight is stressful on the body in that it has to reallocate resources that are no longer available. I was on a low-carb diet and it took me some months to realize that I need some number of carbs before runs. Not a problem with tennis or other activities though.
So I experimented around and did some reading to figure out what the problem was and then corrected it. We all have ups and downs and plateaus - you just have to get through them or figure out what the problems are.
<p>mspearl:</p>
<p>There is no reason to work out every single day, unless you are a professional athlete. Doing a long hard workout every day will generally just end up grinding you down. If you can lock in an every other day routine, three or maybe four days a week, that’s plenty. Anything on top of that is gravy and should only be done to the extent that it is not preventing proper recovery. Ideally, you will recover best if you never do the same type of exercise two days in a row.</p>
<p>I think it is OK to work out every day if you change it up (except for me) and make sure you have easy days. It can be very hard to figure out what “easy” means. Every other day is fine, too. You might want to just do an easy walk on the off days. It sounds like you are doing well. We all have different kinds of stress in our lives and it DOES affect our energy level and sense of well-being. I feel tired a lot of the time, but still feel my running is keeping me somewhat sane (or at least off the ledge). My job is certainly not a source of joy- I feel like I was a pilot and now I’m a flight attendant (or maybe even the guy that loads the food on the planes). But, I’m getting a paycheck. Add the chaos of the new house (and not having sold the old one), and there are days just staying in bed all day would be nice. But- that’s me out there pounding the pavement as the sun comes up and I never, ever forget to be grateful for the ability to do what I do and for the discipline and determination that gets me out there.</p>
<p>^That’s my theory! :)</p>
<p>I would get so bored with the same workout every day. Some days I don’t do a “routine”, but I’ll take a walk. Or go up and down my basement stairs a bunch of times, and/or do a few miles on the stationary bike, followed by some stretching. </p>
<p>I try to tell my H that when you’re tired, a walk is a good as a nap (or better).</p>
Closed out my second Nike trade. Made a total of $2,600. Now trading Under Armour. I went to do a bit of shopping this morning and it’s hard to find exactly what I want - at any price!
<p>I like the routine of a workout everyday. But I do mix it up a little.</p>
<p>Another sunny day another 5K walk/jog. Cold out this afternoon – 34 degrees when I left – so I wore my lightweight Marmot base layer top and bottoms under Brooks running pants and a [Reebok</a> Greg Norman long sleeve tech quarter zip top<a href=“heavier%20fabric%20like%20the%20Brooks%20quarter-zips”>/url</a>. Lightweight fleece skull cap and lightweight fleece gloves. I was sweating like a pig, but all in all, probably about right because it was windy and chilly at the top of the hills overlooking the river. This Polartech base layer stuff is pretty amazing.</p>
<p>I raised my max heart rate a few months ago from 165 to 170 because I kept seeing readings above 100%. Looks like I’m going to have to change it again as I saw 172 bpm on three of the six intervals I ran today. Yikes. I guess that counts as high intensity intervals.</p>
<p>Not the fastest intervals I’ve run, but I definitely cranked it up compared to the last two times out (after a 30 day break each time). [url=<a href=“http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/Maudslay5Kwalk-jog-6intervals2-8-2012.jpg]the”>http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/Maudslay5Kwalk-jog-6intervals2-8-2012.jpg]the</a> graph](<a href=“http://www.tgw.com/images/golf/products/apparel/mens/outerwear/gregnorman/16740/cfli-cardinalwhite.jpg]Reebok”>http://www.tgw.com/images/golf/products/apparel/mens/outerwear/gregnorman/16740/cfli-cardinalwhite.jpg)</p>
<p>14 x 400 intervals today. Is it good or bad to have a high maximum heart rate? My garmin shows I’ve gone as high as 202, which is apparently higher than usual for someone my age. I don’t want to drop dead out there lol.</p>
<p>I don’t think there’s anything inherently good or bad about a higher or lower max heart rate. It’s genetics/age more than anything else.</p>
<p>Fourteen 400 meter intervals is a heck of workout. That’s in the 2 to 4 minute range that seems to produce the highest heart rates for just about everyone. Mile intervals on the Airdyne (2:40 to 3:00 minutes) are where everyone seems to see their highest heart rates. It’s short enough that you can run (or ride) pretty fast, but long enough that you have completely wiped out the oxygen getting to your muscles. That’s also the range where were the cutting-edge soccer coaches are using interval training for max conditioning.</p>
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<p>How cool is this? I’m getting Jack White ads in the sponsors box to the left! His new song is killer:</p>
<p>[Jack</a> White | Jack White III](<a href=“http://jackwhiteiii.com/]Jack”>http://jackwhiteiii.com/)</p>
<p>Max heart rate is not a sign of fitness or lack thereof. That’s why it is impossible to really get an accurate max from the formulas. As iDad is finding out, your own max can vary from the formulas- in my case it would be about 30 beats off! Again- not a sign of fitness. Resting heart rate is the sign of fitness.</p>
<p>3 miles, 8:15 pace. That was quite a workout and maybe a goal of 3 miles in 24 minutes is doable this year. I had more but it takes quite an effort to shave even 4 or 5 seconds off the pace. Smith Machine and bicep curls to finish it off.</p>
<p>Aaah, the great heart rate debate.
One thing is for sure, the “formula”, whatever it is, something minus age, doesn’t seem to apply to anyone!</p>
<p>My resting is very low, always has been, I don’t think it is due to fitness, though.
My max as measured by the delightful VO2 test is pretty high.
Add to that the exercised-induced (benign!) arrythmia and it makes for some pretty weird HR read outs. In fact, Polar can’t handle the arrythmia and turns itself off, which is frustrating because most machines synch up with Polar HR monitors. Garmin does continue to spit out the 200-220 bpm numbers and hangs in there until the HR returns to normal.</p>
<p>I did most of my marathon run training on a HR training plan. My coach set very specific target heart rates for me, a mix of high HR tempo runs and most runs at very low HR. As a result I have become really accustomed to looking at the numbers. But as MOWC pointed out, the numbers change over time and depending on the training. These days, with no formal plan, I go by how I feel, 180-190 is working very hard and above 190 feels bad and is not sustainable for more than 30 seconds. When I push hard on intervals I tend to see mid 180s. I can hold low to mid 170s for an hour run.</p>
<p>The formula for my max is around 165 and I’m fine with that number. I could crank it up to 200 pretty easily in my 30s and would do so just for fun but this old codger is playing it safe.</p>
<p>This time of year (dry and cold) you also have the potential for static electricity generated by polyester tech t shirts causing false spikes by zapping the heart rate straps. I had one on Monday’s walk/jog.</p>
<p>Not today. I was seeing high, sustained heart rates on several intervals.</p>
<p>Reminds me, though. I should probably try to find that can of anti-static cling spray I bought last winter. It’s supposed to eliminate that problem.</p>
<p>I had that in the gym yesterday. Everytime I went to the water fountain - got zapped in the tongue.</p>
<p>Yes, much can interfere with the HR’s reading, including power lines! For women, there are a bunch of sports bras that can wreak havoc.
Before I medically confirmed the arrythmia, I spent countless hours on the Polar and Garmin boards and talking to the tech guys trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Used the ultrasound goo, wore the strap backwards, tried different bras, shirts etc.</p>
<p>Between the physical symptons and being hooked up to machines, it finally became clear, it was not the HR monitors! Frustrating process.</p>
<p>Interestesdad, Congrats on kicking nicotine. Very awesome.</p>
<p>I don’t do the same workouts everyday but I think I need to start running more. That seems to suit me psychologically. I think some of my crazy yoga and strength/interval training is too much too soon. You are right I am not a professional athlete. Just someone sick and tired of being fat.</p>
<p>My latest two blood pressures were 109/62 and 111/56 and my apical pulse is averaging 70. When I started exercising the beginning of December my blood pressures were 120s / 80s. (Sometimes close to 130/90) So I am really psyched about this.</p>
<p>It’s exciting to lose weight but it is a lifelong journey. At some point in the journey, the amount of weight loss declines and you need inner motivation (or enjoyment) to continue and then a lifestyle to maintain yourself when you are where you want to be.</p>
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<p>I’ve driven my heart rate “up to eleven!” so many times in the last two years that I figure, if I were gonna keel over dead, it would have happened by now. I used to worry about it, but now I’m pretty confident that I will indeed recover from a max exertion interval. It was funny, though. I passed a woman walking right at the end of an interval, exactly when my heart rate was registering at 101% of my max. As you can imagine, I was panting like a dog. She asked me if I was OK! :)</p>
<p>I said that I would be in about 60 seconds…</p>
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<p>I do think this repeated cycling up to max heart rate and recovering strengthens the heart muscles like crazy. My resting heart rate has plummeted over the last two years (I’ve seen it below 50 a couple of times) and my 60-second recovery rate from max heart rate has improved dramatically. Cardio will never be my thing. I’m sure my lungs are shot. But, I think my heart cranks it out pretty well.</p>
![http://i218.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/Maudslay5Kwalk-jog-6intervals2-8-2012.jpg]the](http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc14/hwc_1000/Maudslay5Kwalk-jog-6intervals2-8-2012.jpg%5Dthe){kind=link}
![http://www.tgw.com/images/golf/products/apparel/mens/outerwear/gregnorman/16740/cfli-cardinalwhite.jpg]Reebok](http://www.tgw.com/images/golf/products/apparel/mens/outerwear/gregnorman/16740/cfli-cardinalwhite.jpg%5DReebok){kind=link}
