Focused on Fitness: Daily Check-In Group

Happyoceangirl

Hi All!

Congrats Larry on the 15lb marker, that must feel great! Also I know what you mean about running on cement. I try to avoid it as much as possible and run dirt trails whenever I can. The only time I purposely run on the road is if I want to time a run, because I find my gps is more accurate that way than on the trails. Good luck in your race next weekend! Can't wait to see how you do, I'm sure you'll put that 30:00min goal to shame!

Sounds like you had a lovely day at the beach smiles4miles, and good for you for recognizing your bodies need to rest Whatever you do don't feel guilty about it! I was reading an article in womens health about how people think they need to train hard all the time to see results, but this can actually be very counter productive because your muscles only get stronger when they've been given time to repair themselves. Somebody who trains 7 days a week will have the same, or even less, results that someone who only trains 3 or 4 days a week.

Yesterday's check-in:

Did a climbing warm-up at the gym then went for a 30min easy trail run. After I did a leg workout and finished with a nice long soak in the hot tub!

Today I am going to do my favorite trail and run5:walk1 for it's 8k distance and then do a good yoga session after to limber up.

Hi there - your trail runs/walks sound fun. How far (miles) is 8k? Just curious.
Thanks for the reminder about overtraining. I did a 30 day challenge in April - it's Jillian workout. I found that I did 26 out of 30 days and I am, honestly, fatigued. There were days that I did too much and added in stuff (like running) that probably wasn't the smartest. I feel like I'm recovering from extreme exhaustion... no workout yesterday or today either. Beach again today. Ahhhhhhh.

I think I'll be ready to do something (probably something light) by tomorrow.

nadine2unfit2bqueen

Hi Smiles4Miles - 8k is about 5miles. Not the greatest distance but I find this trail super intense because its non-stop uphill/downhill with really steep grades and also having to be really careful where I place my feet. The other day one section of the trail was pretty muddy, so I found myself jumping from side to side of the trail, one leg to the other, zig zag style to dodge the mud in the middle. My glutes were burning! I love it because when I get back onto the smooth trail and paved road after it feels incredibly easy!

Today's a rest day but I am going to go for a walk and do some yoga. I feel pretty good today, partially because the scale is starting to count down again

nadine2unfit2bqueen

does anyone know how to load photos into here?

ldarter

You mean put photos into a post or what?

Happyoceangirl

Hmmm... 8k is about 5 miles? So, with a bit more work, I'll be there soon! Awesome. Your run sounds so fun Nadine - the trails, the mud, the zigging and zagging....

I haven't done any exercise for the past several days. Well, I went snorkeling, and I know I must've burned some, but not sure how long i was in the water. I'll pay better attention next time. Had a really off track weekend. I think I'm getting tired of logging and being eternally vigilant. I'm thinking about not logging for a while, just staying focused on fitness and seeing what happens. Then again, I'd have to make healthy choices pretty consistently for that to turn out well.

Blah blah blah. I'll stop blabbering on now....

(And sorry, I don't know how to post photos - try using the search feature - I'm pretty sure there's a thread that explains it somewhere).

kalmf

Hey Smiles, Nadine and Larry and Pattio too if you're still around,

:flowerforyou: - Nadine

:drinker: for the 15 lbs Larry

and if they had a "I'm glad you went to the beach and am a little jealous" sticky - that's for Smiles

It's summer!! I didn't get much in the way of exercise last week, but this week looks way more stable, did yoga yesterday, and have serious gutter cleaning and digging today.

Happy Tuesday!

Happyoceangirl

Hey Smiles, Nadine and Larry and Pattio too if you're still around,

:flowerforyou: - Nadine

:drinker: for the 15 lbs Larry

and if they had a "I'm glad you went to the beach and am a little jealous" sticky - that's for Smiles

It's summer!! I didn't get much in the way of exercise last week, but this week looks way more stable, did yoga yesterday, and have serious gutter cleaning and digging today.

Happy Tuesday!

:laugh: Thanks for the sentiment. I'm glad I went too. Seems like taking a little break was a good thing, cuz I was able to get back out there today and just enjoy it. I'm not sure of the distance, but was out walking/jogging for about an hour.

Love your declaration: It's summer! Enjoy the home maintenance (I should be doing that)... and I'll enjoy any extra beach days I put in, in your honor.

nadine2unfit2bqueen

Smiles4miles - If you can not log in and still keep up with your regime you're one up on me! As soon as I stop checking in my motivation goes out the window. What I am trying to say is don't go, we'll miss you :sad:

Thanks Karin for the flower, smells lovely

Larry - yes, photos into a post, do you know how? I'd love to post some photos of my running trails. Some spots are just too beautiful not to share :happy:

Today I did a 32min easy run. Was meant to do more but my tummy felt funny. I'm gonna go for a walk now instead to make up for the missed time and do some climbing and yoga later. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today and things just havent gone right all day so I've finally just made myself a list of things I want to accomplish today in order to wake up feeling better tomorrow. #1 is to replace the jar of instant coffee I shattered on the kitchen floor this morning while I was already running late for catching the bus (which I ended up missing and being very very late for work) *Sigh* some days...

ldarter

Hi ya'll

Karin, glad your schedule has calmed down. Sounds like you had some serious work ahead of you this afternoon.

Oh Nadine! Sorry you had such a rough start to your day! Hope things improved by the evening! As far as posting photos, here is what you do. First you must upload them to one of the free photo sites like Flickr or Photo Bucket. Copy the url for the photo you want to post. On the forum page when ready to post, type img inside brackets like this

Happyoceangirl

Oh Nadine - I might not have been clear. I totally rely on the motivaitonal aspect of the threads - mfp is great!!! It's the logging calories that I'm getting tired of - it's starting to play with my head and I could see an unhealthy obsession in my future. I would love to figure out how to live well, eat well and maintain a healthy balance by staying active and choosing smart foods.... and if I can do this without doing math every day, I would be in heaven. So, guess you're stuck with me for a while!

Sounds like you need a re-do for this morning! But glad you were able to get your run in. Tomorrow will be better.

Hey Larry, thanks for the tutorial on posting photos. Good job with keeping up with the running too.

My oh my - I'm tired tonight. Steak and a baked potato for dinner. Mmmm. Nutrients!

ldarter

Daily Check-in:

Completed my last run before Saturday's 5K, a 2 mile run in 19:15 (9:37 pace). Will rest tomorrow in accordance with my taper schedule. Lost another 2 pounds since last week and so I am now down 17 pounds since beginning MFP March 19. I'm now officially below 190 at 189.

Happyoceangirl

Daily Check-in:

Completed my last run before Saturday's 5K, a 2 mile run in 19:15 (9:37 pace). Will rest tomorrow in accordance with my taper schedule. Lost another 2 pounds since last week and so I am now down 17 pounds since beginning MFP March 19. I'm now officially below 190 at 189.

Well done, Larry! (On the 5K, AND the 2 lb loss!) :flowerforyou: We need a pat-on-the-back / high-five smiley.

I'm happy to report that today I did my longest run ever.... 5.5 miles!!!!! My pace was disappointing (I ran for 67 minutes) - but I was purposely slowed down because my heart rate monitor kept telling me I was working too hard. It suggests a zone for 144-166 as where I need to be. I was in that zone for about 16 minutes, if I remember right. My average was 167 and max was 189.

If I were to run at a pace that feels pretty good to me, the HRM says my heart is working waaaaay too hard. What's a girl to do?
Thoughts?

ldarter

Smiles,

I can tell you why your heart rate monitor was indicating that you were working too hard. Heart rate monitors use the commonly accepted formula of (220 minus age) to predict theoretical maximum heart rate. Thus yours would be (220 - 33 = 187). You indicated that at one point your max was 189 so you were according to the HRM red lining because your heart rate was above your theoretical maximum. True prediction of maximum heart rate can only be accomplished in a human performance sports laboratory and it is expensive to have it done.

If while you were running, at the time your HRM indicated you needed to slow down, you were gasping for breath and could not have carried on a conversation had you been running with a partner then you were likely working too hard. If on the other hand you were not gasping for breath and could have carried on a conversation, your true maximum heart rate may likely be considerably higher than the predicated value which is not uncommon among fit people. Unless you felt light headed and about to pass out when your HRM was reading 189, that again would indicate your true heart is significantly higher than the predicted value of 187 since it is not possible to exceed one’s maximum heart rate, even for an instant. If you are really interested in having a more accurate value for your max heart rate, I can give you the instructions for a test devised by a running coach that will give you a much closer approximation that can be derived from formulas.

Now with respect to the recommendation you are going by that you mentioned of running at a pace that elevates your heart rate to between 144 and 166. Again based on your predicated max of 187 that would mean your intensity would be between 77 and 89 percent of max. Dr. Kenneth Cooper , M.D., probably the foremost expert in aerobic fitness and founder of the Cooper Aerobics Institute says that to gain improvement in cardiovascular fitness, a person needs to exercise at least every other day at an intensity that elevates the heart rate to between 65 and 75 percent of maximum. Research shows that there is value to working occasionally at higher intensities but no more than a couple of times per week. Even though I suspect that your maximum heart rate is likely significantly higher than the predicted 187, you are working too hard if you run every run at 144 to 166. For you those would actually fall in the category of lactate threshold runs or aerobic threshold runs as some term them and you shouldn’t run at that pace more than twice per week. To do so leads to progressive fatigue and could result in overuse injuries.

Probably more information than you wanted but in summary, even though your predicated heart rate may actually be above 187, I think your were working too hard at the pace you were running based on the heart rates you supplied.

Happyoceangirl

Larry,
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all of that to me. I'll probably end up referring back to this (I'm not really a numbers person - so I'm sure I need to read it more than once.)

"If on the other hand you were not gasping for breath and could have carried on a conversation, your true maximum heart rate may likely be considerably higher than the predicated value which is not uncommon among fit people. "

I LOVE the possibility that maybe, I'm one of the "fit people"

When I run, I"m almost NEVER within the suggested zone- I'm always above it, even when i try to slow down. (My readings say I was within 144-166 for like, 2 minutes, most days). Perhaps this is because my course is FULL of hills? I don't know.... I never feel dizzy or lightheaded, and I'm not gasping. When I feel like I may be pushing to hard (after coming up a hill, and my heart is working harder) - I make sure to slow it down until I'm comfortable again. Maybe I need a treadmill so I can run at a decent pace but with fewer inclines. Hmmm.

I would be interested in the formula/test that I could try to determine my true maximum heart rate. I really want to be improving my health and fitness level, and it's a great help to be offered tools and knowledge along the way.

Again, thank you.:flowerforyou:

Happyoceangirl

Just a quick check in. I got the nerve to do Jillian's No More Trouble Zones today - it was about 53 minutes of sweating, toning, all that good stuff.

kalmf

I don't know what's wrong with me sometimes. I start doing something that works and then I get bored and stop doing it. So I dropped out and stopped logging food, stopped checking in. I did okay with work outs but I think I added a little extra food here and there.

So I'm up two pounds.

I'm attempting to re-commit today and check in everyday again. I know it works.

I'll read the posts later, Have a great day everyone!

Happyoceangirl

Ay ay ay.... did our thread die?

So sorry everyone - my life got a bit too hectic to keep up on it all. I'm on vacation for a bit so hopefully can do a better job. Yesterday was a 5.5 mile run and today was a good workout in the morning and some walking / hiking this afternoon.

Happyoceangirl

I don't know what's wrong with me sometimes. I start doing something that works and then I get bored and stop doing it. So I dropped out and stopped logging food, stopped checking in. I did okay with work outs but I think I added a little extra food here and there.

So I'm up two pounds.

I'm attempting to re-commit today and check in everyday again. I know it works.

I'll read the posts later, Have a great day everyone!

Hi Karin - not sure it's fair to say anything is "wrong" with you.... we all have our challenges. I had a bad few days too, in the sense of too much food even though workouts were okay. Hopefully there's a turn around in sight.

Are you enjoying your garden?

nadine2unfit2bqueen

Karin - You and me both, evidenced by my lack of checking in for the past... not sure how long. I start doing the right things, the weight starts to come off and i feel great. And then i have a "I deserve to treat myself moment" which ends up being many moments of treating myself and before I know it a week of bad eating has gone by and the scale is right back where I started. Last weekend I went home for mothers day and ended up going out with my sister both nights and "cuttin loose" because I felt I deserved to have some fun. It took me until Wednesday, and the scale to hit 132lbs, before I got out running again. I think the problem is I see other people having drinks, eating junk food and I think "well why not me too? Do I really want to go through life on this rigorous program having no fun.?" I forget the longterm picture. Its a tough and vicious cycle!!

I am starting my 1/2 marathon training program tomorrow. 20 weeks of training before the Victoria 1/2 marathon! Hopefully this kind of committment will help put a stop to my frequent cave-ins. Up till now I haven't had anything to be committed to so breaking my regime didnt have any real consequence.

I've also finally been able to buy a new mtn bike. I've been xc trail riding the past two days and am about to go on another ride this morning. I've been doing my runs after biking and although it hurts like hell it seems to be working! Back down to 127.2lbs and according my fancy smancy scale its not just water loss Ps. Epsom salts in hot baths are a miracle worker...

kalmf

I love epsom salts!!!

So we know we're a slow posting group - at one point I think it was just Smiles and me - it ebbs and flows - it's all okay.

My yoga teacher quoted someone and I wanted to share it with you guys because I've been thinking about it a lot today. It has to do with success.

"Show up. Do your best. Let your best be good enough."

I find it quite profound, especially the third part. I always think I could have done more, worked harder, etc., etc. so I wrestle with the 'good enough' concept, but I know it is absolutely right.

I'm in a holding pattern weight-wise. But I feel so much stronger - I can hold poses longer and am more aware of my posture - so this is good.

Good night everyone.