samhennings Member

Keep going, it passes very quickly. When I first started the squats near killed me and I could barely walk for a few days, within a week or so I was absolutley fine recovery wise and have been since.

Im 34, 5'6, and ran 5k yesterday morning. 3 months ago I couldnt run/jog 60 second intervals without dying. Im male, but otherwise very comparible to you. Sedentary job and lifestyle, and Ive always had no cardio endurance at all. Always hated running. Literally never been any good at it at all, nor had the desire to do…

I weigh myself when I feel like it. I think I know when my weight has gone up or down, can feel it, so usually weight then to confirm. Last weighed myself about a month ago, it was had gone up as I suspected, which gave me a kick in the can to be more dilligent with my exercise and diet. Ill weigh again soon to see how…

Ran 5k this morning, 32 minutes again. Feels great. Im running the first half a lot stronger, no breaks etc, need to push that through the second half now!

Perhaps the variety in exercise was a big factor? For example, I wouldnt consider swimming a purely cardio exercise. Or perhaps you are very genetically blessed! It is widely accepted you will lose muscle mass without some form of stimulus for the muscles, you may be the exception that proves the rule. For me it was…

Indeed it is! I have a trimmer and keep my head shaved (#1) and never picked up on the fact the ridge at the back was fat. It was only when I lost the weight and my wife pointed it out I noticed. And have since noticed my glasses now slide off my face at any given opportunity... It could be, like me, you wear a little all…

It is. Ive had about 8lbs creep in, though some of that has been necessary. Im very conscious of it though, because I know very well I can "hide" it if I dont keep it in check. One of my checks is to pinch the back of my head - I used to have a crease when I was heavy so its a mini-barometer for me!

How on earth did I do that?! Not that it matter, thats awesome to hear! Well done! I dont know what happened really. I think you were right, in that it was a mental thing. I took a month off after week 4 because I just couldnt face it, and when I went back to it everything was different/easier. I couldnt say why. I was…

I was similar, Ive come to the conclusion I carried the weight everywhere rather than in isolated areas. To the degree my head is now smaller! I had a bit of a gut, but nothing major. And am short, so would expect weight to really be emphasised, but no one would have called me for the weight I was. Since dropping the…

Purely for weight loss? Cardio is superior as it burns much more in calories. However, without some form of resistance training, much of that weight loss will be muscle - not just fat. Strength training encourages the preservation of muscle through the weight loss process, which normally means you are a lot happier with…

@moyer566 I was using the NHS podcast, which had lots of cheesy music between intervals. Nothing actually released, so it all sounded like session musician knock offs of chart hits. After a while they repeated the tracks too much between weeks so it became a real grind. Once I hit the "Just run 25 minutes" stage I figured…

Sounds like a superb opportunity - maybe look at the 5-10k program so you can make it all the way down that wonderful road?

Woo! Well done!

Not sure sex matters, so much as size. Im a short guy - 5'6, and 1500 was the sweet spot for losing 1.5 pounds a week and was enough that I could sustain it. Were you a 6'2 girl I probably wouldnt recommend it!

Ive ditched the plan now. Completed WK7 last week and didnt see the point continuing with the podcast, the music sucks. So I laid out a 5k course and ran that this morning with my own tunes on. Completed 5k in 32 minutes. Walked for a few short spells to recover but otherwise running all the way. Now I think Ill spend a…

Insane is the word! I was stood by the last walls to get over, huffing and puffing and trying to find the will to get over and guys were just skipping past me and over the wall as if they just came off the start line! INSANE! Ill certainly have another go, really enjoyed the challenge, and it exposed my (lack of) fitness…

I would suggest thats the key - health. As an employer you would want someone reliable, someone who will always turn up and do their shift. Of course thin people can be ill as well, but a less healthy person is going to represent a greater chance of ill health. I agree, I suspect its a subconscious thing, but my suspicion…

I use this to work out the distance I have covered http://www.freemaptools.com/measure-distance.htm And keep track of the time I was moving to work out the speed. In half an hour the other day I did 4k, so thats 8km per hour.

Well done! How do you feel? Have you noticed any particular difference? Im 2 weeks not smoking (was going to say "sober" - is there a word for being off the cigarettes?) which is obviously very early to see any changes. Was hoping I might have some to look forward to though! Ive taken up fitness this year so with luck it…

@esjones12 And thanks for asking!

I did race - 2hrs 11minutes, so not setting any records! (The fastest guy was 40minutes :o ) Its definitely a bug, but it seems to ebb and flow. Wednesday I was very bad, Thursday pretty fine, Friday bad again... Saturday I was ok in the toilet department. The race itself beat me up really bad, the Atlas stones was the…

I tend to get up and get on with things. I also work out in the mornings. What I find is that on days of little sleep it doesnt effect me early on, but I do tire through the afternoon. This can make the day drag, but it also ensures I get to bed at a reasonable time and get good quality sleep to catch up on the night…

Dont be! Be positive! I was nervous going into W4 and that worry just drained my energy, I defeated myself and ended up dropping the plan for a few weeks. When I gathered myself and went again it was with a "Just go for it" attitude and I breezed through that week You can do it!

Cheers guys

Havent been sick at all. Been trying to eat as much as I can but feel like I havent slept in days Im so worn out. Its my first Spartan, so no idea what to expect, but obviously want to be feeling as "right" as possible!

Let me know how it goes!

Its really annoying, as it wasnt a deliberate thing at all. Im doing the NHS podcast which has (pretty lame) music between the voiceover telling you your intervals. The last run I remember feeling tired at about 5 minutes, but then i hit a comfortable pace and plodded through it. This morning, at 5 minutes, I was feeling…

W7D2 done, started stronger than last time, finished weaker! All about the pacing!

Ill certainly move onto that, but for an interim period I think Ill be better served just getting a solid 5k "base" under me.

Awesome! Ive been thinking about what to do when I complete the program. A lot of people suggest the bridge to 10k, which I am certainly interested in at some point, but I think initially Ill just focus on running a stronger 5k for a while.