ephiemarie Member

Congratulations on your half!! What a fabulous achievement! :smile: For me the "high" happens after about 5 miles and lasts a few miles. It seems like mile #4 is a killer on every single run--probably because I ran a lot of 5Ks in the past year and my body wants to be done at that distance. When I'm on a longer run, I know…

My favorite (eating it right now actually) is frozen stir-fry veggies with egg whites. It's cheap, easy, fast, and filling. Tonight I added shrimp, garlic salt, and red pepper flakes.

I just did my first ever pull-up this past week :smile: I was convinced I wouldn't be able to do one, but I gave it a shot anyhow and surprised myself. I'd recommend starting with flexed arm hangs and progressively lowering/lifting your body a little further each time you try. In absence of a gym or pull-up bar at home,…

Hanging leg raises

My first though was venous insufficiency. I'd skip the dermatologist and see your regular doctor ASAP. In the meantime, try to avoid activities that seem to make it worse and elevate your legs. Good luck to you.

It was surprisingly busy for a Sunday morning at the gym today. The good: A nice teenage boy put away one of my 45 plates for me and mouthed, "you rock" to me when I mouthed, "thank you" to him (we were both wearing headphones). The bad: The squat rack I used today is fairly close to the mirrored wall behind it. There's…

I run 5-6 days per week and also do Stronglifts 5x5 twice per week. Like you, I am fairly new to running and have some 5K and 10K races under my belt with plans to do my first half in May. My schedule is: Monday: Easy run (currently 4-5 miles) Tuesday: Cycling (using bike trainer) & yoga/stretching Wednesday: Speed run…

My first will be May 23, so I haven't "officially" begun training yet. I've done a couple 10-mile runs and a single 13.3 mile run, so I know I can do it. Just have to figure out things like pacing and maybe fuel options.

Sounds like a terribly dangerous idea. I'll occasionally hold some handweights while walking at a steep incline at home, but that's largely because I'm bored and need something to do with my hands. You may consider a weighted vest, or possibly ankle weights. A barbell on the shoulders? Bad idea. In addition to the physical…

Miscommunication, sorry. I meant Amazon has better shoe deals than the department stores. Totally agree about the crappiness of being fitted and buying shoes elsewhere. Good to know about Runners Warehouse & Road Runner though!

Agree 100%, but in my case I don't have a local running store. The closest one is over an hour away, and the 2 non-local stores that fitted me for shoes got it wrong. I spent a few hundred dollars on shoes that didn't work for me. While being professionally fitted is generally a great idea, it's not totally foolproof by…

When I'm trying to torch some calories but don't feel like running on the treadmill, I crank that sucker up to at least 8% incline, set the speed to 4-4.3 mph, and grab my pink 3 lb. handweights. Doing this burns as many calories per mile for me as running.

I've had 4 kids, with the youngest 2 being fairly close together. My stomach is still not flat and smooth like it was 15 years ago, but I have seen major improvements with running and heavy lifting. I can even see a couple abs if the light hits my tummy just right. :wink: I didn't gain more weight than recommended with my…

There's a group here: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/88-triathletes-duathletes The folks there are very helpful with newbie questions. :smiley:

I've had good luck finding deals at Kohls department store, particularly when they're running a 30% off coupon. Everyone will tell you to be professionally fitted for running shoes, but if that's not in your plans or budget, I have found Kohls to be generally cheaper than sporting goods stores and has a fair selection for…

Trail shoes are generally more stiff than regular running shoes, so you may not like the way they feel for running on the road. It depends how much cushioning you prefer. I'd recommend finding a brand/style you like and checking out Ebay for a good deal. Have fun!

I had a lot of anxiety about joining the gym. I had never been an athlete and felt so awkward doing anything too physical in front of others. Even my own husband didn't see me run for the first 9 years of our marriage! For me, completing the Couch-to-5K program helped me gain the physical confidence I needed to get a gym…

1. Watch your sugar intake. Those dipped granola bars probably have quite a bit. 2. Log your water intake. Other than that, looks like you're doing pretty well! :smiley:

That's what I was thinking. And was it plain? No sauce? Maybe a little butter?

If you care to weigh your food, you can purchase a decent food scale for $20. However, given how often you eat out (and I get it...you're in college), it wouldn't be very practical to drag that thing around with you. Unless you were actively trying to gain muscle by lifting heavy weights, you likely did not gain muscle.…

Just took a quick peek at your diary, and my first thoughts were: 1. You eat a lot of crap. Not a lot of calories, but a lot of really processed stuff and fast food. Yes, a calorie is a calorie, but good nutrition is important. 2. I don't know what you're doing for exercise, but it's unlikely that you burned precisely 978…

I did my first one last year with a pool swim and recently signed up for an open water sprint tri for September. I'm not "officially" training right now, but am running, riding (on a trainer...hate winter!), and occasionally swimming. I followed the Iron Girl 12-week training plan last summer and loved it. Feel free to add…

I just paid an early bird price of $45 for a half, but I've also paid that price for a 5K in the past. I'd say you paid a fair price for your race, and it sounds like a fun event!

I tend to stay a bit more upright when doing rows because my form (and therefore my lower back) suffer when I try to keep my back parallel to the floor. In the more upright position I pull toward my stomach more than my chest. I'm probably doing it all wrong, but I can feel it in my lats the next day, so I'm doing…

I have the same issue on the treadmill, and I haven't really found a way to fix it. It seems less severe when I slow my pace, but it sounds like you've already done that. You may want to consider different shoes. I have one pair that I use strictly for treadmill runs because they seem to help my ankles the most. If you…

I intentionally "save" calories during the day for my evening snack time. Sometimes I will skip dinner entirely so I can have more snacks later. For me, I find food much more enjoyable when I can sit down and eat it in peace, which doesn't happen until all the kiddos are in bed. I have different go-to foods depending on…

Same here. I bought my first pair of running shoes (Asics Gel-Flux) because they felt good when I tried them on at Kohls. Even as I increased my mileage, I never experienced any problems. Then I started reading online about how imperative it is to be professionally analyzed, so I visited two different running shoe stores…

Personally, I can not stand her or her workouts. She reminds me of a Barbie doll with its head pushed down too far onto its neck, and for some reason (probably pure boredom), that becomes all I can think about when I've tried to do her workouts. Physically, I find that many of her moves put undue strain on my lower back.…

Yoga is probably one of the best things you can do, along with pilates and other core-focused movements. Not sure how old your little ones are, but it takes time more than anything else for the diastasis recti to heal, and for many women it never heals completely. Babies #3 and #4 were pretty much back-to-back for me, and…

1.) Yes, I do cardio. 2.) N/A 3.) I do cardio because I enjoy some types of it and can do it at home or outdoors. Also because it increases my daily calorie allowance. 4.) I love to run, so I do that 3-4x/week for 30-90 minutes each time. I also ride my bike 1-2x/week and swim laps on occasion. I add 10-15 minutes of…