twofastdogs Member

Thanks!

Hello! I'm not in the medical field, but I'm required to deal with lots of emergencies and issues in my job, so this is close enough! Here are my three goals: 1) Diary every day. 2) Stay within calories 5/7 days a week. 3) Gym/exercise four days a week. Let's stay alive and avoid those zombies. :)

There are a lot of poses that are hard for people to get into, due to size or lack of flexibility or both. Are you taking a class? The instructor should be able to give you modifications so you can find a variation that you can do. Also, some poses are easier with blocks or other props. Don't worry - you are not alone.…

I would echo the recommendation for the Galloway run/walk plans. I am not a good runner, and can't do long stretches at a time, but I have successfully done several half marathons by the run/walk method. Running for a short time then walking allows you to maintain that pace for a much longer time. You can do it!

If the headbands don't work, Headsweats makes little "shorty" caps in fun colors and patterns. A lot of cyclists (including me) wear them under their cycling helmets. They may look goofy, but they do keep my hair out of my face effectively.

You sound like you have a great attitude and the will to succeed. Best of luck in your journey!

One suggestion - have you tried the RoadID app? You can send a message with a link to a friend or family member that contains a GPS link. They can track you as you run via your cell phone. You can also set the app to notify that person if you don't move for a certain period of time. While it won't prevent someone from…

You don't have to do the same thing every day. If you want to do the elliptical one day, then two days of biking, then a day of walking outside, that's all good. As long as you're getting in some exercise, it's going to be beneficial for you. Just challenge yourself to do something active for some period of time (maybe 30…

Depends on where you are in Indy. The Monon Trail goes from downtown to the northern suburb of Carmel. It's very popular for biking, running, and walking. There is a canal with paths downtown and up to the Broad Ripple area. The Cultural Trail is a wide sidewalk going through downtown for biking, running, and walking.…

I had not heard of the Mickelson Trail, but the Black Hills are fabulous. Thanks for the tip!

Has anyone done the Katy Trail? We have thought about taking a few days to ride it - sounded like it would be a pleasant ride. Sybillabryson, look at cibaride.org. They have some multi-day trips that involve camping, mostly in state parks.

Good luck on doing your first century! If you haven't ridden in a group, I would suggest signing up for some shorter rides before the century. That will help you get used to riding in a group more comfortably. Also, if you can learn how to draft off of other riders, it will help you conserve energy over longer distances.…

Thanks all! Appreciate the suggestions.

Sybillabryson, congrats on your progress so far. Completing your first century is a great achievement! I will second the recommendation for clips - it makes a huge difference in comfort and power. Enjoy your rides - central Indiana is a great place to ride once you get out of the city.

Thanks! I suspect you are right - I will have enough things to learn and fix that shoes may be the least of my worries. Appreciate the suggestions.

Go to YouTube and look for "cycling scenery." They exist.

Can you ride a bike? You could alternate the tension/gears and intensity and get a good workout.

Same problem here. I wear glasses to work, but I wear contacts to the gym. Wearing glasses when I'm that sweaty drives me nuts. I still need reading glasses with my contacts (ugh) so I bought bifocal cycling glasses that I wear if I'm exercising outside.

Your greyhound is beautiful too! :)

That was a very positive and encouraging message. Thanks.

I have a lot of respect for people who are overweight and are at the pool for classes or working out in the gym. Who cares how you look while you're working out? I think that they deserve kudos for their efforts to be healthy.

Sounds like you need to have your boyfriend make you a new road bike. ;)

I have the same problem - hard to keep the "girls" contained, and I get chafing along the elastic. I just bought a CW-X Stabilyx which has been surprisingly comfortable (no wire). Moving Comfort makes some good ones as well.

I second (or third or fourth) the recommendation that you go to the bike shop for advice. Ride a hybrid, and a cyclocross bike, and a road bike, and whatever else you think you might enjoy. You don't know what to get until you try it. They won't mind - if they are a good shop, they will want to help you find something that…

Do you have a bike computer that shows your cadence? You may be working in a higher gear than necessary and putting more strain on your knees. If you can pedal with a cadence between 60-80 and be comfortable, that will help you find the right gear. Also, biking every day if you're not used to it can be tough on muscles and…

I found mine at Meijer and it was with the cooking utensils, as suggested. Next aisle over from the coffee pots, etc.

I would second the cycling and swimming recommendations. If you can strengthen the muscles around your knees, without putting direct impact on your knees, this may help reduce some of your pain. Bringing down the inflammation with ice or cold packs is a good suggestion, too. A lot of the running stores can help you analyze…

Congrats on the new bike! To track distance, you can use Map My Ride or a similar app, but they will drain your battery if you're going for a long ride. A simple bike computer (like a CatEye) will give you speed and basic distance but you can't download to anything. If you get serious and want a good bike computer, go to…

You should get double credit for that!

Good for you to lose all of that! That is an accomplishment. Yes, I think we all struggle with motivation and backslide periodically. That's why there are so many of us trying to find help here. :)