drgndancer Member

I think the more important thing is to race as you train. If you don't usually eat, don't eat (it's a pretty early race, so probably not a big deal). In cooler climates we tend to start races a lot later, 8:30 or even 10:30 is not an uncommon 5K start time. It's pretty hard to not eat before a 10:30 race, so I think that…

"Streak" runners who never take rest days are actually pretty uncommon (they exist of course, one guy I recently read about has logged at least a mile every day for the last 44 years). Mostly even very high end athletes take at least one day a week to rest. Muscles are built during recovery periods.

You're already doing more than either program expects by doing both programs, I can't see where resting in between is a problem. Your heart rate is going to go down, but you're still doing two whole workouts. I can't help questioning the wisdom of doing two workout programs during your fast. I'm assuming you're fasting for…

I tend to agree that the calorie difference would be minimal, and the margin or error lost in the wash of estimation error. If you want a more accurate calorie eatimate, get a heart rate monitor and wear it during hikes. You'll get a pretty accurate idea of calories burnt on the whole hike, without ending to worry about…

Sports medicine podiatrist. Running store guys are often pretty smart on these sorts of things, and a GP could easily be wrong on a specific running issue, but a sports medicine foot guy is going to be your hands down best opinion. Personally I don't see an elastic brace causing much gait change, but my opinion is no more…

Mon- 3 Tue- 5 Wed- 3 Takes me to 87 mtd Today was great. First really pleasant running weather in a while. Been way to humid for the last week and a half or so. Today was 80F and about 35% humidity. Wish today had been a long run day.

OK, so all of this is based on a combination of factors, several of which MFP tries to estimate. If you're honest in your profile, it's probably pretty good in its estimation. The concepts we're looking at have to do with BMR and TDEE. BMR is essentially the number of calories that your body requires to live. If you have a…

. I don't know if I can help you be less shy, but I can try. What are you self conscious about when you run outside? I really doubt you'll find to many people that don't dislike *something* about their body, their form, or their ability... it's why we get out a run, to be better runners.

I agree with UsedTobeHusky. People are generally not going to increase their activity level unless they want to. If you tell a kid e can only play active video games (instead of games he wants to play), he's either going to avoid playing the games, play them with less vigor than he might, or rest more afterward. If a…

As someone else stated, we all have genetically and environmentally programmed strengths and weaknesses. I'm naturally fairly strong for explosive tasks like weightlifting, but because of a minor birth defect ad childhood illnesses my heart and lungs are naturally a bit weaker than average. By your theory I should be a…

I've been using the Wahoo Blue HR low power Bluetooth strap for the last week or so. Very pleased so far. Same deal with needing a 4S phone. It's the only iPhone with Bluetooth 4.0, which is required for most if not all of the Bluetooth straps. Works well with Runmeter, and claims to work with most major fitness apps, but…

Pish. spoken as someone who's never used the thing. I'm a 25 mile a week runner and I can still break a sweat/get my heart rate up playing with the Kinect. To an extent it's all about what you put into it. Some of the more challenging levels of even the default "Kinect Adventures" game that comes free with the system can…

Seeing a Doctor wouldn't be a bad idea, but it seems likely to me that you're just overdoing it. Most stuff I've seen from pro trainers says to increase mileage gradually, no more than 10% a week. It sounds like you added about 3.5 miles all at once. I'd try resting till your feet don't hurt (it should just be a few days…

Not to mention that it's not good for your knees and your risk of ankle injury is much higher. Downhills are the dangerous side of hill running. If it were possible on the normal "circuit" or "there and back" course that most people run by necessity, coaches would generally prefer that you not do the downhill portion of…

I'm not exactly an expert, but I'm training for my first half marathon now. Everything I've read says that in the later stages of half marathon training (which would be the early to middle stages of marathon training) you shouldn't run a deficit or try to lose weight. Your body needs the fuel. The flip side that it's nealy…

You mention an iPhone, is it a 4S? If so I recently picked up a Wahoo Fitness BlueHR. It's a low-power Bluetooth HRM strap that can pair with your smartphone. On the plus side, it's pretty accurate, has very few stutters, and pairs easily with my preferred app (Runmeter) as well as most other running apps (including…

Go to a specialty shop. Most towns of any size have a running shop in the US, I assume the same is true in England. They'll help you pick out shoes that are right for your gait.

Yep, get a gait analysis, a proper fitting and a good pair of shoes. Your entire lower body will thank you for the effort and expense. Good running shoes can prevent all sorts of lower body runner's complaints. Runner's knee, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and many more can usually be traced back to wearing the wrong…

Given your pic and the reference to kicking people, I'm guessing some kind of kick boxer? Gi pants would probably give you the range of motion you need while ensuring that that everything stays nicely covered.

BMR is pretty easy to grasp, it stands for basic metabolic rate, and as you said, it's basically the number of calories you burn just by existing. MFP has a calculator that will tell you your BMR right here on the site, just give it height, weight, age, and sex and it will estimate your BMR. The importantance of this…

4 miles yesterday and 6.5 today takes me to 75.5 for the month. Goal still at 100 miles.

Like others, let me start by congratulating you and encouraging you to keep up a fitness plan. It's a huge and important first step. That said, situps are a terrible exercise to have an overweight person do. The Army is moving away from them because they aren't good for your back, and that's for in shape soldiers. Stick to…

Have you ever flown on a plane? Unrelated question I know, but stay with me here. During the safety briefing on airplane flights they talk about what to do when the cabin depressurizes. Oxygen masks will drop from the ceiling and you should make sure to secure your own before assisting kids or other people who need help.…

Probably, but don't let it get you down. Either do something else for a few days or accept that your runs aren't going to be as good for a bit. Also, try smoothies. There's a lot more nutrition in a smoothie than apple sauce. Avoid strawberries or other fruits with small hard to break up seeds, use mangos, pineapples,…

I recently saw an interview with (of all people) Richard Simmons in (of all publications) Men's Health. It was interesting for a lot of reasons, but one thing in particular caught my eye. Every morning when he gets up, the first thing he does is his own workout. Why? Because if he can't maintain his own health, how can he…

That is a powerful graphic. I knew what it demonstrates in theory, but it's impressive (if a bit gross) to see. I'm going to steal that if you don't mind.

Vote # 15 for "Go to a running store". The staff at any good running store are pros at making sure you have the right shoes for your gait, your size, and your foot oddities. I don't know a single runner who doesn't have a "I was having serious <insert uncomfortable new-runner aliment here> problems so I went to running…

In fact if you've just started a weight lifting regime, the scale is probably a terrible measure of success. My good sir, you are doing exercises designed to increase muscle mass. Muscle is more dense than fat. If you increase the amount of muscle on your frame, even if you are simultaneously reducing the amount of fat,…

When I first started working out I was about 35 pound heavier (and I'm still about 20-30 pounds heavier than I want to be). The track at the YMCA gym I was going to is an elevated indoor number that sits above the weight area, with no floor on the inside portion of the track. From the track you can look down into the…

I'm with the group here. It sounds like you have a non-weight/exercise related problem. With a family history of HBP, and a traceable event marking the start of your problem (starting this birth control method); it seems likely that your problem is not weight or fitness related, but a genetic predisposition teamed with…