RaluKitty Member

I run at least 6 days a week, and I have a half-marathon race every 3-6 weeks, so I'm practically always in training. This is my usual schedule: Mon: 4-5 miles Tue: 4-6 miles Wed: 5-8.5 miles (this would be my medium long run) Thu: 4-5 miles Friday: long run day - 10-12 miles Sat: 4-5 miles Sun: rest or a hike of 4-8 miles…

I have a smart phone but I've been using mapmyrun.com to trace or plan my run for years now, and I still prefer doing it on my computer rather than using an app. It "knows" all the trails in my areas, even the small ones in the parks. I highly recommend it.

Salmon, and most fish... I only eat halibut and canned sardines, but very rarely. I have no issues with fruit, veggies, nuts, dairy and any other healthy foods.

Ok, I'm going to be positive about this, without knowing who the guy is.. He looks like he has a lot of muscle mass to start with. And the initial belly might consist of some bloating. If he kept a strict diet (high protein, low carb, caloric deficit) while doing heavy weight lifting almost daily for 4 weeks, this is very…

It depends what is your main goal - 1) keep losing weight or 2) run the greatest half you can run at this time. I lost 10-20 pounds while training for 2 halfs, but my goal was 100% number 1). So I tracked my calories carefully, ate back only what I burned and didn't overdo it on the carbs. I still ate mostly protein and…

I've been running a lot in the last 2 years - 6 or more days a week, and sometimes even longer streaks. I've done 10 half marathons and I have my first full marathon at the end of May. This is what I learned: 1. While I was still losing weight, I was not eating "classic" carbs before running... I preferred to be slower and…

I find that green tea or tea (green/black) with some fruit flavor/pieces really perks me up during the day. I think it's more the act of drinking than the caffeine it has - I feel perked up after drinking my favorite herbal teas, which have lots of fruit and hibiscus. I also like Coke Zero (no sugar, and not overly sweet),…

BTW, I have this baby - dark grey with teal and flower scrolls... oh my! And yes, HRM strap too: http://www.clevertraining.com/p-3395-garmin-forerunner-210-womens-teal-gps-watch-with-heart-rate-monitor.aspx

I've had the Garmin 210 for over a year and I love it. You get pace, distance, heart rate and much more. You can find an excellent review here: http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/12/garmin-forerunner-210-in-depth-review.html Plus if you scroll down in the post and buy it from Clever Training, there is a code to get 10% off…

Try to isolate the types of foods that give you trouble - I know I have a few that always have the same effect. Things like steel cut oats, rolled oats, bananas, lentils (well cooked - as in soups or stews) have tons of fiber but are also highly digestible foods and never give me any trouble. Semi-cooked cabbage, broccoli…

I'm 5'5" and I need to net 1200 to lose pounds (last tested when I needed to go from 138 to 130 a few months ago). I'm also small-medium frame and a non-athletic body type (little muscle despite exercising, hourglass shape etc). I'm an avid runner but I don't measure every single gram of food - especially low cal stuff…

In really depends on the circle of friends/relatives invited to the shower. Most of my friends who had showers work in IT and both partners/spouses work. We're also all in our 30s. My experience is we follow the registry and do buy items over $50 and big-ticket... There are always friends who buy the big ticket items, or…

The fizz is actually Carbonic Acid (H2CO3). It's one of the weakest acids out there but it's still an acid, and it mostly affects the Calcium in your teeth (weakening the surface). It should not affect other tissues, because it gets decomposed into water (H2O) and CO2 - the gas that gets burped - pretty quickly. ... My…

I'm for the ThinkThin bars - especially strawberry, peanut butter and espresso - about 200-220 cals and 15-20 grams of protein. I love them as an actual snack, not only a protein bar. You can find them at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and in my area (western WA) even at the drug store. If you like wafers and want a REAL…

Protein is what takes care of the hunger feeling, not having a very full tummy (I know it because I love huge stir fries but I have to add plenty of protein to avoid being hungry in 1h). I suggest having one serving of protein powder, and still eat the veggies for the nutrients, fiber and full tummy feeling. I use a high…

Bad knees happen because of bad knees period. I have a 90lb friend (she's also 5ft tall) who hasn't been able to hike down because of her knees since her mid twenties. I know countless "thin" people who can't do anything (not only running) because of their knees... Let's be serious - no soccer player (they run 12-20 miles…

Protein powder - one serving can have 24-30g of protein and under 200 calories. If I still need to increase my protein at the end of the day and don't have many cals left I will make some good-tasting casein (a slow-absorbing protein) with water - it's like 130 calories for 24 grams of protein. I use Gold Standard Casein -…

Magnesium and Calcium Citrate (I'm a dedicated runner so I need these for my muscles and bones, especially to avoid cramping; I also eat yogurt and nuts daily, but not to reach the amount I need) Fish Oil (a couple of times a week when I remember - I don't eat natural sources for this) Iron (prescription) B6 + B12…

a nice head band would also be nice - Lucy has them on sale right now in stores. I also buy from runningwarehouse(dot)com - they ship IMMEDIATELY for free and there are so many choices. I love light head bands that still cover the ears for the fall/winter (I live near Seattle - it stays in the 40s in general). The headband…

Gosh, this isn't easy... Lentils Garlic Eggs Cheese (I would go with Feta if only one is possible) Raspberries Squash (butternut) Olive Oil

My absolute favorite food is lentil soup/stew. On the stove. Or any king of vegetarian (bean) chili - if you tolerate beans (I boil the beans separately and discard the water before starting the actual stew to make them more digestible). Any recipe you like - I just use 2 large onions, lentils/beans, 2-4 carrots (cut in…

I run half marathons on a regular basis (at least I did in 2013) and I'm thinking about a full sometimes in the spring! My next one is this Saturday, but I plan to sign up for others as soon as possible. I will send a request, I LOVE having other running pals :) Highly motivating. I also run almost every day (I won't in…

I prefer bars with lots more protein and less sugar. I like Thinkthin the most (I buy them from Trader Joe's but they are everywhere now), PowerCrunch (it's the best wafer ever, and it also packs protein! this is often my "dessert") and Pure Protein - High Protein Bar (from TJ's again). All these have between 15 and 31…

From the very beginning, I focused on fitness goals much more than on weight. I started running (with c25k, on a treadmill) and keeping track of the distance in an Excel spreadsheet - including a nice motivating graph with the monthly mileage. In the first 6-9 months, my goal was to be active every single day - to go…

"Abs are made in the kitchen"... The short story: what helps in losing more of the "stubborn" abdominal fat is giving up/reducing refined carbs and alcohol while still being on a reduced caloric intake. I know half the MFP will jump on me that "you can't spot reduce"... But abdominal fat is a special kind of animal - if…

weird... my Garmin 210 always gives me a lot fewer calories consumed than I expect... for my last 12 mile run, it said I burned 650! I wanted to burn it there and then...

Wow, that must be a nasty downtown - but there are crazies in every downtown, so never ever pay attention to what they say :) I love to wave, smile and nod at any runners I pass, and when I get a response, I suddenly get more energy and run faster for a little it :) Interestingly, I don't get responses in all cases - maybe…

Excellent guidance from Carson and Scott - I'm saving this.

Running helps mostly the lower abs. I noticed when I first started running over 8-10 miles, how the abs hurt more than the legs because they get engaged so much. Trail running is even better, as you have to engage the core to keep the balance and you have to lift the legs higher to go uphill or step over rocks and roots.…

You have to get fitted, but you can also discover your favorite shoes through trial and error. Before I started running I was walking and hiking a lot anyway. I discovered I like my shoes on the lighter side, with a flexible front half, nice arch support and a bigger toe box (or my pinky toe would suffer). After a year of…