Posts by blackrosesred

Original Post by bsh0611:

I started running in October, and in January, THE DAY after I did my longest all-at-once run of 11 miles, I was sidelined by an injury too, an ankle impingement - it knocked me out of running for weeks and I had to build back. Since starting calcium and being on BC it has helped but bad refueling was a big culprit!

What kinds of injuries do you get? How long have you been running??

Wow your mileage is even more of an amazing accomplishment then!

Well I started running in May '08, but it was pretty on/off and solely for weightloss. And then I learned to love it.

I've been more serious and consistent with it since this January, but I deal with occasional inflammation in the knees and frequent tendonitis in the feet. So every now and then I need to take at least a week off, which really undoes progress. And I get scared of overrunning because of the tendonitis.

So far I've ran 289 miles since January, with the highest one-week amount only reaching just under 30 mi. Hopefully my feet learn to endure more :)

First of all, congratulations on committing to a race! I remember how exciting it felt when I registered for my first 5K too :D

My main tip for training would be to not overtrain. You'll burn yourself out, and may cause injury. I ran my first 5K with an inflamed foot because of overtraining, and then I couldn't run for a couple weeks. Take 1-4 rest days per week, depending on how you feel and progress. Listen to your body.

I'd also suggest having different types of runs during your training, especially because you have a couple months to prepare. Mix up tempo runs (steady pace ideal for the race), speed runs (similar to HIIT...mixing some slow-jogging/walking with sprinting), hill runs, and long runs (more distance but slower pace). Most runs should be tempo runs, and you shouldn't do long runs more than once per week. Mixing in and out all these different types of runs throughout your training will help you progress and be prepared.

Another training tip is to try picking up the pace in the last segment of your tempo runs, just like you'd want to do in your race.

And my one last suggestion would be to do some strength training sometimes (if you aren't already). Strengthening your abs and glutes are core for running.

I'm also going to throw out a free tool to you that has kept me comitted to running and improving: http://www.runnersworld.com ...At runnersworld, click on "Log" (you'll have to make an account). There, you can track and record all of your running and map out your routes so that you know the distances, and thus know your pace when you enter your times. I've found it incredibly helpful and motivating, and very rewarding when you realize how many miles you've ran over the months! (And that site in general has many helpful articles too btw)

Good luck, and have fun! Strive for YOUR personal best---don't compare yourself to anyone else :D

Well a perk of this (which would make it likely that it's just as--if not more--effective) is that throughout the day, your heart rate will remain much more elevated even when just sitting up in your lifeguard chair than if you were to just knock out high mileage in one run. The resting time also allows your body to exert more energy into each run since you're avoiding fatigue. I personally think that this is the ideal way to run if you're running for weightloss, but most people don't do it because it's simply inconvenient for most.

Didn't read replies, so sorry if this is repetitive.

One of the best brands currently out there for running is Asics. (I am personally an avid fan because the shoes literally changed my life by turning me into a pain-free, better, stronger, faster runner!)

I would suggest using the Shoe Finder guide on the Runner's World site to pin-point the right shoe for your body and needs, and checking out the shoe reviews on the site.

Good luck with your marathon!

If you don't already read it, I would visit http://www.runnersworld.com (site of the magazine). They have a LOT of extremely informative, helpful articles, calculators and tools to help.

I understand the mindset...It's the same reason why being just 2 or 3 lbs over one's regular weight when PMS'ing or after the holidays can make that person personally feel significantly bigger, and thus insecure and even disgusted.

What I find really disappointing in these kinds of posts though (already exceedingly lightweight people expressing that they're desperate to drop a few more pounds) is the reasoning behind their strive. I've been seeing a lot of them lately, and reading reasons along the lines of wanting to feel fitter or get into better shape, etc. But when you're down into the lower side of your healthy [or perhaps even underweight] BMI range, seeing numbers on the scale go down is not going to address those goals. In fact, it may even make you LESS fit and in shape. When you've achieved the right weight, measurements and body fat percentage will help those goals come along much better than simply making numbers on the scale go down. "Fitness" is not "lightest weight possible." In fact, the numbers on the scale may even need to go UP in order to achieve that desired body.

Now, I know that every situation is different, and I am not generalizing everyone with those kinds of stats or everyone who posts those kinds of posts. However, we have been seeing it a LOT lately. It's frustrating because there are hundreds of threads with good advice, and plenty of great tools on the site---all which seem to be getting completely ignored.

This is only based on my personal experience:

If you'd prefer not to do what the above posts suggest, I'd go with "Moderate." I am in a very similar situation to your lifestyle/workout routine, and did not have adequate energy and nutrition to keep up with my workouts when I tried "Light" at first. Now I use "Moderate" and it works well. I am going to eventually try "Very Active" for a bit to see how that goes.

I use a kitchen scale to measure how many ounces of each item I put on my plate. If I end up adding more to my plate, I can just measure how many ounces more and add it on. If I don't want to finish what I've taken, I measure how many ounces of each item are left on my plate and subtract it from what I measured in the start.

I know it sounds like a time-consuming hassle, but in my opinion the accuracy is worth it. It prevents myself from eating more than I log, which slows weight loss; and it prevents myself from logging more than I eat, which deprives my body of the needed calories.

And when it comes to packaged foods or purchased drinks or restaurant dishes (or anything that is not measured on a scale in my home), I try to guess accurately, but usually log a little more than what I guess I consumed [just to be safe]. (For example, if I think I ate half the serving, I might log .75 serving instead of .5 serving).

For my June 1st goal, it'll be a new prom dress rather than reusing my one from last year (which will hopefully be too big for me by then!), and my first 2-piece swimsuit ever [other than a tankini]. For my mid-August goal, it'll be a massive clothes shopping spree.

Original Post by aiming:

Fighter- Christina Aguilera

Cause it makes me that much stronger / Makes me work a little bit harder

Oh yes...I forgot that one!