Build Your Own Clone Message Board

Well - it's tough to say. I'm no natural at this, nor was I adequately trained for the event, so by the time I got to the last stretch, which included a steep downhill on a dirt road, I was in pain pretty much from head to toe. I couldn't maintain any semblance of running form and I sort of hobbled down the hill. The uphill bits, though, kind of force you into okay form and they beat your body up less, so the last uphill stretch was surprisingly easier than the downhill stretch before it. I didn't have any nagging hip or knee problems, nor any blisters, just more of a full-body exhaustion and the overwhelming desire to drink a half a bottle of tequila and then go to sleep for two days (which, except for the sleeping bit, fairly well decribes what I did do!)

And as for the 5K feeling like it will kill you, yeah, I get that completely. It wasn't too long ago I was in the exact same boat so you'll never hear me disparage anyone for getting started. That's really the hardest bit: getting started. It's easier to move from running 10 miles to running 20 miles than it is to go from running 0 miles to 1 mile, for sure. I think in an earlier post you mentioned that you run 4 months out of the year . . . that's starting from scratch every year! Ouch!

Tequila absolutely is the miracle drink!

In my meager 5k training regimen, I involve a couple steep up/downhills (short distance mind you) jsut to keep myself prepped for the little elevation changes during a 5k. You know, the 'hills' that you don't notice while driving but as soon as you're running up them, you're like 'WHEN WILL THIS TORTURE END!' Anyway for short distances like that, I find leaning back a little and opening up your gait going downhill takes a lot of the work out of it. You can pick up a little speed but really let gravity do the work.

Again - this is for the little baby hills you might find in a normal route, and has absolutely nothing to do with the pure insanity of running 26.2 miles UP a mountain with perfectly good roads on it for driving

Not to take this too far into seriousville, but that amount of weight gain and then loss each year is probably pretty bad for you - there are some arguments that it may be worse than keeping the weight on all year. Maybe you already have, but if not, I'd definitely chat with your doctor about it. Just food for thought, that's all.



Don't think the idea to drive up instead didn't cross my mind!

Heh. Yeah - I have the same problem. And, no, there is no light beer that deserves the name 'beer.' Funny thing - I've been willing to fix almost every other aspect of my diet, but beer is just sort of stuck on my brain. I figure there's thousands of years of beer-lovers behind me, and so long as I'm not drinking a ton of the stuff it's not a problem, but this also shows in the fact that I now run 30 miles a week and still weigh 200 pounds!!! Oh well . . . we are only human and we can only do what we can do and those rat bastard brewers keep making the good stuff - we are powerless in the face of it!

What a doofus of a doctor. Maybe lifting with improper form, but lifting weights is excellent for you. As a doctor, he should know that weight-bearing exercises are necessary to keep your bones dense and healthy. I bet he does say that milk makes your bones strong though (which it doesn't - it actually creates an acidic environment when ingested which draws calcium OUT of your bones to neutralize the acidity).

Sorry if that doc is your friend, but if a doctor said that to me I'd probably walk out of the office.

Welllll . . . . there's a lot of context here, I assume. There certainly are many valid reasons that a doctor would recommend against a weight-training routine. I read it as 'weight-training is not good for weight loss' myself, in which case I would tend to agree - weights won't normally help you drop pounds unless taken as a single component in a larger system of diet, cardio exercise, etc.. There are also health concerns depending on each person's situation - I couldn't lift weights for a long time after I had my heart attack, for example. Also weights can exacerbate underlying issues and injuries unless those issues are taken care of prior to starting a weight training regimen. And so on.

But, yeah, if it was a blanket 'weights are bad' statement, that's pretty weird. I do know people who think that way, but none of them are doctors!

Haha. I don't think I could have a friend doing any physicals on me! I know what you mean about switching docs though. That really is a major pain.

Well said Robert. It does definitely depend on the context.

Regarding heavy lifting and weight loss (well, fat loss I guess) - All other things equal, more muscle equates to more fat-burning capability so I think heavy lifting does help because it builds more muscle which, in turn, burns more fat. This is based on research and my personal experience. I was once under the impression (like many other people) that to get "toned" (i.e. burn fat) one must do the light, repetitive lifting. So I did this for a long time with minimal results, which led me to do some research and ultimately change to a heavy lifting routine doing as much weight as possible, while still keeping good form, for 5 sets of 5 and only doing two major lifts per workout. It didn't take much time at all to see the results. I had shied away from the heavy lifting in the past because I didn't want to bulk up too much and look like Ahnold, but that didn't happen and I'm glad I did the research and gave it a shot. Of course during all of this I continued with the cardio I was doing (biking mostly and some running, elliptical for a warm-up before the workout) and I ate healthy (mostly vegan).

First ride of the year was yesterday. I've been hitting the gym on and off for the past few months, but nothing beats doing the real thing. I'm not super sore, but there's a few muscles that I can tell aren't getting any love at the gym.

And for the gear nuts: I dropped the seat a little since you can't really tuck a bike up under you if your seat is in the way. I gots ta get some new tires, there's a cement skate park in town that I want to check out soon. I need to find my pegs too. It's been a long time since I've dropped in.

I literally have dreams every once in a while that I'm freestyling on a mountain bike. I think it's a sign I need to get off my two cheeks and get out on two wheels.

To tag onto this thread, I have not run or been to the gym or done anything except chasing or carrying my toddler since the fall. It shows. Been sick with a resp infection for almost 2 weeks, looking forward to clearing out the cobwebs! The sun staying out after 5pm is very encouraging!

Ah - the return of this thread!!!

Yeah - winter was bad for me. I didn't keep in shape much, and now I'm facing a half marathon in Miami this weekend! Oh well - it's a half, you can always soldier through a half. I've been training about three weeks now, so it won't be a good one. Next up in the Pittsburgh Marathon in two months. I won't really be ready for that, either, but I'd better keep up with my training since it's not only the full 26.2, but it's a hilly one at that! My target for a 'good' run is the Erie Marathon in September, then I want to keep it up and do the ING Miami Marathon in January at a solid clip maybe try for 3:15 or something.

I haven't got on the bike yet, except for a few trips to the library and grocery store on nice days. After this weekends shenanigans on the beach I plan on hitting the bike pretty hard to get my cardio back to where it needs to be without beating up my shins and knees too bad (at my weight (~205), you need to watch this stuff!). Right now I tend to peter out around 2 hours in which is okay for a half, since I'll be done by then, but will suck for a full marathon since I'll only be half done!

Also trying to hit the weights more - still doing the kettlebells, but not being organized about it, so not seeing a lot in the way of results. I should know better, but I don't!

Oh man - what a March it's been in Pittsburgh - perfect running and biking weather and thanks to my recent bout of FUNemployment, I've been taking full advantage (and not just for exercise - except for a drive to the airport, I haven't used my car once this whole month!)

Anybody else getting out there? I know the entire Northeast is having the best Spring ever, come on!

Picked this up last summer and love it! Specialized Hardrock disc 29.



Been riding some great trails here in SoCal. Perfect weather as always for it

I do not run, i do bike in occasion, renting downhill bike and having a rush to feel alive, other than that i do alot of roller blade, love to do some long runs keeping up the pace and trying to beat my time while maintaining a constant pace.

We have a nice circuit around the lake/river here, 1 turn is 2.3km.......

I started to skate again last week, going every 2-3 days, doing 2 to 4 turns.

Past week and this week where awesome, i like to go out around 10pm, it's fresh and less populated, so you can go full stroke all the time.


I once with a friend did a 27km trip in one day, to go eat a meal in the village next to ours, was pretty intense, we took all day, taking long breaks because there was couple good hills to go by.

If it's ok with the runner/biker crew, i would post some of my trips here.

+1, it inspires me some music to listen too!

Nice bike, man. I love disc brakes for mountain biking ... and kind of want to use them on the road, but the offerings are slim. My mountain biking has fallen off in general in recent years since most of the good trails are pretty far from my house and I hate driving to get to where I want to ride. Given more time to get into better shape I'll just ride out to the trails, do the trails, and ride home (maybe with some beer stops along the way to keep my carbs up!)



Of course! 27k on skates is pretty crazy man!! When I was an indestructible teenager I followed a friend about 10 miles or so while he was on his bike . . . I was on my skateboard! My right leg hurt like hell!!

Thanks! Discs are almost a must for trails here. Some long downhills that would eat other brakes alive! Although the trails are plenty close, I usually end up throwing it in the truck and driving to the destination. That way I can expend more energy on a hill knowing I don't have to rely on my legs to get me home And a beer stop always sounds like a great idea! haha

GC - definitely add skating to the thread!

I got out for my first exercise of any kind since the Fall on Tuesday. I 'ran' 2.2 miles (3.5k). I say 'ran' because it was hell ass slow. Didn't even time myself, there was no point. But hills and all I did it without stopping which is all I wanted to accomplish. Planning on going out again today- hopefully that will loosen up the tight quads and shins I have going on today!

Yeah, TD, starting over is tough. After I did my big run last October and then basically stopped until recently and it's been pretty horrendous getting back up to speed. I couldn't bring myself to train through the winter, though, even though this winter was ridiculously mild ... oh well ... another year of suffering through races instead of doing well in them!!

Got a 5K coming up Saturday. Don't even want to guess at a time to finish. We'll see how it goes.

Just did a 2k turn....too much wind......, i'm dead....llol

And it's humid as hell.....