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[Fitness and Weight Management] Let's crush some 2022 goals!

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    ShadowhopeShadowhope Baa. Registered User regular
    ok it's too damn cold to go outside today.

    i think me and my partner are gonna play some fitness boxing on the switch and call it good enough.

    maybe do some squats in my underwear in front of our window. who knows.

    I am not a fan of running in the cold because it is not consistently cold. My normal route has about 5k near water and windy and the cold goes right into my bones, and 5k well sheltered by trees. So, I spend half my route freezing or half my route overheating depending on how bundled I am.

    Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
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    JansonJanson Registered User regular
    I went on a brisk walk in the rain... in a non-waterproof jacket and no hat. I had one guy stop and try to offer me a ride, thinking I was heading into town, and I had to try and explain that I was just walking for fun. Oops.

    Then we did yoga... which was not the most productive on so little sleep. It was exhausting!

    I stuck to under 1,500 calories today, it’s easier on work days because my breakfasts and lunches are prepackaged and smaller (I like the 100 calorie packets of plain instant oatmeal for breakfast, and lunches are 300-500 calorie frozen meals). Weekends I tend to eat more, but I also move a lot more. I’ve been hitting ‘complete’ on my food diary after dinner so I’m not tempted to snack in the evenings.

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    NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    edited February 2021
    Trying to do smoothies this week for breakfast for the first time, they're not bad! My only issue is I don't feel "full" per say, until I try to eat something else and then suddenly my stomach is like "you idiot. You colossal fool".

    Been making this 'carrot cake' smoothie recipe with some added protein powder and a cup of spinach (which makes it green, but whatever, it still tastes great).

    Naphtali on
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    ShadowhopeShadowhope Baa. Registered User regular
    The run today was pretty miserable. Freezing rain made footing treacherous, and being outside very unpleasant. But my knee seemed to be 100% fine while I was out there, and is only feeling a little tight right now, so I feel like I dodged a bullet there. I’m mostly just feeling the normal pleasant stiffness and soreness after a run.

    Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    More cold weather means more soup for meal prep.

    This week it's chipotle chicken and quinoa soup, with some sliced avocado. So simple and filling.



    I'm going to try to get another run in the snow today since there's a break before we get another storm tomorrow.

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    DessertedDesserted Dessert desertRegistered User regular
    Kyougu wrote: »
    More cold weather means more soup for meal prep.

    This week it's chipotle chicken and quinoa soup, with some sliced avocado. So simple and filling.



    I'm going to try to get another run in the snow today since there's a break before we get another storm tomorrow.

    This looks really good!

    Went for a run this morning and it felt a little more strenuous than I wanted, but Garmin only recommended 23 hours of rest so... I think I'll try and do another 2.5 miles tomorrow and see how much/if my legs hate me.

    A while ago I noticed that I fiddle with a lot of pens/markers/puzzles/whatever else is on my desk while I'm teaching and decided I might as well be productive. Brought out my digi-flex and now my fingers are getting stronger while I'm waiting for students to respond!

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Oof, running on packed snow (even just a couple of inches) is so much harder than I expected. Apart from just being slower and more mindful about where I was stepping to prevent slipping it was much more of a leg workout.

    My mileage for the week is def going to be less than usual, but still going to try to get out again today and tomorrow to get something in.

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    CelloCello Registered User regular
    Conversely, skate skiing on unpacked snow is difficult to say the least

    I went out expecting the trail to be groomed as nicely as last time but it seems the joggers and snow shoers had something to say about that

    Still made the most of it by getting some good practice in for single leg pushes and poling, but I did beef it once when I didn't lift my foot enough and the tip of the ski caught in a few inches of snow

    At least the soft powder makes taking a bump a lot easier!

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    BucketmanBucketman Call me SkraggRegistered User regular
    @lonelyahava I want to thank you for the workout recommendations. We tried a few and really liked the beginner workouts from Body Project, we've been working out together three nights a week alternating between those and Just Dance on the switch and it's been kicking my ad in a good way.

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    DessertedDesserted Dessert desertRegistered User regular
    Hey other runners. Why does running slower hurt more than running faster?

    I was trying to take todays run fairly easy since I ran yesterday, but around mile 2 it just felt awful. Almost gave up and started walking, which probably would have been a good idea, but decided to just finish it and went a little faster. Legs felt better at the time, but calves are a little achy still.

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    tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited February 2021
    Desserted wrote: »
    Hey other runners. Why does running slower hurt more than running faster?

    I was trying to take todays run fairly easy since I ran yesterday, but around mile 2 it just felt awful. Almost gave up and started walking, which probably would have been a good idea, but decided to just finish it and went a little faster. Legs felt better at the time, but calves are a little achy still.

    This isn't a guaranteed reason, and may not apply to this case, but your body has a number of natural gait cycles that are dictated by your physiology, learned muscle patterns, etc - think of them as 'attractor zones'. Trying to walk or run at a pace or style that doesn't fall into one of these zones is inherently difficult on your musculature. So sometimes maintaining a slower speed can be more effort than a faster one, if you're trying to hit a pace that doesn't fall close to one of your existing comfortable gaits. If you've ever tried walking with a toddler, or an infirm person, you'll experience the same thing. (Worth noting that these gaits aren't fixed and permanent, you can push them around to a certain extent by training, building up muscles, and working on your form).

    tynic on
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    lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    Bucketman wrote: »
    lonelyahava I want to thank you for the workout recommendations. We tried a few and really liked the beginner workouts from Body Project, we've been working out together three nights a week alternating between those and Just Dance on the switch and it's been kicking my ad in a good way.


    i got the Body Project from @Enc during the Holiday forums, so that's their fault, not mine. lol.

    I'm glad that you're enjoying them though!

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    DessertedDesserted Dessert desertRegistered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    Desserted wrote: »
    Hey other runners. Why does running slower hurt more than running faster?

    I was trying to take todays run fairly easy since I ran yesterday, but around mile 2 it just felt awful. Almost gave up and started walking, which probably would have been a good idea, but decided to just finish it and went a little faster. Legs felt better at the time, but calves are a little achy still.

    This isn't a general thing, and may not apply to this case, but your body has a number of natural gait cycles that are dictated by your physiology, learned muscle patterns, etc - think of them as 'attractor zones'. Trying to walk or run at a pace or style that doesn't fall into one of these zones is inherently difficult on your musculature. So sometimes maintaining a slower speed can be more effort than a faster one, if you're trying to hit a pace that doesn't fall close to one of your existing comfortable gaits. If you've ever tried walking with a toddler, or an infirm person, you'll experience the same thing. (Worth noting that these gaits aren't fixed and permanent, you can push them around to a certain extent by training, building up muscles, and working on your form).

    Makes sense to me! Guess I'll have to work on that some, because I would like my slower paces to actually feel comfortable.

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    IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    Desserted wrote: »
    Hey other runners. Why does running slower hurt more than running faster?

    I was trying to take todays run fairly easy since I ran yesterday, but around mile 2 it just felt awful. Almost gave up and started walking, which probably would have been a good idea, but decided to just finish it and went a little faster. Legs felt better at the time, but calves are a little achy still.

    tynic said it well, but it could be other factors as well. If you aren't used to running multiple days in a row, or if your run yesterday was more intense, today's might feel sluggish just because you're still recovering from yesterday. I think of it as my body re-aligning from the previous day's intensity, which isn't always comfortable.

    Of course, if it is painful, that might be something else to watch out for, but it doesn't sound like that.

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    DessertedDesserted Dessert desertRegistered User regular
    Icemopper wrote: »
    Desserted wrote: »
    Hey other runners. Why does running slower hurt more than running faster?

    I was trying to take todays run fairly easy since I ran yesterday, but around mile 2 it just felt awful. Almost gave up and started walking, which probably would have been a good idea, but decided to just finish it and went a little faster. Legs felt better at the time, but calves are a little achy still.

    tynic said it well, but it could be other factors as well. If you aren't used to running multiple days in a row, or if your run yesterday was more intense, today's might feel sluggish just because you're still recovering from yesterday. I think of it as my body re-aligning from the previous day's intensity, which isn't always comfortable.

    Of course, if it is painful, that might be something else to watch out for, but it doesn't sound like that.

    I'm sure the run yesterday did play a part in it, as the ache in my calves is more of an overuse feeling than something gone wrong. I may have done more today than yesterday too, which wasn't what I planned on doing, but oh well!

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    initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    My last squat today made the back of my thigh right above the knee pretty angry. I was worried about it leaving the gym but haven't had issues the rest of the night.

    I guess we'll see if it was just soreness tomorrow and I'm just overly worried about it because the last time I had a real leg muscle problem I kept reaggravating it till actually the covid lockdown made me stop going places

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    SolarSolar Registered User regular
    I really struggle to reduce my pace when I'm running, I've mentioned this before, and I never thought it could be that tbh. That's really interesting.

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    PeasPeas Registered User regular
    It's weird that I didn't feel any stronger and even put on like 7 pounds recently but was suddenly able to increase my number of pullups from 4 to 5, gotta double check again after tomorrow and see if it was a fluke or miscount

    If that's true then I am 1 more away from reaching my target so that's exciting

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    CaptainBeyondCaptainBeyond I've been out walking Registered User regular
    Solar wrote: »
    I really struggle to reduce my pace when I'm running, I've mentioned this before, and I never thought it could be that tbh. That's really interesting.

    I'm the exact same. I've just given up on running any distances further than about 5-7k because I cannot make the necessary adjustments to my form when running slower to go further.

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    SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Yeah

    I wonder if genetic composition of muscle fibers comes into it. Because I suspect I may be more fast twitch than some; I struggle with running slower, I struggle with long distances/endurance generally, but I find generating a lot of power to be quite easy.

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    PeasPeas Registered User regular
    edited February 2021
    Speaking of running are there any ways for my knees to feel less crappy during a session

    It's not like it's painful but there is enough sensation to always feel uncomfortable and makes me wonder if I am actually hurting myself




    Peas on
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    EncEnc A Fool with Compassion Pronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered User regular
    Peas wrote: »
    Speaking of running are there any ways for my kness to feel less crappy during a session

    It's not like it's painful but there is enough sensation to always feel uncomfortable and makes me wonder if I am actually hurting myself




    During? Probably a mix of shoes and building up the muscles in your legs over time. After and before, stretching.

    Not gonna lie, if you are running a lot and don't have high quality running shoes you should find a way to make the investment. I usually spring for about 120-150 each year for shoes after I broke my foot wearing garbage shoes for 2 years of jogs.

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    PeasPeas Registered User regular
    I am going to sound really ignorant but how do I tell if a pair of shoes is high quality? Are there any specific features I should look out for?

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    I just depends on what you are looking for and need in a shoe. Some light high cushion, which means shoes are slightly heavier, other are fine with no cushion, opting for light shoes.

    It sounds like you may need a bit more cushion? Honestly, the best thing (pre covid times) is to go to a running store and try different shoes on and have them check your stride and give recommendations.

    Also don't forget those pre and post run stretches!

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    DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    Good shoes and someone to identify what you need from shoes are a game changer

    I had foot and leg pain bad enough in high school that I couldn't stay on the track team

    I think a lot of it was related to growth spurts, but I found out I was over pronating and needed shoes to provide a specific type of support

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    IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    To address the slow running question from @Solar and maybe @Peas knees, have you tried increasing your cadence while running the same speed? You can stress your joints if you run at a low cadence by having higher impact with each footfall, which might add to the knee pain (stretching/rolling/targeted strength training might help there too). And for Solar, you can get that twitch speed of increasing your movements without going faster - it helps in the long run too, as this is somehow better for your heart or more efficient or something? I'm not 100% on the science of it, but basically I keep hearing from my trainers to shorten your stride, increase your cadence, and you'll have an easier time and avoid injury.

    With shoes, I'll echo Kyougu with going to a specialty store - they might want to upsell you, but they can give really good advice based on your foot and what you're interested in doing. I go to Fleet Feet when it is open, and they've given me great tips on trail running shoes and road running shoes, which are quite different in the toe box and how much cushion they have. I use them for different situations, but now I've got a couple favorites that I know are successful specifically for how I run. They also pointed out that I was buying running shoes too small, based on my dress shoes, so that was valuable info to have! I wear a 11.5 typically, but my running shoes are all 12.5 (American measurements), to give my feet room to swell with bloodflow or whatever.

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    SolarSolar Registered User regular
    My instinctive cadence looks to be about 160ish, I'm not sure how fast that is comparatively, and I bet it drops over time, but maybe not by much?

    Tbh I'm not tooooo interested in getting good at running. I'm interested in improving endurance and cardio recovery, running is just sort of how I'm doing that. I just... really hate it at the moment haha

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    IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    Solar wrote: »
    My instinctive cadence looks to be about 160ish, I'm not sure how fast that is comparatively, and I bet it drops over time, but maybe not by much?

    Tbh I'm not tooooo interested in getting good at running. I'm interested in improving endurance and cardio recovery, running is just sort of how I'm doing that. I just... really hate it at the moment haha

    Yeah, I don't know the specific science or methodology behind proper cadence, but most people refer to high-performance runners cadence being around 180 - that's really hard for me to hit, and if I really focus on it, I can maintain 170, but I've slowly worked up to that from 160. I'm not sure I can say what is right for anyone, but I have noticed a much improved endurance and recovery with a higher cadence while my speed has not dramatically improved. It helps keep my heart rate from going too high, which is important for long runs, and it just makes the whole experience more relaxed and enjoyable.

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    KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Huh. I checked my cadence for my last couple of long runs and it seems to be avg of 177 for my long runs. I genuinely had no idea what was a good one or even looked it as much.

    I been lucky that I improved just by running more.

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    DoodmannDoodmann Registered User regular
    Roommate came back and my daily numbers have tanked, gotta get back on it this weekend.

    Whippy wrote: »
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    tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Yeah while I've not thought about it consciously, if I want to slow down, or I'm setting off for a longer run so I need to pace my energy expenditure, I'll instinctively take shorter strides (which tbh my physio advised me to do anyway). Conversely, I hit longer strides when doing short HIIT runs.

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    BucketmanBucketman Call me SkraggRegistered User regular
    I had to pause the Body Project video we watched last night, because the motivational instructor said sweat is just "body juice" and I needed to sit down and think about that for a few.

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    tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    Bucketman wrote: »
    I had to pause the Body Project video we watched last night, because the motivational instructor said sweat is just "body juice" and I needed to sit down and think about that for a few.

    can you wring out more body juice by squeezing someone, I think this is the ontological question in play.
    because otherwise it's just rind oil.

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    MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    tynic wrote: »
    Bucketman wrote: »
    I had to pause the Body Project video we watched last night, because the motivational instructor said sweat is just "body juice" and I needed to sit down and think about that for a few.

    can you wring out more body juice by squeezing someone, I think this is the ontological question in play.
    because otherwise it's just rind oil.

    I knew we could count on you to somehow make things worse
    clearly blood is body juice

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    ShadowhopeShadowhope Baa. Registered User regular
    Cadence is one of those things that needs to be viewed in context. There’s an old rule of thumb that 180 is optimal, but that’s like the “drink 8 cups of water a day” rule of thumb - outdated and potentially misleading. Here’s a Runner’s World article on it.
    Before the results came through, study author and ultramarathoner Geoffrey Burns, Ph.D. (c), of the University of Michigan, had a hunch that there would be a lot of variability in turnover rates among the ultra athletes. In past races, he’d noticed that even though his competitors finished around the same time, their strides—or “ultra shuffle,” as he referred to it to Runner’s World—were sometimes dramatically different. Maybe, he thought, there were factors other than speed that increased or decreased the number of steps we took per minute.

    The study confirmed Burns’s prediction: The runners’ cadences were all over the board. When Burns—who finished fifth in the race and included himself in the study—mapped the participants’ average step frequency throughout the 100K race, the data ranged from a guy who took 155 SPM to someone who took 203.

    “One of the most striking findings was that the highest and lowest averages finished within a couple minutes of each other,” Burns said.

    Interestingly, when he took the average of all of the runners’ cadences, he found a familiar number: 182 steps per minute, just a hair faster than the so-called optimal 180 SPM.

    Speaking personally, I’m 6’2 and seem to run at something between a 171 and 176 cadence.

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    IcemopperIcemopper Registered User regular
    Couldn't say it better Shadowhope, cadence is washy. Some people swear it is the way to get faster, but the best I can find is that it may help avoid overstressing your joints. Everyone is different!

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    lonelyahavalonelyahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    I've been struggling this week. With having Ellie home for the first 3 days due to a mini lockdown, and then having Ecco home the last 2 days and all the stress and anxiety leading up to this weekend.

    I've had 2 rest days in a row and I had chocolate cake for her birthday.

    but I went swimming/water walking this morning and feel pretty good actually.

    I need to get back onto the wagon though. right now i'm kinda o half off. i need to do some weights or some squats or something.

    It's amazing how much off track I get when I"m not just sitting at my desk and needing an excuse to get up and move.

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    SolarSolar Registered User regular
    I feel like tbh I would need to lower my cadence in order to make running less horrific?

    But lowering my cadence instinctively feels off

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    DouglasDangerDouglasDanger PennsylvaniaRegistered User regular
    I ran a mile and a half today, at 4.5 MPH

    The last half mile was rough

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    DessertedDesserted Dessert desertRegistered User regular
    I'm 6'4 and seem to be averaged around 145 for cadence for the last few runs. Could have sworn it was around 160, but maybe that was the pre covid times.

    @lonelyahava Don't be down on yourself for rest days and having cake. Rest days are awesome and will help your body recover to do more awesome things later! Cake at a birthday also seems very much acceptable even when on a diet. (Although after rereading your post maybe these weren't reasons you were struggling, and if they weren't the reason, awesome!) Is the next week looking less stressful at this point?

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