Summer is coming! Lose weight get fit? Ask here.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by valkyrie

ALSO, has anybody here done a half marathon? I'm thinking about it, but is that insane?

Yes, I did one in 1998 (under 2 hours baby!!). If you prepare using one of those "Running Room" training clinics for the half marathon, that would be good. When I finished the 13 miles, I was thinking, "there is no way in God's green earth that I could keep going for ANOTHER 13 miles" (i.e. a full marathon).

[jwright25]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

Lift first, cardio second: ALWAYS

This is intriguing. I always heard the opposite - and that you should do cardio first to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to "warm" them up. Would you mind to elaborate on the physiological reasons why it is best to do cardio second?

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by jwright25

This is intriguing. I always heard the opposite - and that you should do cardio first to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to "warm" them up. Would you mind to elaborate on the physiological reasons why it is best to do cardio second?

There is competing evidence, but most agree that it's better to lift after having a little bit of an increase in body temperature - there's actually increasing evidence that stretching is differently important than we thought (it might be better for lifting than running, for example), but sweating a little might improve pliability and make your lifting more effective (and safer).

However, there are noted advantages to lifting first (IIRC, mostly related to ATP replenishment and etc. being better at that point, plus metabolic benefits), then doing cardio, so most suggest a brief warmup, then weight work, then cardio work.

Realistically, if you're a novice, you should probably start with the one you're most serious about - the percentage gains at first won't really matter a ton. After a while, you can get with recent research and tailor your program a little better.

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

Yes, I did one in 1998 (under 2 hours baby!!). If you prepare using one of those "Running Room" training clinics for the half marathon, that would be good. When I finished the 13 miles, I was thinking, "there is no way in God's green earth that I could keep going for ANOTHER 13 miles" (i.e. a full marathon).

Okay, I think I am willing to commit. I was looking at the Hal Higdon novice training guide and it looks doable. I have 10 weeks rather than 12, but I've been doing four mile runs, so I think I'm going to be fine (although some of his suggested workouts are too wussy for me so I'm going to do more and there's no way in hell I'm doing runs and strength on the same day just because I hate that). I'll check out Running Room, too.

I don't want to push myself TOO hard, but hope I can get my speed up a bit. I'm slow, LOL.

[PhoenixAzul]

Originally Posted by valkyrie

Okay, I think I am willing to commit. I was looking at the Hal Higdon novice training guide and it looks doable. I have 10 weeks rather than 12, but I've been doing four mile runs, so I think I'm going to be fine (although some of his suggested workouts are too wussy for me so I'm going to do more and there's no way in hell I'm doing runs and strength on the same day just because I hate that). I'll check out Running Room, too.

I don't want to push myself TOO hard, but hope I can get my speed up a bit. I'm slow, LOL.

I love the half marathon distance. I've been working up to full marathon, and half is a nice way to gauge your training. Unfortunately, there aren't many "in between " distances (15 mile or 20) after that.

Best advice: GET GOOD SHOES! Go to a running specialty store and have them look at your pronation (most will put you on a treadmill and have you run and walk in the store). They're expensive, but the expense in shoes saves you an expense on phys. therapy later! My shoes are Asics and I love them...super light, perfect padding for neutral pronaters. I'm a triathlete so the running is only one aspect of my training, but its the one that I've had to work on the most.

Hal Higdon's plans are widely respected in the running community.

[Eggroll]

I wonder how many calories they consume.

[ADqtPiMel]

Originally Posted by valkyrie

Okay, I think I am willing to commit. I was looking at the Hal Higdon novice training guide and it looks doable. I have 10 weeks rather than 12, but I've been doing four mile runs, so I think I'm going to be fine (although some of his suggested workouts are too wussy for me so I'm going to do more and there's no way in hell I'm doing runs and strength on the same day just because I hate that). I'll check out Running Room, too.

I don't want to push myself TOO hard, but hope I can get my speed up a bit. I'm slow, LOL.

I'm training for one now. I think I'm crazy.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by jwright25

This is intriguing. I always heard the opposite - and that you should do cardio first to get the blood flowing to your muscles and to "warm" them up. Would you mind to elaborate on the physiological reasons why it is best to do cardio second?

You can do a "warm up", such as 5-10 minutes on the bike/elliptical/treadmill/stairmaster before you lift, but you should do your resistance training before you do your cardio (i.e. an aerobics class).

The rationale: when you do lift first, you deplete the glycogen stores in your muscles & you are a bit tired This is not a problem when you are doing cardio, because you are not bearing a load (i.e. lifting weights). You are also getting into fat burning stores, rather than glycogen burning stores

If you were to do cardio first (like an hour STEP Class or something like that), you will have depleted the glycogen stores in your muscles, and THEN if you were to try to go and lift thereafter you are more tired, and you risk compromising your form and potentially injuring yourself.

A lil' warmup beforehand is fine, but then after you are warmed up, you should endeavor to lift before cardio. (i.e. A 10 minute warmup on the machines should not constitute "cardio").

[jwright25]

Originally Posted by CutiePie2000

A lil' warmup beforehand is fine, but then after you are warmed up, you should endeavor to lift before cardio. (i.e. A 10 minute warmup on the machines should not constitute "cardio").

OK - So I modified my workout yesterday to this way and I really liked it better! I know that every workout and how you feel differs from day to day and other outside factors, but I did 10 min on the treadmill, about 45 minutes of weights, then 45 minutes on the treadmill again and felt really good and the good kind of tired and sore! Thanks for the suggestions and for the explanations to both CutiePie and KSig RC.

[CutiePie2000]

Originally Posted by jwright25

Thanks for the suggestions and for the explanations to both CutiePie and KSig RC.

You're welcome...I'm preparing for a show right now (I compete in "Figure") which is on June 2nd, so it's kinda where my focus is right now.

[James]

Some motivation.

The UK's Biggest loser . .. transformation. If she can do it, then those of you that only need to lose a 10-40 pounds should have no trouble at all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBf7krmojtc

I think she made an impressive body composition change.

Oh and 1 stone equals 14 pounds. So she started at approximately 252 pounds. At 5'3". 252 at 5'3!

So she lost 8 stone and 7 pounds which is 119 pounds.

She weighs 9 stone and 7 pounds now = 133 pounds.

Nice job.

What I don't understand is why everyone else is all emotional around her. I mean her being excited is understandable . . everyone else being weepy is just wierd. Think they script it?