Official Workout/Fitness Thread (Re-born)

[LyricalRico]

Since we resurrected the "Get to know everybody" thread, I thought I'd bring back the thread for workouts and other health/fitness chatter.

I guess I'll go first. Between stress at work and a horrible diet, I've gained 13 pounds since January. A couple of my buddies are in the same boat, so we're about to start the following programs:

http://hundredpushups.com
http://twohundredsitups.com

We're doing the initial tests today and then will start Day 1 on Monday. Since it lasts for 6 weeks, our last day will be Sept 4. Then we can get together on Labor Day and reward ourselves with grilled steaks and beer.

I'll also be riding my stationary bike on the off days to work my lower body, plus playing ball at least one night a week. And of course replacing pizza and burgers will fruit, veggies, lean meats, etc. If I can lose an average of 2 pounds every 7 days, I can undo 6 months of gluttony in 6 weeks!

My main goal is that by the end of the 6 weeks I'll have a routine that I can continue longterm as an actual lifestyle change. (Definitely don't want to go down this road again. I feel like crap!)

[nate33]

Nothing beats running for easy weight loss. You burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time. You don't need to drive to the gym. You don't need any fancy equipment. Just walk out the front door and jog for a while. Do it at least 3 days a week for half-an-hour a day (you can alternate walking and running at first) and the pounds will melt off.

[pancakes3]

diet trumps exercise any day of the week. a rogue soda coasts you extra 30 minutes on the treadmill. an extra donut, another 30. adding sugar to that coffee? 5 minutes a packet. surplus calories are everywhere especially if you're stuck at a 9-5. it's pretty depressing to think about.

[nate33]

diet trumps exercise any day of the week. a rogue soda coasts you extra 30 minutes on the treadmill. an extra donut, another 30. adding sugar to that coffee? 5 minutes a packet. surplus calories are everywhere especially if you're stuck at a 9-5. it's pretty depressing to think about.

In theory, you are correct. Calories burned during activity are almost insignificant to calories saved by dieting. But in practice, I don't think it works that way. Your body adjusts to a low calorie diet by reducing it's metabolism. And conversely, when you work out routinely, you build more muscle mass which requires more calories to maintain. When you are in shape, you burn more calories even when you're sitting on the couch.

On the diet front, the easiest thing to do is to cut out the sugars and simple carbs. Switch from white bread to whole grain bread, from corn flakes to oatmeal, from potatoes to whole wheat pasta, from coke to diet coke, from ice cream to lowfat vanilla yogurt. When you go to McDonalds and order a Quarter Pounder, throw out the top bun. It'll save you 80 calories or so with no loss in taste or experience. (Obviously, if you're really trying to lose weight fast, you should cut out McDonalds altogether.)

[hands11]

Nothing beats running for easy weight loss. You burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time. You don't need to drive to the gym. You don't need any fancy equipment. Just walk out the front door and jog for a while. Do it at least 3 days a week for half-an-hour a day (you can alternate walking and running at first) and the pounds will melt off.

I started doing this about 2 weeks ago. I just started one day with a little helpful motivation from a close relative. After 2 days, I already felt a ton better mentally. Then after 3 days I thought, how about setting a goal of 30 runs in 30 days. I started with once around the block and then I was going to increase this to two laps for the 2nd week and so on.

Well, after 5 days my legs and buttock started feeling totally different ( in a good way ). Then Friday came and it just didn't work out. So then I started thinking that 30 in 30 was to much. Instead I would run Sunday to Thursday and take the weekends off. But when I started up on Sunday, my muscles had tightened from the rest so I had a muscle tighten in my leg to the point I couldn't keep running so I ran and walked instead. This lead to a day off and another try but it was still tight. Then I got to stretching more and I'm running on flat ground until I build up my strength and flexablity. I was also mixing in a quick workout at the complex circuit weights ever 2 or 3rd time. Just some bench, lats, etc. 3 sets in a circuit fashion. Nothing to heavy. I jump in there right after the running.

My body is adjusting and I feel great already. I'm not in bad shape at all but I used to workout all the time so I know what being in great shape feels like so I'm motivated to get back there. At 43, the time is now if I plan of staying in shape until I'm an old dude. Once I get some endurance up, I plan on playing some BBall.

Total work out time has not been more then 1 hr from the time I lace up the shoes to start the run. If I don't hit the weight, it's no more then 30 mins. That is something I can work in any time before 11pm so it's easy to keep up with. Plus getting outside with the head phones has been great.

I'm not looking to loose any weight really. Just want to feel and look great again.

As for diet, that's pretty easy. Each foods that look like the food it actually is. Stay on the outside isles.

[hands11]

diet trumps exercise any day of the week. a rogue soda coasts you extra 30 minutes on the treadmill. an extra donut, another 30. adding sugar to that coffee? 5 minutes a packet. surplus calories are everywhere especially if you're stuck at a 9-5. it's pretty depressing to think about.

In theory, you are correct. Calories burned during activity are almost insignificant to calories saved by dieting. But in practice, I don't think it works that way. Your body adjusts to a low calorie diet by reducing it's metabolism. And conversely, when you work out routinely, you build more muscle mass which requires more calories to maintain. When you are in shape, you burn more calories even when you're sitting on the couch.

On the diet front, the easiest thing to do is to cut out the sugars and simple carbs. Switch from white bread to whole grain bread, from corn flakes to oatmeal, from potatoes to whole wheat pasta, from coke to diet coke, from ice cream to lowfat vanilla yogurt. When you go to McDonalds and order a Quarter Pounder, throw out the top bun. It'll save you 80 calories or so with no loss in taste or experience. (Obviously, if you're really trying to lose weight fast, you should cut out McDonalds altogether.)

Exactly. For every once of muscle it takes a certain amount of calories to maintain it. Building muscle is a great way to burn calories 24x7. Those body builder have to eat a truckful every day regardless of how much they work out. The working out isn't enough. They have to maintain a huge calorie intact because of how much muscle they have or else they will drop weight and start to get ripped instead of big. Muscle is a much better calorie burner then trying to do it via cardio. But you have to know how to work out and when to get proteins to build that mass. It easier if you had it to begin with then if you looking to add muscle you never had. So for me, running is the thing because I'm enjoying it and it's motivating me to do other things. Please, leg muscles are some of the biggest on your body so running is enough to bring mine back.

I'm not a fan of diet coke over coke. Drop that junk altogether. It's bad for you either way. I'd rather see someone drinking sweet green tea with the sugar then a diet coke. But you do have to watch the carbs. Best thing is to get them earlier in the day and like you said, stay away from simple sugars/carbs. They absorb into your blood stream to quickly and they have no nutrition in them. Also, set a time such as no carbs after 8pm if you go to get at 11PM. Sugar not burned just turns to fat which is just stored calories.

This is little more complicated but sometimes eating things that have fat ( such as cheese ) isn't as bad as it looks. You body doesn't break down all the fat in something like that. A lot of it is simply passed through. It takes a lot more calories to break down a fat module then it does a simple sugar. Think about something like confectionery sugar mixed in water compared to dropping some cheese in water. That's a loose example just to make the point.

You have to follow a diet you will stick with and enjoy so that's were the building muscle comes in. The more muscle you have, the more calories you will burn even with your sitting down. One of the worse things you can do it not eat. Actually, eating breakfast is the best because it jump starts your metabolism for the day. Eat early and often. Just don't eat to much or eat to many simple carbs.

[nate33]

Nothing beats running for easy weight loss. You burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time. You don't need to drive to the gym. You don't need any fancy equipment. Just walk out the front door and jog for a while. Do it at least 3 days a week for half-an-hour a day (you can alternate walking and running at first) and the pounds will melt off.

I started doing this about 2 weeks ago. I just started one day with a little helpful motivation from a close relative. After 2 days, I already felt a ton better mentally. Then after 3 days I thought, how about setting a goal of 30 runs in 30 days. I started with once around the block and then I was going to increase this to two laps for the 2nd week and so on.

Well, after 5 days my legs and buttock started feeling totally different ( in a good way ). Then Friday came and it just didn't work out. So then I started thinking that 30 in 30 was to much. Instead I would run Sunday to Thursday and take the weekends off. But when I started up on Sunday, my muscles had tightened from the rest so I had a muscle tighten in my leg to the point I couldn't keep running so I ran and walked instead. This lead to a day off and another try but it was still tight. Then I got to stretching more and I'm running on flat ground until I build up my strength and flexablity. I was also mixing in a quick workout at the complex circuit weights ever 2 or 3rd time. Just some bench, lats, etc. 3 sets in a circuit fashion. Nothing to heavy. I jump in there right after the running.

You definitely need to take some days off, particularly when you're just getting started.

One other thing to be careful about: After about 3 or 4 weeks, you'll see massive improvement in your cardiopulmonary fitness. You're heart and lungs will feel capable of going further and faster. That's when you've got to hold back a bit. The problem is that it takes about 6-8 weeks for your muscles and skeletal system to catch up. Your muscles aren't ready to take the pounding of 4+ miles a day even though your lungs may be. Make sure you continue to take rest days and don't run for longer than 4 or so miles until you've got at least 6 weeks under your belt. Otherwise, there's a high risk of injury. You're gonna end up pulling a groin or straining a hip flexor or achilles tendon or something.

[pancakes3]

i wasn't saying exercise is overrated, but a lot of guys i know in their mid/late 20's who try to cut their beer belly don't make diet changes and just think hitting the gym 3 times a week is going to do it. it'd be a lot more effective if they dieted too. plus a lot of guys avoid diets more than girls. i know i do.

[Hoopalotta]

It's pretty bad when you're agreeing with a guy named 'Pancakes' on nutritional issues, but I managed to get down to my ideal weight by using the 'cut out the extra calories' method that the Pan-Man just mentioned.

In Asian mega cities, the exercise opportunities are limited (to say the least), so I am like the control group for this method and used it to lose over 25 pounds in about 9 months.

That's not to refute other advice, but I'm just saying the nutritional approach in near isolation can work.

Edit: That's not to say I'm in ideal health from the dietary aspect, just that the weight is right.

[likwitdesi]

I've been in pretty good shape the past 3 years. I workout about 6 days a week (circuit training 3 days, HIIT 2 days, and a bball/long distance workout one day). I also eat relatively healthy...whenever I go out with friends, they will get burgers and I will go with the chicken sandwich. However, my issue is that I do sometimes really overeat and I found that my body fat percentage was almost 16%. My goal is to get back down to around 12%.

I am eating smaller meals (eating about 2300 calories over an 18 hour day), substituting in nuts, yogurt, fruits (specifically a lot of cherries), and whey as snacks in place of things like granola bars. I am substituting in salad for lunch about twice a week. I am also eating a crapload of fiber so that much of the stuff that goes in also goes out.

I have lost about 3 pounds in the past 4 weeks, which is reasonable since I was 5-10 170 before

[nate33]

I am eating smaller meals (eating about 2300 calories over an 18 hour day), substituting in nuts, yogurt, fruits (specifically a lot of cherries), and whey as snacks in place of things like granola bars. I am substituting in salad for lunch about twice a week. I am also eating a crapload of fiber so that much of the stuff that goes in also goes out.

I have lost about 3 pounds in the past 4 weeks, which is reasonable since I was 5-10 170 before

That's the way to do it. Lots of fiber. You feel full and you barely have to alter your eating lifestyle at all, but you still lose weight.

I eat bran flakes every day for breakfast and try eat beans as my carb side dish with dinner whenever I get the chance. Other than that, I don't really need to do anything at all dietwise to keep my weight down. If my weight creeps up at all, I just cut out dessert for a week.

As far as exercise goes: I run three times a week (about 15 miles total), play ball once a week, and lift twice a week.

I'm 5-9 and weigh 163 pounds at age 37.

Unfortunately, I recently strained an abdomen muscle while playing ball. I think it's a sports hernia (which isn't actually a hernia). I need to lay off running and basketball for several weeks. I'm gonna try biking for a while. Has anybody else ever had a sports hernia (otherwise known as an athletic pubalgia)? How long did it take to recover?

[fishercob]

Question for nate, dobrojim and any other accomplished runners out there.

I hate running. I want to run -- or shall I say, I want to want to run -- but when I "listen to my body" it tells me to go F myself.

I'm in fair/decent shape -- 5'7 145ish and have gotten into much better shape than I was say, a year ago. I've gotten back into playing basketball -- albeit simply terribly, just the worst stretch of my life. But I'm trying to be patient with myself as I know it takes time to work back into shape.

Anyhow, from a fitness standpoint I feel like I've plateaued. I'm working out 3-4 times a week. I get a good sweat and my heart rate up on an eliptical and do weight-bearing strength exercises like pushups, various pullups and dips. However, when I try to run -- even a mile at a 10 minute mile pace -- I feel like I've been beaten with a tackhammer the next day. And now I've developed some minor knee soreness that's just annoying enough to make stairs a chore, etc.

My thinking is that I need to train my body to run -- not only to build up the stamina, but also to learn proper running form so I'm not putting undue stress in the wrong places. Any suggestions on how to go about doing this?

Thanks.

[Kanyewest]

It's better to start with low intensity cardio in order to build up to high intensity cardio. Yes walking and jogging at a slow pace is dull but its better than the alternative then starting off too quickly and burning out or having some nagging injury as you described.

From my experience last year, I started to walk briskly for 10-15 minutes and a rest day or two in between. I incrementally increased the walking time up to 30-40 minutes. Eventually, I then proceeded to it a jogging pace, and made it a little faster every week. In a few months, I was able to run 3 miles in 30 minutes.

[queridiculo]

Here's where I am at right now. Used to be a gifted athlete, just about anything I tried I excelled at. Whether it was football (not the american kind), volleyball, tennis, handball, basketball, various wintersports and other action sports, I was pretty damn good at it.

I was never the hardest working guy, things were just too damn easy for me. So out of college, and into the grown up world and all those things that I used to do went right out of the window.

Went from an extremely active lifestyle to the exact opposite end of spectrum and balooned from 6'5" 220lbs all the way up to 312lbs.

Not sure why it took so damn long to sink in, but it was rather obvious that I had to make a chance. Over the past 6 months I've started a moderate exercise regimen and started watching my diet. Out with all the garbage fast food, minimized complex carbs, more veggies and fruits, increased frequency and regularity of food intake and even cut down on the alcoholic beverages I love so much.

I'm down to 272 right now but I'm in the same boat as fishercob. I'm starting to plateau and running as a cardio exercise is just killing my lower extremities. Persistent shin splints, and achilles tendonitis have put a real damper on things and I'm looking for some alternate cardio suggestions.

[nate33]

fishercob, hermitkid, a couple of suggestions:

It definitely could be running technique. A long distance running stride is nothing like the running stride in a sprint or in a sports activity. You want to minimize the up-and-down motion because it's all wasted energy (and it adds wear and tear to your joints). You do so by shortening your stride. Don't think about jumping off your back leg and over-extending your front leg. Instead, you just kinda fall forward onto your front leg without jumping off the back. The power from your run should come almost exclusively from your gluts and hamstrings as you "pull" yourself through the stride. It shouldn't come too much from your quads and calves as you "jump" into the next step. You want to minimize the work of the calves altogether. When you try this technique, I suggest using a stopwatch or a GPS watch (or a treadmill) to measure your speed. You are going to feel like you're going slow but you'll actually go as fast or faster than you were with your old technique. Check out this link for more info.

Another suggestion is to go to a running store and get a real pair of running shoes. A specialized running store will put you on a treadmill and measure the way you pronate when you run. They'll then give you the kind of shoes that work best with your running style. A decent pair of running shoes will cost you $80-120. If you're buying something from foot locker for $50, they're probably not good enough.

When you get started running, don't be afraid to walk. Run for 3 minutes then walk a minute. Then run 3 then walk 1. Slowly, over the course of a few weeks, lengthen the running portion (4:1, then 5:1, etc.) until you can run the whole time. Another thing: make sure you run at least 3 times a week. If you do it less, you're gonna continue to be sore. It's just like lifting weights. If you do a heavy workout after a long layoff, your muscles hurt like hell for two days. But if you lift the same muscle group every 3rd day, your muscles heal quickly and you're barely sore the next day.

Also, stretch after your run. Don't stretch before your run. If you feel tight while your running, it's okay to stretch after you're warmed up for about 6 or 7 minutes, but don't stretch cold. I usually run 3/4 of a mile easy, then stretch, then go run another 3-4 miles at a faster pace.

Start off run/walking for 20 minutes a day, three days a week. After a week or two, get it up to 25 minutes, after another week or two, 30 minutes. Stay at the 30 minute level until you are able to run it all the way with no walking. If you want to build from there, start increasing one of the runs. So you go 30, 30, 40 minutes. Then 30, 30, 50 minutes. Then 30, 30, 60. You are now at half-marathon training levels.

[Zerocious]

Now here's a topic i can chime in on. I am on my third time around losing 30 or more pounds; this time for good, and yes, i said that before, but this time it's for real. I'll explain why. This is probably the longest post i have ever written or will write, but it might be helpfull for some of you guys. if not....C'est la Vie!

The first time i lost 30 pounds strictly by going to the gym for an hour and a half 4-5 times a week. I was waiting for the gym doors to open rain or shine for about 6 months at 5am. I started with a run anywhere from 30-45 minutes and then lift isolation weights for another 45 mins the shower and make it to work by 7am. About 3 months into it i started plateauing at about 16 pounds lost, and the simple thing i did to loose the remaining wait was switching to lifting weights first, and then running. All this time i would eat junk food as much as twice a day. Needless to say the weight did NOT stay off.

The second time around i got on the weight watchers band wagon. This was by far the easiest way to loose the weight. Counting points and eating whatever you feel like made the pounds fly off. You also become very creative in creating foods, meals, snacks that are very filling but low in points. I lost about 30 pounds in 4 months. Once off the weight watchers plan the weight slowly added on again. Mind you, i did not have a very active job. I was a home improvement sales man doing 40-50k miles per year sitting in a vehicle, memorizing fast service drive throughs in four states.

NOW, i weighed in at 201lbs on June 1, 2009. and started exercising and eating right about a week later. I currently weigh 185, that's 16 pounds in 7 weeks so far.

Here's what's working for me.

1. watch the intake vs burn. A pound weighs about 3500 calories. If you burn 500 calories more a day than you take in, you are on your way to loosing a pound a week. I do this by not eating after 7PM. No Soda, No fast food, No red meat. No snacks. eat a handful of almonds 2-3 times a week for when the snack cravings are the worst.

2. Burn more. I RUN! i couldnt even get to the end of the block when i started, no i am getting to do about 15-18 miles a week, barely breaking a sweat. I'll get into that in a minute. I also bought a mountain bike. i try to get off road 1-2 times a week for about an hour. get some steep hills in, take some spills into a creek every now and then, but it's worth it. diversify your cardio, it works for real.

3. discipline. F the rain, run anyway. make an achievable plan and STICK to it. 40-50 sit-ups every other night, sometimes i switch them up with straight leg-raises from a pull-up bar. 50-60 push ups every other night, sometimes on incline for added burn.

I second nates comments on having the right gear, and the right program. I took off 20-30 second a mile by just wearing the right shoes. I went to a running store, got on the treadmill and got some moderate pronation correcting running shoes (asics gel cayano duomax $140). not necessary to dish out buckfiddy, but these worked best for me. I used to walk like a penguin in my old nike shox, my stance is corrected, and walk much straighter, therefore running much straighter and using less energy.

I started with a 2.5 mile circuit doing half mile increments. run, walk, run, walk run. within a week or two i was able to run the whole thing including doing some hill drills with a medicine ball inside 30 minutes. Then just add a half mile a week, and make sure to change the direction of your run, or change route all together. Currently i am doing 5 miles 3 times a week in about a 8:30-9 minute a mile. in between running days, or when i feel like it i try to do a 10-11 minute mile and a half.
Don't forget the body glide! chafing is a bitch!

More important than you think>> stride lenght. How long are the steps you're taking? i think nate also comments on that. The longer the stride the more of an impact the knees have to absorb. Train yourself to run at about a 180 steps a minute pace. it's faster and shorter than you think, it will take some practice . i am not there yet, i am at about a 150 or so, which seems to work good with my breathing rythym, which is another important subject.
Don't allow uncontrolled breathing to get the better of you. You need to run at conversational pace. or if you're running alone, you should be able to sign happy birthday to your self. over time you will be running longer and faster while keeping your breath under control and not over exerting yourself.
I currently run with a inhale on left step (sip on left, sip on right) exhale on left (long exhale over two steps). after every mile half mile or so i try to run about 20-40 strides breathing just through my nose. when my stride becomes fater and shorter i will have to change it to three steps intervalls some how.

be careful with hills. it's better to run up hill than down hill. down hill will beat up your knees.

stretch. no baby strectching either. take 15 minutes or more with 20-30 second stretches. the longer you hold a stretch the more effect it will have as the muscle will be forced to relax.

Start with simple forward bend with just slightly bend knees (hardly noticibly to anyone but you) and just left the body weight hang, no pulling hard) then some inner thigh, outer thigh, calf stretches. sit and do some ancle and but stretches. I will go back to the forward bend in between each and all of the stretches and will end up doing about 6 forward bends in total, getting my palms flat on the ground the last time around) 6 weeks ago >>>!!!!!! i was not able to even touch my over the ancle running socks! i gained almost 10 inches in six weeks by average stretching after every run.

i also try to lift weights at my neighbor house 2-3 times a week for strength and endurance, usualy using low weights and doing 50 reps. these kill for days!!

Anyway, for me now, it's a change of life that will keep it off. i understand now and my body has adjusted. i am not hungry for junkfood and late night snakcs. i can't wait to get outside and exercise. i used to HATE walking let alone running. now i cannot live without! i am on my way to 170lbs my goal weight.

good luck to you guys on a quest to a happier, healthier (and lighter) life!!

[dobrojim]

Nothing beats running for easy weight loss. You burn the maximum amount of calories in the minimum amount of time. You don't need to drive to the gym. You don't need any fancy equipment. Just walk out the front door and jog for a while. Do it at least 3 days a week for half-an-hour a day (you can alternate walking and running at first) and the pounds will melt off.

For me, I'm not sure biking doesn't work more efficiently. That said, running is pretty
good with the downside that some people have physical issues ie knees etc that keep
them from being able to. Often as well, these people can often still bike. Of the 3 tri
sports, I find swimming the least effective at losing weight.

interesting factoid - my pre-race weigh-in total before the 100 miler was 193.
This was the afternoon before the 4 am start. Shortly after the weigh-in we
were treated to a ton of food, as much as you wanted to eat. The next day after
running around 47 miles in ~11-11.5 hours, I weighed 192. 23 miles and 5.5 hours
later I weighed 196 which I held through one more weigh in. I'm not sure what this
proves but I thought I'd share the data.

On the couple of occasions I've biked a hundred miles, my recollection is that
I was consistently hungry for several days.

The rest of your prescription I think is great advice for the beginning runner.
Run about 3x a week. Run for about 30 min. Run-walk at first as needed but
you should be able to transition into all running in a relatively short period of
time, a couple weeks at most. Don't worry about your pace, at least not at first.

Then if you really want to lose some pounds, on the days you're not running,
bike 10-15 miles. Take one day a week for rest.

The thing triathletes have discovered is that you can train hard on
consecutive days if you mix it up ie x-training.

The best I think to do this is to have a reliable social network
where the people you hang with are all into exercise/fitness.
Then there's no question you'll keep at it because it's a part of your life.

[dobrojim]

Question for nate, dobrojim and any other accomplished runners out there.

I hate running. I want to run -- or shall I say, I want to want to run -- but when I "listen to my body" it tells me to go F myself.

I'm in fair/decent shape -- 5'7 145ish and have gotten into much better shape than I was say, a year ago. I've gotten back into playing basketball -- albeit simply terribly, just the worst stretch of my life. But I'm trying to be patient with myself as I know it takes time to work back into shape.

Anyhow, from a fitness standpoint I feel like I've plateaued. I'm working out 3-4 times a week. I get a good sweat and my heart rate up on an eliptical and do weight-bearing strength exercises like pushups, various pullups and dips. However, when I try to run -- even a mile at a 10 minute mile pace -- I feel like I've been beaten with a tackhammer the next day. And now I've developed some minor knee soreness that's just annoying enough to make stairs a chore, etc.

My thinking is that I need to train my body to run -- not only to build up the stamina, but also to learn proper running form so I'm not putting undue stress in the wrong places. Any suggestions on how to go about doing this?

Thanks.

One thing I would definitely advise if your having knee issues after running is
to ice the knee asap after your workout. Be careful there.

As I mentioned just a moment ago, biking is a very good alternative if you
are having physical issues with running, as some are prone to do.
It might be helpful to build up the musculature around your knee
in order to take the abuse of running. I would also consider trying
to run on trails (dirt) perhaps rather than paved surfaces. That might help.
Running trails is a bit more zen like IMO in stress relieving dept than
running on roads so if that's an option, try it out. Expect your pace
to be even slower on trails. This is not a bad thing.

Your weight sounds proportional to your build so ideally, you should
be able to develop your aerobic capacity to where you could run
3-5 miles at a 9-11 min pace. Most men your age would find that
reasonably do-able.

FWIW, I just got back from the track (South Lakes HS) where they have
a really nice track with this soft springy rubberized surface. It feels great
to run on. It was my first run since the 100. Felt pretty good. I ended up
doing 4 800s, which I negative split on the 400s, after warming up a couple
laps and doing a little stretching. But my times were not very impressive at
all, maybe 3:35 for 800 meters. But that's OK. I'm back to running again.
My body endured.

[dobrojim]

fishercob, hermitkid, a couple of suggestions:

It definitely could be running technique. A long distance running stride is nothing like the running stride in a sprint or in a sports activity. You want to minimize the up-and-down motion because it's all wasted energy (and it adds wear and tear to your joints). You do so by shortening your stride. Don't think about jumping off your back leg and over-extending your front leg. Instead, you just kinda fall forward onto your front leg without jumping off the back. The power from your run should come almost exclusively from your gluts and hamstrings as you "pull" yourself through the stride. It shouldn't come too much from your quads and calves as you "jump" into the next step. You want to minimize the work of the calves altogether. When you try this technique, I suggest using a stopwatch or a GPS watch (or a treadmill) to measure your speed. You are going to feel like you're going slow but you'll actually go as fast or faster than you were with your old technique. Check out this link for more info.

Another suggestion is to go to a running store and get a real pair of running shoes. A specialized running store will put you on a treadmill and measure the way you pronate when you run. They'll then give you the kind of shoes that work best with your running style. A decent pair of running shoes will cost you $80-120. If you're buying something from foot locker for $50, they're probably not good enough.

When you get started running, don't be afraid to walk. Run for 3 minutes then walk a minute. Then run 3 then walk 1. Slowly, over the course of a few weeks, lengthen the running portion (4:1, then 5:1, etc.) until you can run the whole time. Another thing: make sure you run at least 3 times a week. If you do it less, you're gonna continue to be sore. It's just like lifting weights. If you do a heavy workout after a long layoff, your muscles hurt like hell for two days. But if you lift the same muscle group every 3rd day, your muscles heal quickly and you're barely sore the next day.

Also, stretch after your run. Don't stretch before your run. If you feel tight while your running, it's okay to stretch after you're warmed up for about 6 or 7 minutes, but don't stretch cold. I usually run 3/4 of a mile easy, then stretch, then go run another 3-4 miles at a faster pace.

Start off run/walking for 20 minutes a day, three days a week. After a week or two, get it up to 25 minutes, after another week or two, 30 minutes. Stay at the 30 minute level until you are able to run it all the way with no walking. If you want to build from there, start increasing one of the runs. So you go 30, 30, 40 minutes. Then 30, 30, 50 minutes. Then 30, 30, 60. You are now at half-marathon training levels.

+1 on the get properly fitted shoes. You don't have to spend a fortune after your
first pair or 2. Go to a real running store and do as Nate described. They should
analyze your gait and steer you into the right shoes. After you know what kind
of shoe you need, you can buy online for a bit less than than $80-100.

slight disagreement on the last comment. Unless you're REALLY fast, you need to
be trained to run >>> longer than an hour to comp(l)ete a half. Back when I was in
my top shape, I've run halfs in 1:30 or barely over that. That's cooking pretty good.
I would finish well up in my age-group with that time.
I'm a firm believer in training over-distance for what you are planning to race.
So if you're running a half, and you figure you're going to run 1.5-2.25 hours, you
better have your body used to running 1.75-2.5 hours so your body knows what that
feels like. You should run at least 15-17 miles on your long runs when training for a half. JMO.

Stretching is over-rated IMO. That said, I totally agree that the time to stretch
is AFTER you're well warmed up.

[dobrojim]

[snip]
Here's what's working for me.

1. watch the intake vs burn. A pound weighs about 3500 calories. If you burn 500 calories more a day than you take in, you are on your way to loosing a pound a week. I do this by not eating after 7PM. No Soda, No fast food, No red meat. No snacks. eat a handful of almonds 2-3 times a week for when the snack cravings are the worst.

2. Burn more. I RUN! i couldnt even get to the end of the block when i started, no i am getting to do about 15-18 miles a week, barely breaking a sweat. I'll get into that in a minute. I also bought a mountain bike. i try to get off road 1-2 times a week for about an hour. get some steep hills in, take some spills into a creek every now and then, but it's worth it. diversify your cardio, it works for real.

3. discipline. F the rain, run anyway. make an achievable plan and STICK to it. 40-50 sit-ups every other night, sometimes i switch them up with straight leg-raises from a pull-up bar. 50-60 push ups every other night, sometimes on incline for added burn.

I second nates comments on having the right gear, and the right program. I took off 20-30 second a mile by just wearing the right shoes. I went to a running store, got on the treadmill and got some moderate pronation correcting running shoes (asics gel cayano duomax $140). not necessary to dish out buckfiddy, but these worked best for me. I used to walk like a penguin in my old nike shox, my stance is corrected, and walk much straighter, therefore running much straighter and using less energy.

I started with a 2.5 mile circuit doing half mile increments. run, walk, run, walk run. within a week or two i was able to run the whole thing including doing some hill drills with a medicine ball inside 30 minutes. Then just add a half mile a week, and make sure to change the direction of your run, or change route all together. Currently i am doing 5 miles 3 times a week in about a 8:30-9 minute a mile. in between running days, or when i feel like it i try to do a 10-11 minute mile and a half.
Don't forget the body glide! chafing is a bitch!

[snip]

diversify your cardio!!! - this can help to keep things more interesting and also
allow for harder workouts on consecutive days. Run moderately hard one day,
bike moderately hard the next. Swimming is a great recover workout. Also
good for upper body strength.

You want to talk chafing!?!?! try staying in motion for 30 hours! Body glide
doesn't stay on me very well. I sweat it off. I just have to get nasty with
vaseline. That sweats off a lot more slowly. Nothing stings quite like
that shower washing the salt off your body after a long run when you
chaffed up your privates. Nipples can also be an issue which is a good reason
to not wear a shirt.