Fitness thread - Q1/12

[Booster]

FAO anyone doing couch to 5k:

This gadget is brilliant for getting the timings right:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gymboss-Interval-Stopwatch-GB2010-SOFTCOAT/dp/B0036USWUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332428798&sr=8-1

You set two intervals, one for your running time and one for your walking time.

Used it for this week's runs and it made me realise how wrong I had been getting the timings by using my analogue watch.

[m4ttm4son]

After my aggravation of the ankle injury, I managed a few runs at the weekend and then a shorter one Tuesday evening with zero pain

Also met up with a fitness instructor friend last night who is going to help with tweaking the last of the marathon training for us. He thought it would be fun to do a timed one mile lap and I smashed my PB of 6m 45s (IIRC) from a few years ago. It now stands at 6m15s :D and think I could get it down under 6 with some specific training. I really don't understand how friends of mine run 6:30 pace for full ten mile races

Weigh in tomorrow...

[Tipex]

I downloaded the 'C25K Free' app, and that seems pretty good, allows you to listen to music and gives audible alerts as to what you should be doing.

Admittedly I haven't been for a run yet, but my current excuse is that I don't have any decent trainers, after that it'll be that I don't have shorts and T-shirt suitable, and then after that I'll need to do a few weeks of walking only to break myself in (as per the apps recommendations).

[Luke]

FAO anyone doing couch to 5k:

This gadget is brilliant for getting the timings right:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gymboss-Interval-Stopwatch-GB2010-SOFTCOAT/dp/B0036USWUQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332428798&sr=8-1

You set two intervals, one for your running time and one for your walking time.

Used it for this week's runs and it made me realise how wrong I had been getting the timings by using my analogue watch.

I thought with the couch to 5k app, it gives you all the timed intervals with voice messages over your music. It does on mine.

[Booster]

I didn't bother with the app as I started running with my phone in my pocket listening to music and the phone got on my nerves banging into my leg. Could have got an arm band holder thing but then got this instead.

[Luke]

I run with my iPad so I can watch tv at the same time aswell. Looks a bit daft mind.

[Tipex]

I run with my iPad so I can watch tv at the same time aswell. Looks a bit daft mind.

No more daft than all the f*ckwits in gyms the length and breadth of the country watching TV's while they Cycle, Run, stair Climb, Cross train etc etc.

[Andrew]

Mook seems to have disappeared for a bit but I've chopped in cereal in the morning for porridge (which keeps me satiated until lunch easily), make my own sarnie with a brown roll, no butter and salad and the microwave meal (although have found a shop where I live called "Cook!" who seem to be better as far as those sorts of meals go.

Just did an interval session at the gym with 1 min on, 1 min off, off at 9kph and on at 17kph (starting the on phase a bit early so the machine has a chance to get up to speed) and am still amazed that I'm burning the same calories and averaging under 7:30 per mile.

Been ill a bit recently so phys sessions been slightly lacking or a bit reduced in intensity but will give the above a good 6 weeks or so to see the difference. I am interested in tweaking (read making harder) the interval session though - to my mind this means upping the speed but others may think increasing the interval time and lessening the recovery is a better way of doing that.

[m4ttm4son]

Try pyramids:

Interval training - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vary the elevation as well as the speed.

[Hopsta]

Reached a milestone on the C25k tonight, broke the 50km total mark. Pretty pleased with myself considering I wasn't doing any real form of exercise before.

I was expecting my weight to have gone down more than it has thus far. Going to look more closely at my diet now and make sure I drink more water in the day now it's getting warmer.

Think I'm hooked as I do actually look forward to going out running now. I even turned down a beer or 2 tonight after work!

Anyone considering then stop and JFDI!!

[Luke]

Good effort Hopsta. I was really loving my running on the 5k app. It gets very addictive. And it's amazing how quick you can get to a reasonable level of fitness. Looking forward to starting again, once I can actually walk rather than hobble! Poxy hernia/post op recovery.

[m4ttm4son]

I was thinking about you guys on C25k the other day. I remember when I was starting out running and the enjoyment of being able to run 1 mile and then eventually cracking the 5k barrier. How much of an achievement it felt back then. These days I won't even bother to put my trainers on for anything less than 5k and 5 miles is an easy, quick run. How times change and I hope that's more inspiring than condescending.

66.6kg and 16.6%bf

Weigh in yesterday yielded the following;

55.7kg and 15.9% Going in the right direction.

Have also had a new marathon training plan drawn up by a family member fitness instructor and have some rather more strenuous targets to hit. Looking forward to the next three weeks' pain

[billy2shots]

I was thinking about you guys on C25k the other day. I remember when I was starting out running and the enjoyment of being able to run 1 mile and then eventually cracking the 5k barrier. How much of an achievement it felt back then. These days I won't even bother to put my trainers on for anything less than 5k and 5 miles is an easy, quick run. How times change and I hope that's more inspiring than condescending.

Weigh in yesterday yielded the following;

55.7kg and 15.9% Going in the right direction.

Have also had a new marathon training plan drawn up by a family member fitness instructor and have some rather more strenuous targets to hit. Looking forward to the next three weeks' pain

Dude, how tall are you? and what the hell would you weigh if you dropped the bf a bit?

[Maxyboy]

I think I was 55.7kg's in primary 4.

No wonder you're good at running at that weight, the wind will blow you half the way.😉

[m4ttm4son]

5'9" ...Oops, that should say 65.7kg!! :D I didn't drop 10kg in a month or so

[SamD]

Today is my 1 year anniversary on the road to fitness, so I thought I'd repost a blog post that I wrote about it all. It also happens that on this anniversary I took another 2 minutes off of my half marathon PB with a 1:41:eek:

1st April 2011.

That was a pretty important day in my life.

I'd reached 34 years old, was pretty close to being 20 stone/280lbs and incredibly unhappy.

Fortunately, it was also the day that I had a medical through work, and was confronted with the necessary hard truths to get me to change.

*Everything*

For that day was the first day on my road to health and fitness, and if someone told me then what I would have achieved in a year I'd have laughed until I cried. The journey has not been easy - in fact at times it's been damn hard - but it's been more than worth it. I've lost a total of 8 stone/112lbs/51kg in the last 12 months and achieved more than I could have dreamt possible.

For the first 2 months of my journey I focussed on becoming more active by walking every day, and eating a better diet, but soon I wanted more. That more, as it turned out, was running. I discovered the C25K programme and after getting through those first few breathless runs I started to actually *enjoy* it - to say that surprised me would be an understatement.

After 7 weeks of the programme I tackled my first 5K race - I finished in a time of 34:25 - I was pretty happy with that, and honestly didn't think I'd get much faster. Today I broke my road 5K PB as part of a half marathon, and did it in 22:36, so yeah it's fair to say I've got a bit quicker (my all time 5K PB was on a treadmill and is 21:15)

I then moved on to building up to the 10KM distance and finished my first 10KM in June in 1:12 - again I've improved a little bit on that, and again broke it today as part of the half marathon with a time of 46:11.

In September I did what I would have thought would have been impossible when I ran my first half marathon. I completed that in a time of 2:07:54 and was totally ecstatic! Today I ran my 4th official half marathon in a time of 1:41:23 a 2 minute PB - it felt quite special to do that on my anniversary!

In 8 short weeks time I will attempt my first full marathon. 26.2 miles. Just saying that scares the living daylights out of me, but I know I will finish it. If I can go from not being able to run for a minute less than a year ago to a fairly decent half time today I can get through 26.2 in someway or another!

Besides running and weightloss, a lot of other things have changed in the last year. For one I discovered the Tumblr health and fitness community. The people I have met - both on line and in real life - from there have changed my life. They have provided support, advice and a shoulder to cry on when things have been tough, and a special few have become among my best friends - they know who they are so I won't embarras them by calling them out here. They have goaded me into signing up for far more races that I would have on my own, and pushed my well beyond my limits - and for that I am eternally grateful.

There have also been changes in my personal life which I've deliberately not written about here, but let's just say when you go through the sort of physical change that I have over the last year, you go through a lot of mental and emotional changes as well and those people that fitted with the old you, don't necessarily fit with the new you in the same capacity. It's a hard truth, but it's a truth all the same.

In the last couple of months I also discovered another special group of people in RunDemCrew. RunDemCrew have quickly become like a family to me, providing motivation and a purpose to my running - I hope I am lucky enough to run with them for a long time yet and get to give back some of what I have taken from them. I'll write more about this soon as it deserves a separate post to do it justice.

So here we are 1st April 2012, 12 months on, just 365 short days, and my life could not be more different.

*I* could not be more different.

I've gone from the shy, quiet, unconfident fat boy, to a somewhat more confident (but still some way to go there!), and far more outgoing person. Most of all I can now say, that for the first time in a long time I am truly happy. Resolved, if you like.

Things are good, and I can tell they are only going to get better. I am not done with this journey yet, there's more to do, and more places to go and I am going to do my best to enjoy the ride!

[Tipex]

Inspirational! Can't believe how much weight you've lost in such a short time.

Keep it up, sooner or later, I hope to follow in your footsteps, but I've got to get my head around doing regular exercise first!

[DaveP]

Knowing a lot of runners I would just say not to over do it! ALL the runners I know are broken. Almost all of them no ride bikes instead.

[Luke]

Today is my 1 year anniversary on the road to fitness, so I thought I'd repost a blog post that I wrote about it all. It also happens that on this anniversary I took another 2 minutes off of my half marathon PB with a 1:41:eek:

1st April 2011.

That was a pretty important day in my life.

I'd reached 34 years old, was pretty close to being 20 stone/280lbs and incredibly unhappy.

Fortunately, it was also the day that I had a medical through work, and was confronted with the necessary hard truths to get me to change.

*Everything*

For that day was the first day on my road to health and fitness, and if someone told me then what I would have achieved in a year I'd have laughed until I cried. The journey has not been easy - in fact at times it's been damn hard - but it's been more than worth it. I've lost a total of 8 stone/112lbs/51kg in the last 12 months and achieved more than I could have dreamt possible.

For the first 2 months of my journey I focussed on becoming more active by walking every day, and eating a better diet, but soon I wanted more. That more, as it turned out, was running. I discovered the C25K programme and after getting through those first few breathless runs I started to actually *enjoy* it - to say that surprised me would be an understatement.

After 7 weeks of the programme I tackled my first 5K race - I finished in a time of 34:25 - I was pretty happy with that, and honestly didn't think I'd get much faster. Today I broke my road 5K PB as part of a half marathon, and did it in 22:36, so yeah it's fair to say I've got a bit quicker (my all time 5K PB was on a treadmill and is 21:15)

I then moved on to building up to the 10KM distance and finished my first 10KM in June in 1:12 - again I've improved a little bit on that, and again broke it today as part of the half marathon with a time of 46:11.

In September I did what I would have thought would have been impossible when I ran my first half marathon. I completed that in a time of 2:07:54 and was totally ecstatic! Today I ran my 4th official half marathon in a time of 1:41:23 a 2 minute PB - it felt quite special to do that on my anniversary!

In 8 short weeks time I will attempt my first full marathon. 26.2 miles. Just saying that scares the living daylights out of me, but I know I will finish it. If I can go from not being able to run for a minute less than a year ago to a fairly decent half time today I can get through 26.2 in someway or another!

Besides running and weightloss, a lot of other things have changed in the last year. For one I discovered the Tumblr health and fitness community. The people I have met - both on line and in real life - from there have changed my life. They have provided support, advice and a shoulder to cry on when things have been tough, and a special few have become among my best friends - they know who they are so I won't embarras them by calling them out here. They have goaded me into signing up for far more races that I would have on my own, and pushed my well beyond my limits - and for that I am eternally grateful.

There have also been changes in my personal life which I've deliberately not written about here, but let's just say when you go through the sort of physical change that I have over the last year, you go through a lot of mental and emotional changes as well and those people that fitted with the old you, don't necessarily fit with the new you in the same capacity. It's a hard truth, but it's a truth all the same.

In the last couple of months I also discovered another special group of people in RunDemCrew. RunDemCrew have quickly become like a family to me, providing motivation and a purpose to my running - I hope I am lucky enough to run with them for a long time yet and get to give back some of what I have taken from them. I'll write more about this soon as it deserves a separate post to do it justice.

So here we are 1st April 2012, 12 months on, just 365 short days, and my life could not be more different.

*I* could not be more different.

I've gone from the shy, quiet, unconfident fat boy, to a somewhat more confident (but still some way to go there!), and far more outgoing person. Most of all I can now say, that for the first time in a long time I am truly happy. Resolved, if you like.

Things are good, and I can tell they are only going to get better. I am not done with this journey yet, there's more to do, and more places to go and I am going to do my best to enjoy the ride!

Some journey Sam. Amazing stuff. Well done mate.

[Hopsta]

Truly amazing Sam, you should be extremely proud of yourself and what you have achieved in the past year.

[Soulboy]

Should we unsticky this thread now mods?

And maybe run a new thread at the end of the year.

[Hopsta]

How are people faring from the initial spurt of post Christmas?

I'm down just under 4kg from the start which i'm reasonably happy with. Enjoying the Couch to 5k (on the road) but need to keep at it and make sure I get my ass into gear more regularly. Was away over the Easter festivities and did a session on the treadmill with running at 9.5 - 10Km/h for the 2 x 8 minutes runs (Week 5 run 2), this is probably faster than I would have done out on the road but it was a mental goal for me and I'm chuffed that I managed it. Have got the 20 minute run tonight so fingers and toes crossed

[m4ttm4son]

Nice one Hopsta

[fizzbitt]

Been a while since ive posted here so thought id let you know that ive only missed one week of training due to being off sick from work since i started this in the 2nd week of Jan.

Getting compliments from friends and family members saying im loosing weight but im still the same weight as when i started @ 13.5 stones.

My exercise consist of 45min sessions over lunch alternating between Weights/Cardio between Mon and Thurs with Friday rest.

Also ive started to try and stick to the 6 small meals per day thing as well. Porridge to start me off and then some fruit or a slice of toast for the in-between snacks and no eating after 7:30pm.

Feeling much better for it and i used to suffer a lot from sinuous issues where I would have to clear them every other morning by sneezing but that has completely gone now which im chuffed with as I suffered from it for years!

We (gym partner at work) are thinking about moving the sessions to 8am before we start work at 9am and see how that goes. Will give us our lunch time back over summer to walk into town and enjoy the weather a bit.

[m4ttm4son]

Sounds great Fizz

I probably don't need to say anything about not worrying about weight staying the same. Have you noticed clothes not fitting the same as they used to?