Fitness!

[beez]

Thanks @beez!

Dude once you figure it out it is always super easy and delicious. And I'm a lazy ass who would prefer to dial-a-meal at any given moment. If you decide to give it another try there are some great cookbooks and websites with great ideas. And easy ones. I need the easy!

Also a pot roast is one of the easiest things ever to make! Set it and forget it and you have meat for a couple of days.

Good luck!

[TrixieFaux]

@TrixieFaux I even did a 90 day Bikram challenge a few years ago

PS: I forgot to mention I am so impressed you did the 90 day challenge! I really want to do a 30 but don't have that kind of time. The most I've done consecutively is a 5. One day...

[MadeIndelible]

I RSVPd for a pickup soccer game this Sunday. Also looking into league play with a league I've played in before. If all goes well, I'll be playing at least one day a week. More for fun than fitness, although soccer does help me stay sane.

[CaptainMidnight]

I RSVPd for a pickup soccer game this Sunday. Also looking into league play with a league I've played in before. If all goes well, I'll be playing at least one day a week. More for fun than fitness, although soccer does help me stay sane.

I play a lot of pickup rugby for the same reasons. Fitness and sanity.

Keep on it with the soccer!

[Scott R]

I know its not for everyone but I have had pretty good success with carb cycling. RIght now I am tinkering with keto 6 days a week and free for all 6-8 hrs one day a week. I recently had hip surgeries and my activity level has declined considerably but have been able to thwart weight gain (i usually do not weigh maybe even lost some fat though) with this approach and I really like food.

[Colored Guy]

I've been in the gym for just over 5 years now. I go 3-4 times a week, do a little cardio but mostly lifting weights. I've been through a serious shoulder injury, a car accident that kept me out for almost a year and family things that are more important as well.

I boxed as a kid in a golden gloves type of industrial league. We had ex-boxers at our disposal to train us. We wore head gear and mouth pieces, but still you could feel a shot to the head. I had a thumb fracture that is now morphing into arthritis, so I'd never box again even for training. But it was a lot of fun and I'm still a professional boxing fan today.

Rob

[RoryQ]

I trained in an MMA gym all through my 20s. Originally I joined up for the BJJ program, and that was where I spent the most amount of my time, but the nature of the gym was that everyone did a little bit of cross-training. Over the years we all ended up spending various amounts of time trying to improve our stand-up by taking Muay Thai, doing little clinics in boxing etc. I was never particularly brilliant at any of it, but it was a lot of fun and filled up the evenings when I didn't have a girlfriend.

Although sparring with contact is intimidating and presents the risk of injury, the reality is that a responsible coach should work you up slowly before you're sparring with any degree of contact. We spent a lot of time on the pads before we sparred, and when we did it was introduced incrementally (things like doing left hand only rounds, then all hands, then all adding kicks etc. only finally graduating to adding in clinches and some takedowns).

We wore wraps, 16oz gloves, gum shield, groin protection and shin guards (more to protect the other guy's quads than your own shins, when throwing round kicks in sparring) and I agree with whoever said that you need to mind your joints from accumulated striking… 100%.

I'm not so sure I agree on the headgear recommendation. I don't claim to be an expert, but what I've always understood is that headgear results in less soft tissue damage to the face and head, but doesn't reduce the amount of force being sent through to the brain. In fact, I've heard it argued that if your soft tissue is getting bruised up then that evidence it's actually absorbing some of the shock, which is a good thing if it means that it's being partly dissipating there rather than entirely in your brain.

Paradoxically I found sparring under MMA rules with lighter gloves - 10oz, 8oz and even 6oz gloves to be sometimes safer, because people are cagier about hurting their hands punching extremely hard with less protection. Also, you can also clinch and tie people up it seemed like there were also less clean standing blows landed, full stop. If you were getting mauled by a good striker you had the option of trying to close the distance and tie him up, or take it to the ground. You might not necessarily fare enough better, but at least you could try to move through different ranges to find a place where you were safer.

The worst injuries I ever got training actually came from brazilian jiu jitsu and practicing our takedowns in MMA classes. Grappling, by it's nature, can result in pretty chronic injuries when it goes wrong. Quite a number of the guys in the gym used to blow out their ACL practicing takedowns or takedown defense. I tore my MCL grappling and I also dislocated my kneecap (same leg). Also got one of my front teeth broken in half by a knee (I have a deep crown now, looks quite fake). I also cracked my ribs (big takedown with a guy landing on me just-so) and eventually managed to jack up my neck to such an extent that I decided that enough was enough and hung up my kimono. I still want to be running around and training with I'm 70, not forced into something like Tai Chi because I'm so totally crippled.

I ended up taking up escrima (filipino martial art, sometimes called kale or arenas) on the basis that because it uses tools like sticks and knives it would be less full body contact. That's been true, by and large, but occasionally we spar using rattan sticks, fencing masks and hockey gloves, and judging my the lumps I have on my head from training last weekend it's possible that I'm deluding myself about it being safer.

[idyllsend]

I've just started up with a personal trainer who's set me up with a 3 month-3 phase meal and work out plan. My goal is to shed fat and gain some muscle [see: Chady Dunmore]. The meal plan is intense! It's a prep meal plan that I believe is geared towards female bikini competitors. Not for the faint of heart for sure.

[suburbanxcore]

After about a year of injuries and a slow return to running, I started my 14 week plan for the Philadelphia Half Marathon today. I haven't hit the track in quite a while, so it felt good to get out there and knock out some 600s. It's a pretty conservative plan so I probably won't come too close to my PR from two years ago, but I'll just be happy to get through it and to the starting line healthy.

[CultExciter]

after about a year of injuries and a slow return to running, i started my 14 week plan for the philadelphia half marathon today. I haven't hit the track in quite a while, so it felt good to get out there and knock out some 600s. It's a pretty conservative plan so i probably won't come too close to my pr from two years ago, but i'll just be happy to get through it and to the starting line healthy.

get it my dude!

[ThatGuy]

Just picked up Bikram Yoga again and I love it.

[marley mission]

After about a year of injuries and a slow return to running, I started my 14 week plan for the Philadelphia Half Marathon today. I haven't hit the track in quite a while, so it felt good to get out there and knock out some 600s. It's a pretty conservative plan so I probably won't come too close to my PR from two years ago, but I'll just be happy to get through it and to the starting line healthy.

sweet - doing my third philly full this fall - see you there - they put on a great race

doing baltimore a month before that for first time

i run in five fingers - give em a try if you havent yet

[suburbanxcore]

@marley mission Nice! I did the Philly full three years ago as my first marathon. It went pretty well, but I made a lot of the first timer mistakes. Haha. The next year I ran the last half of it pacing a friend who was doing his first. It's a nice race for the most part. I wanted to do the full again, but I don't think my base is where I want it to be, and I'd end up just being unhappy with it. I figure the half would be a nice return to racing. Good luck there and in Baltimore! I've heard that's a nice race.

@cutlexciter When is the Richmond marathon? How's your training been?

[marley mission]

the half is a great distance

but there is something about the full - the pain of the finish - being there and sharing that with others

something special about it

i love as you approach the halfway point in philly - that band of crazies in costumes dancing it up

anyway - i have also done the NJ @ jersey shore 2x and AC 1x

nothing compared to a bigger city marathon like philly

i think baltimore will be fun too

i also have my eye on a few for the spring (cincy, pitt, DC)

i already have NJ in the book again but looking for a 2nd

also have an eye on some ultras - i know i could gut out a 50K

but these guys (and girls) that do 50's and 100's

crazy stuff - maybe one day

[Raven]

The Nerd Fitness blog looks great. Not seen it before. I've been looking for something a little different, and the body weight circuit looks just the ticket. Right now I do mainly cardio with some weight work. I guess I'll be mixing things up a little tomorrow.

[SeeSea]

Jealous! I love running half marathons, and also trail running, but this tattoo has killed my training this year. No races this year. My base is nearly gone and I just get out for trail running whenever I'm able to get a sports bra back on without pain. As soon as this damned back is done, back to training!

[marley mission]

seesea have a favorite trail?

if you get the chance and havent been give hartshorne in the highlands a shot - beautiful and rugged for hikes and trail running - also good for mtb if you dare

[SeeSea]

I've been running in Watchung Reservation a lot lately. All sorts of trails from smooth glorious singletrack to gnarly roots rocks and hills. And always some mud :-)

I really have to visit more trails - that one looks nice, too.

[marley mission]

you're up north - lots of choice up there for challenging trail running

if you haven't already - ck out njtrailseries.com

these guys run trail races - from 5ks to 100 milers to multiday festivals - all year round

I did one several years ago @ lewis morris - a snowy frozen 10 miler - good times

happy running!

edit: I gotta give a shoutout to sourlands too - nice hike / run trails - people mtb there ....but they're crazy - tons of rocks roots boulders

[SeeSea]

I did one of the njtrail series last summer - awesome! It was my first trail race so I signed up for the 10k. Then I was running along with some folks who were doing the half, and they peer-pressured me into the half. Well, at about the 10k point, they pulled away, and I ran the second loop by myself, cursing in the hot sun, doing some run/walk, rolling my eyes, posting instagram pics. Ugh! At that point, I just decided that I Must Finish just because I stupidly made the commitment and I needed the psychology in my head that you never give up when things start sucking really badly.

I hope to be back into it enough this winter to join them - I love cold weather running.

[polliwog]

I've been out of shape for my entire adult life and have just started running. Well, running with a lot of walking in between. It's been pretty difficult, though I can feel myself making a tiny bit of progress every time I go out and have managed to avoid hurting myself. If anyone here has been in the same boat, is it always this much of a slog?

At least it's good for your mood, and it's a beautiful time of year in Massachusetts to start running.

Also, I'm just going to leave this here: Police respond to report of gun, Northampton man tells officers only 'guns' present are his biceps | masslive.com

[marley mission]

keep it up polliwog - my only advice is try and mix some other fitness activities in - easy to hurt yourself with running in regards to too much too soon - mixing in some bike, hike,etc is good way to keep things fresh and avoid overuse injuries

[Breakme]

@polliwog a couple of friends have had great success with the Couch to 5km program for building up their fitness.

Couch to 5k - C25K Running Program

I used to run a lot in my 20's (approx 30 - 40km a week) however due to some back issues it's no longer an option for me and I really miss it.

[polliwog]

Thank you! This looks really helpful.

[keepcalm]

I started running via Couch to 5k back in 2007. It totally works! I felt bad at the beginning, not being able to run more than 30 seconds at a time without feeling totally overwhelmed, but in 2012, I ran a marathon. I always recommend Couch to 5k to anyone who tells me they want to get into running. I think it's the perfect way to start, because you can start as slow as you need (for example, intervals of 30 seconds running, 3 minutes walking).

I also picked up cycling a year or so ago as some cross-training. My latest obsession -- as of this summer -- is rock climbing. I've never done anything to work or strengthen my upper body, mostly because I LOATHE the gym, and I LOATHE the idea of picking up weights and doing "reps" -- seems so boring to me. But rock climbing is actually an amazing full-body workout, and it's fun! I'm totally geeking out about it right now :)