triOK's group - The best group - Closed (Page 27)

I know I'm not in your group, but, don't forget to write.

Elizabeth:

I found this great tip in this awesome book I read, "Triathlon Training in 4 Hours a Week" by Eric Harr.  It's regarding weight loss.  Ever since I read this, I've started doing my weight training before my walking.

"Strength training is fueled by sugar that’s stored in your muscles.  Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, uses both sugar and fat as its fuel sources.  If losing weight is one of your goals, you should add 20 to 30 minutes of aerobic work after strength training.  That way, lifting weights uses up the sugar stores in your muscles, leaving you to burn more body fat with your aerobic workout."

I loathe counting calories, too.  I kept a food journal for a couple months and realized I was eating 2,500 to 4,000 calories a day!  That might help put things in perspective for you.  It did me.

For cravings day and night, I keep those 90 calorie Quaker snack bars on hand and the 10 calorie Jell-O snacks around.  Even if I eat 3 Jell-O packs, that's still only 30 calories.

I usually don't skimp on the meals I love.  I just lower the portions.  If I have to drive through McDonald's, I get a hamburger and a small Coke.  No fries and no second burger.  I also make small cuts in my meals like having no mayo or butter.  That will add up for you at the end of the day!

But if you keep your workouts strong like you have been, you will be surprised one day when you step on that pesky scale.

IMHO, I think the secret is, knowing what's healthful, and making the right substitutions. Have a Fillet of Salmon, instead of the Fillet Mignon.  Baked blue corn chips instead fried chips. Watch your "add ons" such as slad dressings, sauces and dips. My biggest issueis working my two jobs. Lots of fast foods, and late night suppers.   

I've been pouting around all day today, because I had a training crash last night and today.  I've kind of been watching for any signs of overtraining, knowing that I went from doing nothing a couple months ago to 10 hours a week now.  Last night it hit, or I think that's what it was.  I have some shoulder and neck problems from awhile ago as well as an Achilles tendon repair a couple years ago that I watch fairly closely.  By last night I couldn't raise my arm and could barely walk...not sure why all at the same time...maybe I was sick as well.

 That being said I'm out of the challenge this week because I'm not going to push through just for that reason and end up hurting myself worse. 

 Trying to attempt some biking tonight to see how that goes...but overall very frustrating.  Then I read a newsletter from somewhere that he said the beauty of triathlon training is that when something isn't going well, either physically or in his example swimming drills that aren't working out, you can take a short break and still work on something else.  No reason to get frustrated, just move on to something else and remember how small it is in the whole perspective of months of training for a multisport event....so that's what I'll do.

 I think it might have been just a temporary thing...my leg does that from time to time...I just have to listen to it.   Shoulder might have been because I swam a little harder and then lifted right afterwards...think I wore out the cuff muscles swimming which gave me some impingement problems with lifting...live and learn.  I forced myself to get on the bike just to get moving and felt great so ran a mile on the teadmill right afterwards to test out the leg and it was good. 

 On another note...i was glad some of you had the weight discussion the other day because I have been kind of frustrated with mine.  I lost 25 pounds and now I've been stuck for several weeks.  I might try what was suggested and try to do my running after lifting and see if that helps a little.  My calories are about as low as I dare take them with this much exercise...I just need to tweak the ratios of what source those calories are coming from.  Any other suggestions on how to get off the plateau would be appreciated.  Seems like every article I read as far as what percent of calories should be from fats, proteins, and carbs is different so it's hard to know what to believe.

Alan, don't sweat the body waving the white flag, it happens to everyone, especially if you've been ramping up the training beyond what you normally do.  Take that signal and totally enjoy taking a few days off, don't even think of working out.  Your body and mind will thank you later!

Coldheat - can you be more specific on where exactly you felt pain the knee (inside, outside, knee cap, behind knee)?  How long into the run before the pain started?

Jay

Dudes and dudettes...

Sorry about the slacking on this challenge this the past few weeks... sooner or later I am going to get the results up, but its a slow process.  Now that things are settling down for me, I haven't been feeling well.  Ugh. 

I have noticed that a lot of you are sick/getting injured or both.  Is this challenge a little too much?  Should we call it off and pick it up again when all of us are able to complete it without any of that yucky stuff?  What say you?

Alan, this is just me going on heresay, but I have heard this a couple times either on The Today Show, Rachael Ray and/or Oprah.  One of the reasons it's easier to lose weight at first when you're heavier is because you've got more weight to resist against if you will. 

Therefore, you could try adding weights to your walk, for example, to make your body work harder.  I don't know if you're supposed to do that for running as I'm not that experienced of a runner.  I've seen this neat item called a weight vest or jacket.  Here's a link to Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/104-6991442-6761549?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=weight+vest

I'm glad you're feeling better, but don't hesitate to continue resting.

Coldheat - if it went away and feels better already, that's a great sign.  Good job stepping off when you did, always best to play it safe.  Pain in the back of the knee or on the outside portion of the knee is like the danger zone (based on my experience), so hopefully what you experienced was just something getting tweaked and isn't much more than that.  You might want to try loosening up good, along with some stretching, before your next run, and maybe even ice the area a bit afterwords just to be on the safe side.  And based on your description it sounds like you're running on a treadmill.  Most of my knee injuries have come during times when I'm forced to run on treadmills more than outside.  Be careful.  Your mechanics can easily be thrown off just a touch by a treadmill, especially if the tread slips just a bit or if it's an older machine.  I know it's hard to run outside in the winter but just be careful on the treadmills.

Jay

NO WEIGHTS during your run!!!!!!  You should be using all of your effort to control your breathing and running with pretty form.  Running with weights is asking for injury... running is hard enough on your body, the last thing you want to do is to mess up your natural gait and add weight that your body is not used to.  Walking is a bit different, but don't do it AT ALL during your run.

As far as weight loss is concerned the BEST advice I can give is you MUST be CONSISTENT, with both workouts and diet.  That doesn't mean working out until you drop or eating like a bird.  It means making a conscious decision every day to do the things that are good for you.  That means making good choices everytime you put something in your mouth.  And making time EVERYDAY to do some type of workout.  If your day is packed, get up 20 minutes early and do some yoga, go for a walk/run, hop on the trainer.  JUST BE CONSISTENT and you will see major results. 

On the other hand, don't deprive yourself.  Treat yourself when you do well, just don't over do it.  And keep your portion sizes in check.  If you are thinking you want seconds, think again.

 Well guys, that 'bout some it up for challange this week. My soon to be two year old is sick with fever and ear infection. I Have been with him 24 /7 since Tuesday morning ( except for a short trip he took to my mothers so I could take a mandatory class on Tuesady afternoon. ) The Good news is I started my 13 week program 14 weeks from my first Tri, and there is a "Rest Week" between weeks six and seven. The bad news is, since I have not been training ( other than 30 minute swim Monday morning) I feel like I am slipping backwards in my conditioning. This sucks. And so does seeing my little man feeling so rough.

On a brighter note I do know all of the Backyardigans by name:

From left to right there is: Tyrone, Tasha, Pablo, Uniqua, and Austin.

 I'm going to vote with Elizabeth.  This challenge, regardless if it has evolved into what it was intended, is still very important to me.  If I have to lower my goals during a week due to injury or to prevent overtraining I have no guilt about it, but if I know that I am lowering what I tell you my goals are going to be because I want to be a lazy slug, that would bother me.

Accountability is something that is important to us all (I would think.)  I would hope if someone saw a pattern to poor performance and training on my part they would speak up and say "C'mon, enough with the excuses already...get you @ss in gear!!"  That's more important than the official "challenge" itself! 

I think everyone realizes that no challenge or goal is worth long term injury and will back off where needed.  If there was a way to plot out what this group has done, together as a group, in the way of improvement since we started this, I think it would be pretty awesome.  And that's only 1 month...most of us have another 2-3 months before our first event!

 Just my two cents worth...or maybe one cent!

Alan 

I agree with Elizabeth and Alan.

I could NOT agree more with Elizabeth and Alan.  I really don't want to scrap the challenge.  I had to decrease my goals slightly - because my knees were seriously bothering me - but the goals are still giving me an awesome workout.

Because of the commitment and accountability here, my husband has taken notice of it.  I think he feels sorry for me watching me pass by the front window, struggling to pedal my crap bike on rough ground because "I have to get in my 20 minutes this week, Sweetie."  :-)

Therefore, because of all the work I've been doing because I know I have to report it here, we both have realized that - indeed - a Y membership would not be a waste of money and he's offered to help me shop for a better bike.  (I cannot wait to practice the TI drills after having read the book and watched the video.)

Give up the challenge totally?  No, thank you.

P.S.  I just have to say that I am soooooooooooo excited LOST is back on tonight!!!!!!!