Strength & Fitness 2016

[EngineerYogi]

SS, I'm pretty certain that uber descriptive self flagellation burns calories. Anyway, glad the new routine is working out for you. Enjoying fitness is, IMO, the best way to make sure you consistently do it. And maybe next time you see Petrie, you'll be able to keep up on your bike rides.

Oh, make no mistake. I smoke Petrie's ass when it comes to bikes. It's the running that she excels at. As in, literally accelerates away from me.

Went to the gym last night. I did a nice warm up on the elliptical, then did a beginners round of Convict Conditioning. Except for the headstands. I tried it once, and I'm terrified I'll snap my neck. So I'm saving those for later.

First applause for you! Welcome back :)

And second I went to yoga today and did my first successful not at a wall headstand in class! (SS you won't snap your neck, put weight in your hands/arms to offload some pressure.)

Thanks, yo. Congrats on your handstand. I'm pretty far from doing a headstand of any kind, so you're definitely winning the competition. Which leads me to....

Went to the gym today, and did a 60 minute Tabata class. I like the format, but I'm super competitive and usually spend the time making sure I'm putting a huge amount of physical effort into the movements, proving to all attending that I am indeed The Man.

Today, I convinced myself to use a grownup approach, and put ~70% effort into each movement. At that intensity, everything felt really great, and I enjoyed being with my body instead of flogging my body. Astoundingly, I enjoyed the experience so much more than previous. Go figure.

Yay, positive Tabata experience! :D

[EngineerYogi]

Between you guys and the people on the Nerd Fitness forums I've apparently been driven to insanity.

aw- man- I miss NF. I used to be quite active on that site- I'm still friends on FB with some folks I met at a met up once.

But it's blocked at work- and if somethings blocked at work it makes it about 10 x harder for me to be active on it. sigh- oh well.

Loved NF- good peeps for sure :)


hi- waves- I"m checking in- been quite busy at work lately- I'm gearing up to be an RE for a month while mine is out- and it's a new position for me (cue sex jokes)- so its' taking up quite a bit of my time.
June into July is becoming stressful- my first dress fitting is schedule first week in July- I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

But- upside to this- I have just started the final rotation of the block program in Sheiko. So the taper/peak aspect. I prepped myself to hurry along my lifts today by writing down my workout this morning- instead of when I got to the gym. (mostly so I could try to do the 6 PM cardio class)... dun dun dun.... cue dramatic music.

Wednesday's workout was really light and easy- didn't think much of it- turns out it was b/c today is the big 3 are maxed out for me. Now I'm nervous- all day. And I'm eating like I'm competing.  So- today shall be awesome. And then it's all down hill from there for programming!!!   

I've upped my cardio in an effort to drop more weight-  (apparently futile)  After today- I'll cut my calories under 1600- because apparently that's still to much. (EFF YOU BODY- EFF YOU) and see what happens.

My weights are feeling solid- and stable- and my squat is looking and feeling good- which I"m very pleased with- so today hopefully I'll be pulling 3 plates on the DL and 250- squat and fingers crossed a 200 bench. Today might be the day for my 200 bench. 
I can't wait- I've been hungry for that for a long time.

I envy your Bench!

When was the last time you were in the 150's for scale weight? I found that while I can force my weight low (it's miserable but it can happen) my body tends to rebound, it really doesn't like 140s or 150s it much prefers 160s and 170s. As much as I wish it wasn't true I'm coming to terms with what is sustainable and reasonable for me. :/

[Bracken_Joy]

Getting back into the swing of working out... for this weekend. Sigh. Deciding to buy a house in another city looks like it'll be throwing a wrench in the workout plans soon. But not today! Today I did sumo deadlifts. Which started off with me feeling ridiculous, and my husband comparing me to a baby giraffe. Visual for humor's sake:



In spite of the silly beginnings, I quickly worked up to 155lbs. My conventional PR is 170 (or 175? Forgetting currently). And guys... it was *easy*. We only didn't keep pushing it because we did a slow progression up, so I was getting tired. And I had done squats beforehand. And I've only done metcon, no big lifting, in like... 4-6 weeks? Anyway, pretty sure my sumo is going to progress much more quickly than my conventional, and will hopefully let me get to my goals faster. Baby giraffe visuals and house hunting aside.

[Lagom]

This was officially an "I hate my coach" day. Deadlift variations up the wazoo. All on an Okie bar too, which to the uninitiated is a stiff, wickedly sharp, callus shredding monster.

First, I worked up to 3 rep max @ 475lbs. Then...
3x8 @ 355lbs
3x8 beltless paused @ 275lbs
3x8 snatch grip stiff leg @ 195 lbs

Almost threw up my father's day brunch on multiple occasions. Feel surprisingly OK now though! :)

[JoRocka]

Between you guys and the people on the Nerd Fitness forums I've apparently been driven to insanity.

aw- man- I miss NF. I used to be quite active on that site- I'm still friends on FB with some folks I met at a met up once.

But it's blocked at work- and if somethings blocked at work it makes it about 10 x harder for me to be active on it. sigh- oh well.

Loved NF- good peeps for sure :)


hi- waves- I"m checking in- been quite busy at work lately- I'm gearing up to be an RE for a month while mine is out- and it's a new position for me (cue sex jokes)- so its' taking up quite a bit of my time.
June into July is becoming stressful- my first dress fitting is schedule first week in July- I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

But- upside to this- I have just started the final rotation of the block program in Sheiko. So the taper/peak aspect. I prepped myself to hurry along my lifts today by writing down my workout this morning- instead of when I got to the gym. (mostly so I could try to do the 6 PM cardio class)... dun dun dun.... cue dramatic music.

Wednesday's workout was really light and easy- didn't think much of it- turns out it was b/c today is the big 3 are maxed out for me. Now I'm nervous- all day. And I'm eating like I'm competing.  So- today shall be awesome. And then it's all down hill from there for programming!!!   

I've upped my cardio in an effort to drop more weight-  (apparently futile)  After today- I'll cut my calories under 1600- because apparently that's still to much. (EFF YOU BODY- EFF YOU) and see what happens.

My weights are feeling solid- and stable- and my squat is looking and feeling good- which I"m very pleased with- so today hopefully I'll be pulling 3 plates on the DL and 250- squat and fingers crossed a 200 bench. Today might be the day for my 200 bench. 
I can't wait- I've been hungry for that for a long time.

I envy your Bench!

When was the last time you were in the 150's for scale weight? I found that while I can force my weight low (it's miserable but it can happen) my body tends to rebound, it really doesn't like 140s or 150s it much prefers 160s and 170s. As much as I wish it wasn't true I'm coming to terms with what is sustainable and reasonable for me. :/

I have a similar theory I Think about my 160 weight- I sit quiet happily at 160-165- and under that is quite a fight.
I hit 156 about 4 years ago- and I flux around 160- and this may I hit 159.3- I just... I feel like 150 is not UN-ACHIEVABLE. And with the right amount of fight- I can reset my body to that weight and 150 will be my new HAPPY weight.

But I just- cannot.seem.to.get.there.
Not sure why- well I kind of know- but not really. I know my snackage is a thing- but I log everything I snack. So in theory- there is room- and I am gracious with my calories added- and stingy with calories burned (at this point I don't even track them- I just do TDEE and log everything as 1)
So- I just- not sure. I could do better with "clean" (I don't really believe in that- but something's gotta give) and cut down on white bread type things. We'll see. I was REALLY hoping for 155 by July.

But. well. that is currently not happening as that is in a whole total of 2 weeks. So meh.

Oh well- my first dress fitting July- so I cannot go crazy with anything after next month. I'll live. LOL

BUT.
GOOD NEWS WARRIORS.
I benched 200- it was dirty- and would not be legal- was a little shallow- and a lot of ass off the bench- but 100% unassisted.

I also hit a 250 clean squat 255- I a got scared and chickened out- I am finding I'm horrible at grinding out a squat. I tend to just give up before it's a fight- note. things to work on- working up at out of the hole.

My dead lift is a shitty as usual and stalled at 315. 100% mental for me. I'm disappointed to say the least- but I'll take grown on 2 out of 3 lifts.
:)

on ward and upwards!

[mm1970]

Hey everybody, remember me? No? Well, that's unsurprising. I posted a goal, then disappeared.

I've actually been following long avidly, but something held me back from posting. I had knee surgery 12 months ago, and ever since I've somehow lost the knack of exercising. Mostly because I'm a big, sloppy, lazy, unworthy mess. A grit-less loser who lacks moral integrity, and is disgustingly mired in self pity. I don't deserve to post, because I'm not really exercising. Etc.

I'm exaggerating a little, but I have been feeling incredibly frustrated. In addition to the bionic knee, I have a chronic back injury that limits my squatting, running, biking, and most core muscle exercises. I got into a cycle of trying to use pre-made internet routines, aggravating my back/knee, getting discouraged, then switching to another routine. My strength never improved, I made no progress towards my goals, and I spent a lot of time with a very poor, and yes self-pitying attitude.

Last month, I decided enough was enough. It's my body, and it's critical I find an approach to exercise that works for me. Now I'm deeply enmeshed in changing my fundamental attitude towards exercise, and it seems to be working really well.  The only rule is 30 minutes per day, and the bar for 'exercise' is about an inch off the ground.

The approach seems to be working. I started off walking, but I few weeks ago I it might be fun to jog for a little while. So I jogged, and I stopped when I was ready. No stopwatch or Couch-to-5k program flogging me towards a goal. Just a little jog. It was awesome, and I smiled the entire time.

This is great.  I *still* struggle with this, and dealing with injury.

For the last several years (since the second baby), I've been doing swimming, walking, yoga, weight training mostly.  Sometimes more than others.  Sometimes with a goal, sometimes not.  Prior to this I'd been running, and worked my way up to 1/2 marathon (2 of them), but got injured.

I feel sometimes that I need a *goal* though.  Recently, I thought, "I should run again".  Now, because I was injured last time around (piriformis induced sciatica, achilles tendonitis, sprained knee), I thought "I'll take it easy with a run/walk".  So I did.  Then, the Type-A in me thought "well, what if I train for a half marathon again?  Just start slow, you can always walk most of it".  (And of course, the half in question just happens to be all uphill, 3000 ft elevation gain).  So I went from a run /walk ratio of 2 min/ 3 min (which bothered my knee a little bit) to a run/walk ratio of 3 min / 2 min.  All the while telling myself that I will ONLY run/ walk, I WILL NOT just run (type A, so hard to say that).

Well, day 2 of the 3 min/ 2 min and...the sciatica is back with a vengeance.  Two days of near-constant pain.

It is so hard to mentally lower the bar to a point where the physical can handle it.

[mm1970]

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

[EngineerYogi]

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

This, this is what I'm coming to terms with. I'd rather be happy and social and a little heavier than I'd be prefer if my other option is an ideal weight/size and unable to enjoy friends/social gatherings.

[big_owl]

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

This, this is what I'm coming to terms with. I'd rather be happy and social and a little heavier than I'd be prefer if my other option is an ideal weight/size and unable to enjoy friends/social gatherings.

Yup.  Unfortunately a lot of it is determined by body type -  skeletal structure and metabolism.  You can only fight Darwin so hard.  Of course in JoRocka's case I bet she could pretty easily get down to 150lbs or less...but that goal is rather at odds with goals that include such things as 200lb bench presses or 315lb DLs.  Gotta be realistic with competing goals, too.

[Bakari]

I bet she could pretty easily get down to 150lbs or less...but that goal is rather at odds with goals that include such things as 200lb bench presses or 315lb DLs.  Gotta be realistic with competing goals, too.

Which is exactly why no one should ever even look at a scale, but track their progress with a tape measurer or calipers instead.
Weight is pretty much completely meaningless in terms of health, fitness, or even appearance. 
What everyone is REALLY interested in is bodyfat percentage, and weight is NOT a good approximation when you are comparing athletic active people to the general population.


According to the BMI charts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the height of his bodybuilding career, was clinically obese, with 6% bodyfat.


Throw out your scales people, track which notch in the belt you are using!

[Bakari]

Big fatty fat fat Arnold, with a BMI of 31

[Bracken_Joy]

Big fatty fat fat Arnold, with a BMI of 31

All of this! My "overweight" husband is BMI of 29. Even though you could play xylophone on his serratus, and his abs can cast shadows.

And you know what? I weigh the most I EVER have right now. By like 10 pounds! Gasp. Somehow I'm not worried....

Classic:

[big_owl]

Big fatty fat fat Arnold, with a BMI of 31

All of this! My "overweight" husband is BMI of 29. Even though you could play xylophone on his serratus, and his abs can cast shadows.

And you know what? I weigh the most I EVER have right now. By like 10 pounds! Gasp. Somehow I'm not worried....

I alternate between the overweight and obese BMI as well....at between 5-6%BF and 5'-11" height.  I'm always proud when I'm in the obese category and I get paperwork on how I need to lose weight each year at my company's fitness-for-duty physical.  Coming in at only "overweight" is a bit of a disappointment when it happens.

[monstermonster]

Both a finance and fitness update: Yesterday was my 100th class on Classpass! That brings my marginal cost to $4.15/class which is less than half the price I would pay if I was paying for the high-end classes on their own (it's $79/month compared to $175/month for unlimited at most studios).

I've tried: weight training, Crossfit, Barre3, Bar Method, Pilates, Spinning, HIIT, TRX, Indoor Rowing, and yoga on it - plus a few other random things. As long as I'm in town, I work out 6 days/week on it and have a little "routine" built up of all the classes on a rotating schedule. I've been able to use it when traveling to other cities a few times as well.

It's definitely a spendypants way to work out compared to running or a home gym or a cheap-o megagym, but given the size of my apartment (no room for a home gym) and my low self-motivation level for daily workouts beyond bike commuting, I'm happy I've been doing it. It would be one of the first things to go if I needed to cut expenses, though.

Anyway, it's been interesting. Has anyone else used it?

 (Oh yea, I have a referral code with a discount if you're interested in trying but won't put it up to avoid seeming spammy.)

[JoRocka]

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

This, this is what I'm coming to terms with. I'd rather be happy and social and a little heavier than I'd be prefer if my other option is an ideal weight/size and unable to enjoy friends/social gatherings.

Yeppers.
Since I perform professional as a dancer solo and with a group- it means i"m travelling quite a bit- and they are HUGE on food. And I manage my weight quite well- but all the travel- and the long distance relationship with my fiance = steak nights out as dates- happen fairly regularly (he likes to splurge since he eats chicken fingers and hummas daily pretty much)- so it makes it difficult socially- not impossible- but socially challenging.

Shrug- it's the trade off.

[JoRocka]

I bet she could pretty easily get down to 150lbs or less...but that goal is rather at odds with goals that include such things as 200lb bench presses or 315lb DLs.  Gotta be realistic with competing goals, too.

Which is exactly why no one should ever even look at a scale, but track their progress with a tape measurer or calipers instead.
Weight is pretty much completely meaningless in terms of health, fitness, or even appearance. 
What everyone is REALLY interested in is bodyfat percentage, and weight is NOT a good approximation when you are comparing athletic active people to the general population.


According to the BMI charts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, at the height of his bodybuilding career, was clinically obese, with 6% bodyfat.


Throw out your scales people, track which notch in the belt you are using!

Well- my 150 goal is driven by appearance- I'm still fairly meaty. I mean- I look good (IMHO)- but I'd like more shoulder definition and more abs definition and a little more quad definition. I am just angling for 150-155. It's really not the number. It's more about the appearance and I'm just not as lean as I'd look. I actually rarely get on the scale- I just happen to know at 160-165- I'm not as lean as I want. but as pointed out... appearance goals and performance goals are often 100% at odds.
So just gotta you know- make the call!!!

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

This, this is what I'm coming to terms with. I'd rather be happy and social and a little heavier than I'd be prefer if my other option is an ideal weight/size and unable to enjoy friends/social gatherings.

Yup.  Unfortunately a lot of it is determined by body type -  skeletal structure and metabolism.  You can only fight Darwin so hard.  Of course in JoRocka's case I bet she could pretty easily get down to 150lbs or less...but that goal is rather at odds with goals that include such things as 200lb bench presses or 315lb DLs.  Gotta be realistic with competing goals, too.

Well- I think both of those are reasonable goals- IF i just comitted to one hard core and got there- but I struggle with my cutting goals- I tend to reach prebulk weight and then boom- that's it stuck. But meh whatever.

UPSIDE- I hit a really ugly shallow- 200 bench- 195 was solid and clear with a little tidbit of butt lift. So happy and pleased it felt good.

Squat- up 5 solid points- hit a clean 250.

DL- still stuck at 315- clean- no hitching- little bit of a grinder- but 315 is totally mental for me- 330 I"m COMING FOR YOU!!! fight fight fight!!!

[flan]

Both a finance and fitness update: Yesterday was my 100th class on Classpass! That brings my marginal cost to $4.15/class which is less than half the price I would pay if I was paying for the high-end classes on their own (it's $79/month compared to $175/month for unlimited at most studios)...

Anyway, it's been interesting. Has anyone else used it?

I LOVED the concept of ClassPass and really enjoyed the variety of instructors and classes you could take. I say that if you are able to commit to going that often, it's a great way to stay motivated!

I ended up dropping my membership because I was spending $79 but only going 3-4 times a month. I also felt like I was stressing myself out with wanting to schedule classes as close to after work as possible, but then sometimes work would run late and I would freak out about the cancellation fees, lol. Then I would try to wait until the day-of to decide to sign up for class, which, of course, I never did.

Right now I'm following along Mark Lauren's $5 bodyweight training app, which to me feels like having an instructor with demo videos and timed segments, progression to harder and harder moves as you get along the program, and very cheap and portable. However, there's not the variety in cardio / barre / cycling / yoga, etc.

I am tempted to go back to or add on ClassPass, though, mostly for the yoga. I loved all the different styles and stretches of different studios, and loved the feeling of a space that's dedicated to meditation and wellness.

[jordanread]

As soon as I get back to a computer, I'll update your name flan. If you are doing it for privacy, go ahead and delete that line from above.

[big_owl]

Well- I think both of those are reasonable goals- IF i just comitted to one hard core and got there- but I struggle with my cutting goals- I tend to reach prebulk weight and then boom- that's it stuck. But meh whatever.

UPSIDE- I hit a really ugly shallow- 200 bench- 195 was solid and clear with a little tidbit of butt lift. So happy and pleased it felt good.

Squat- up 5 solid points- hit a clean 250.

DL- still stuck at 315- clean- no hitching- little bit of a grinder- but 315 is totally mental for me- 330 I"m COMING FOR YOU!!! fight fight fight!!!

Both are achievable goals in their own right.  Doing both at the same time is sort of competing priorities is all I'm saying.  But there's always Winstrol!

[JoRocka]

Yeah I hear ya it's definitely a thing . I'm an over achiever like that.

Sent from my SM-G920P using Tapatalk

[monstermonster]

jordanread - would you mind updating my name to flan on the tracking sheet? (formerly cai)  Thanks :)

Both a finance and fitness update: Yesterday was my 100th class on Classpass! That brings my marginal cost to $4.15/class which is less than half the price I would pay if I was paying for the high-end classes on their own (it's $79/month compared to $175/month for unlimited at most studios)...

Anyway, it's been interesting. Has anyone else used it?

I LOVED the concept of ClassPass and really enjoyed the variety of instructors and classes you could take. I say that if you are able to commit to going that often, it's a great way to stay motivated!

I ended up dropping my membership because I was spending $79 but only going 3-4 times a month. I also felt like I was stressing myself out with wanting to schedule classes as close to after work as possible, but then sometimes work would run late and I would freak out about the cancellation fees, lol. Then I would try to wait until the day-of to decide to sign up for class, which, of course, I never did.

Right now I'm following along Mark Lauren's $5 bodyweight training app, which to me feels like having an instructor with demo videos and timed segments, progression to harder and harder moves as you get along the program, and very cheap and portable. However, there's not the variety in cardio / barre / cycling / yoga, etc.

I am tempted to go back to or add on ClassPass, though, mostly for the yoga. I loved all the different styles and stretches of different studios, and loved the feeling of a space that's dedicated to meditation and wellness.

Oh yea, if I was only going 3-4 times a month it would definitely not be worth it at the current rate. I've had one case where I've had to pay the fee because I couldn't get out of work in time, and that was a bummer. I'm learning to be more practical about scheduling my times around my new work schedule. The big advantage of the $20 cancel fee for me is the accountability. I rarely want to sleep in for an extra hour over go to the gym if it's going to cost me $20.

There's a classpass rate in my town to get 4 classes a month at $40- maybe there's one where you are. That might make sense for you.

[jordanread]

jordanread - would you mind updating my name to flan on the tracking sheet?

Done.

[Sailor Sam]

HA!

I went to the gym tonight, and did some practice squatting. No pain in my knee, and for the first time in a long, long, looooong time I could feel all those posterior chain muscles firing. Which means I've finally progressed past the incredibly tedious part where I rebuild the strength and balance needed to find proper form. 

Now onto actual, real squatting with proper form! I did 5 today. My goal was 10, but I was tired by 5 and felt my back rounding an knees buckling in. No need to push it. 

[use2betrix]

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

What works best for me is to eat great during the week and at a bit of a deficit so I'm able to splurge more on the weekends, my wife does the same and she maintains 115lbs and looks great. We still eat delicious foods during the week but it's pretty much calculated down to a science for amounts, then every weekend we have a good dinner out to eat (usually reasonable healthy still, burger, fish, sushi, etc) along with a beer or two or maybe some wine. We also usually have ice cream as well on the weekends (I have huge amounts lol)

Our meals during the week are good and delicious, just balanced and controlled and we taper off carbs at our last meals.

I usually find with a few days of sticking to my diet I'm afforded a reasonable splurge meal. I just don't get stupid about my cheat meals. Gluttony in a diet is never ok at any level.

[EngineerYogi]

I"m fucking pissed as hell b/c I can't seem to get my weight under 160- I really would rather break this year into the solid 150's and live at 150. But I'm seemingly trapped despite my best efforts at 160. #stabbystabby

I can relate.  "My number" is 132.  But I sit at around 140.  Last November, I hit it really hard and dropped to 136.  And then got the stomach flu, which got me down to 129 (but that wasn't pretty).  By April, back up to 141.

I feel trapped. But partially because ... I KNOW I can get there, but it requires perfection to get there and stay there.  (1500 cals max, no wine, no wheat, no sugar...ever).  And, really, is life worth living with that?

What works best for me is to eat great during the week and at a bit of a deficit so I'm able to splurge more on the weekends, my wife does the same and she maintains 115lbs and looks great. We still eat delicious foods during the week but it's pretty much calculated down to a science for amounts, then every weekend we have a good dinner out to eat (usually reasonable healthy still, burger, fish, sushi, etc) along with a beer or two or maybe some wine. We also usually have ice cream as well on the weekends (I have huge amounts lol)

Our meals during the week are good and delicious, just balanced and controlled and we taper off carbs at our last meals.

I usually find with a few days of sticking to my diet I'm afforded a reasonable splurge meal. I just don't get stupid about my cheat meals. Gluttony in a diet is never ok at any level.

I like this strategy and it is one I'm working towards. My husband used to function well on a similar approach.

[EngineerYogi]

HA!

I went to the gym tonight, and did some practice squatting. No pain in my knee, and for the first time in a long, long, looooong time I could feel all those posterior chain muscles firing. Which means I've finally progressed past the incredibly tedious part where I rebuild the strength and balance needed to find proper form. 

Now onto actual, real squatting with proper form! I did 5 today. My goal was 10, but I was tired by 5 and felt my back rounding an knees buckling in. No need to push it.

Excellent! It is so important to let the ego go and lower the weight until you can nail form perfectly and then very slowly increase weight week to week. If that means you squat with an empty bar for weeks until you are comfortable enough to throw 10lbs on each side for another week then go for it. A deep squat even with just the bar is way more impressive than a squat that comes no where near deep with 45s on each side.

[Sailor Sam]

EngineerYogi, all very good points. Also, its great you thought I was using a bar! My pathetic level is a lot higher (lower?) in your eyes than in actuality. I've been doing all my squatting with just body weight. Imma effing nail proper squatting form if it's the last effort I ever put into moving my veal-like carcass around. And if bodyweight is the way to start, then bodyweight is the way I'll go. I've developed such a nonchalance about the whole thing, that the nonchalance has become militarized and is side-eyeing the acquisition of a neighbour or two...

Also, I went to the gym. I progressed the Convict Conditioning from 3x10's to 2x15's. Except for headstands, which I skip out of fear and loathing.

Also, I had a pretty big food win today. My workgroup wanted Mexican food for lunch. I love chips, but chips don't comply with the keto style I like to rock. Solved by eating the chips, getting veggies instead of rice and beans, and not obsessing over anything. Bonus win, I was still (or back) in ketosis by the time I made it home at 1600. Not being weird about food FTW!

Also, the guard in the guardshack, guarding my work building gave me googly, come hither eyes today. So I must be doing something right, somewhere. But I'm married, so I didn't go thither.

[cats]

Been back at work for 3 weeks and think I need to rethink my running goals.  We have kiddo in a temporary childcare situation for the summer and getting him home involves quite a bit of walking (while carrying a 15 lb baby and his supplies).  Add in that I am no longer able to nap during the day and my runs have been very lackluster due to the sleep deficit that accumulate during the week and the fact that my legs/feet are already doing quite a bit of movement during the day.  Basically, at the moment, running is probably not a particularly efficient use of my workout time.

So, I'm downgrading my goal for the moment to simply doing 3 resistance/strength focused workouts of 30 min each per week, and going for a 30 min run on the weekends.  This should give me a little more sleep time and hopefully doing workouts that are very different from walking will allow me to put a bit more oomph into them.

We should have kiddo into a closer childcare situation by August or September so I'll reevaluate then how much running I can fit into the schedule.  I'm thinking that the RLRF 10k training plan I was hoping to do may not be feasible until I'm doing substantially less breastfeeding, both b/c nursing takes calories and because finding a time window in which to do some of the longer (10 mile) runs will be challenging.  So that may be a 2017 goal.

This is why I need to retire!

[monstermonster]

I'm dealing with a lot of complicated feelings about fitness vs money.

I started a new job and while I've been sticking to the 5 days (1 hr each) of working out/week, but I have been doing a terrible job at self-motivated (AKA running) goals. Instead, I've been doing strength training/dance/yoga because it means I have to go TO a class, which makes me better at actually following through. Bizarrely, this seems harder than just running on a small loop for 30 minutes near my house.

I don't have any good goals or training happening right now, and I think shelling out $80 for a half-marathon in the fall might be the only way to get me into a running groove through the summer. I'm really struggling with the consumerism of running vs self-motivation, but I think that this might be the only way to get myself to commit to a running program.

Thoughts? Other ideas of ways to make myself run?

[Eric222]

I'm frustrated...sort of.

My life has gotten very full, to the point that I'm running out of time/energy/motivation to do more.  Everything I'm doing is something that I need to do (work/kids), or is a high-priority want.  However, this means the fitness progress has stalled somewhat.  </complainy excuse>

I haven't been doing crunches or making it to the pool to swim - which are two things that would be terrific for me and are areas that I really want to improve.  I'd like to eventually do some shorter triathlons again.  There is really no excuse for not doing crunches.  Time to start back up.

Mostly, I've been eating well - but I'm ending up with about one day per week (instead of one day per month) where I have something sweet (ice cream, etc).  This is much better than the old status quo, but it can be better yet - I feel like I'm slipping here.

The thing that is saving me is the biking.  Since it is the most efficient (and most pleasant) way to get anywhere, the busier I get the more I tend to bike.  I'm going to end up at 210-215 miles for the month, which I'm happy with.  That's even after the mileage took a hit this month when my family visited for the week.  The biking is keeping my weight stable and my brain floating in the required endorphin soup. 

[PDM]

I'm dealing with a lot of complicated feelings about fitness vs money.

I started a new job and while I've been sticking to the 5 days (1 hr each) of working out/week, but I have been doing a terrible job at self-motivated (AKA running) goals. Instead, I've been doing strength training/dance/yoga because it means I have to go TO a class, which makes me better at actually following through. Bizarrely, this seems harder than just running on a small loop for 30 minutes near my house.

I don't have any good goals or training happening right now, and I think shelling out $80 for a half-marathon in the fall might be the only way to get me into a running groove through the summer. I'm really struggling with the consumerism of running vs self-motivation, but I think that this might be the only way to get myself to commit to a running program.

Thoughts? Other ideas of ways to make myself run?

Having a goal event often helps. Having a plan that includes a variety of work outs (easy runs, fartlek, intervals, long runs) and gradually builds to a goal helps too.

I don't really follow on the consumerism of running vs self-motivation. Are you saying the costs of shoes, clothes, gadgets etc are getting to you?
I suffer from this a bit. I calculated a few years ago I had near $500+ of gear on me every run:
- Garmin Running Watch - $300
- Shoes - $120
- Shorts and shirt - $50
- MP3 Player - $100

But then going to classes isn't cheap either? And you still need clothes for them.

Do I need an expensive running watch? No - I've heard reports that it is possible to run without GPS (I don't believe them - but people claim it is possible). I enjoy the instant feedback and control. It also helps to motivate me and I nerd out a bit with the data.

[PDM]

Its winter here in Australia but not winter like a lot of places but still could enough to limit motivation to excercise and encourage the eating of giant piles of stodgey food. I've reached a few conclusions about my exercise of late - I fell into the same trap I do every year - 1 dimensional training. Training for a 1/2 marathon with a time goal of 1hr 45min. Running 4-5 times a week. It was all going well until it wasn't going well at all. Niggles, soreness, lack of motivation. It is almost like avoiding doing my supporting activities was a mistake...

I've taken a week or so off to reassess. Brought some lifting back in (SL5x5 with reset weights to bar) and yoga at home (love those yoga youtube videos). 

Unsure if I'll commit to the 1/2 marathon or not. Who'd have thought balance was important?

[Sailor Sam]

I'm dealing with a lot of complicated feelings about fitness vs money.

I started a new job and while I've been sticking to the 5 days (1 hr each) of working out/week, but I have been doing a terrible job at self-motivated (AKA running) goals. Instead, I've been doing strength training/dance/yoga because it means I have to go TO a class, which makes me better at actually following through. Bizarrely, this seems harder than just running on a small loop for 30 minutes near my house.

I don't have any good goals or training happening right now, and I think shelling out $80 for a half-marathon in the fall might be the only way to get me into a running groove through the summer. I'm really struggling with the consumerism of running vs self-motivation, but I think that this might be the only way to get myself to commit to a running program.

Thoughts? Other ideas of ways to make myself run?

Do you need to run? When you do end up running, do you enjoy the process, or are you just looking to check a box?

If it was me, loving the classes and dreading the runs, I'd just stop running. The desire will either come back, or it won't. As long as some sort of fitness is occurring, who cares about the form the fitness takes? But I might be misinterpreting something in your writeup.

[monstermonster]

I don't have any good goals or training happening right now, and I think shelling out $80 for a half-marathon in the fall might be the only way to get me into a running groove through the summer. I'm really struggling with the consumerism of running vs self-motivation, but I think that this might be the only way to get myself to commit to a running program.

Having a goal event often helps. Having a plan that includes a variety of work outs (easy runs, fartlek, intervals, long runs) and gradually builds to a goal helps too.

I don't really follow on the consumerism of running vs self-motivation. Are you saying the costs of shoes, clothes, gadgets etc are getting to you?

But then going to classes isn't cheap either? And you still need clothes for them.

The classes is a fixed cost via classpass for the moment and is REALLY good for motivation + instruction for things I'm also not self-motivated about - stretching and strength training. Right now, that's a good deal. (See my post earlier on this page about classpass).

But for the moment, I'm struggling with spending $80 on a half-marathon just to do a run I could totally do on my own.  Just to make myself train when theoretically there's nothing stopping me from training WITHOUT spending $80 on a half-marathon. I'm just worried that the only times I've been successful at consistently running long distances is when I have an event to work up to. But $80 for one half-marathon is a steep price to pay to buy some intrinsic self-motivation.

[monstermonster]

I'm dealing with a lot of complicated feelings about fitness vs money.

I started a new job and while I've been sticking to the 5 days (1 hr each) of working out/week, but I have been doing a terrible job at self-motivated (AKA running) goals. Instead, I've been doing strength training/dance/yoga because it means I have to go TO a class, which makes me better at actually following through. Bizarrely, this seems harder than just running on a small loop for 30 minutes near my house.

I don't have any good goals or training happening right now, and I think shelling out $80 for a half-marathon in the fall might be the only way to get me into a running groove through the summer. I'm really struggling with the consumerism of running vs self-motivation, but I think that this might be the only way to get myself to commit to a running program.

Thoughts? Other ideas of ways to make myself run?

Do you need to run? When you do end up running, do you enjoy the process, or are you just looking to check a box?

If it was me, loving the classes and dreading the runs, I'd just stop running. The desire will either come back, or it won't. As long as some sort of fitness is occurring, who cares about the form the fitness takes? But I might be misinterpreting something in your writeup.

I've never "enjoyed" the physical act of running but I like hitting the goals, my brain feels good at the end of the run. I never regret going on a run once I've done it.

I hate the idea of losing the cardio fitness that the regular long runs puts me in compared to only dance or strength training. I usually like my body's homeostasis shape best when I'm running regularly.

I think the key element though is that running checks off boxes because it has really easy key "metrics" - certain pace, mileage. As a 115lb 4'11" female with significant wrist/hand disability, distance running is one of the only disciplines in which I can keep pushing myself and see results after a certain generally "fit" plateau.

Maybe that's the key- it's one of the only things I can set goals in, so it's hard to give up. I'm never going to get to do a group burpee activity, and I'm not going to be physically able to do powerlifting (my hands will give out before my muscles do). So running is the only way to feel like I'm working "towards" something.

[marty998]

Its winter here in Australia but not winter like a lot of places but still could enough to limit motivation to excercise and encourage the eating of giant piles of stodgey food. I've reached a few conclusions about my exercise of late - I fell into the same trap I do every year - 1 dimensional training. Training for a 1/2 marathon with a time goal of 1hr 45min. Running 4-5 times a week. It was all going well until it wasn't going well at all. Niggles, soreness, lack of motivation. It is almost like avoiding doing my supporting activities was a mistake...

I've taken a week or so off to reassess. Brought some lifting back in (SL5x5 with reset weights to bar) and yoga at home (love those yoga youtube videos). 

Unsure if I'll commit to the 1/2 marathon or not. Who'd have thought balance was important?

That's a pretty decent goal! I'd be stocked if I could do that (by next year hopefully I will).

Just ran 8.5km in 44:30 before I felt a twinge in a hamstring. With my local 11k fun run scheduled for 3 weeks time I thought it best to stop before a niggle becomes an injury.

Still stoked with that time and I wasn't even out of breath when I pulled the pin.

[athiker10]

marty998 good luck with the 11k! I hope listening to your body makes all the difference.

I just finished stage 5 of 7 in my program. The next one is focused on building strength for pull ups. Upper body strength is hard for me, so we'll see how this goes!

[hudsoncat]

Thoughts? Other ideas of ways to make myself run?

Have you tried something as simple as running in a new area? I really like running most of the time, but when I find myself in a rut, I find a change of scenery helps. So I ride my bike into town to run on the city trails or in one of the parks. Or do hill repeats in the parking garage (this is not motivating, but it's amazing how much I look forward to easy, flat runs for a few days after a hard hill session.) Or schedule a couple runs with friends. I hate letting people down, so meeting others is usually motivation enough to get me out the door. I certainly understand your motivations to run, but maybe you just need a break? Keep up cardio with cycling or swimming for a bit.

Weekly recap: Three short runs, three bike rides, one swim, one strength session this past week... not a bad week. Nothing was super intense, but it was a nice week of easy workouts.

[Bakari]

But for the moment, I'm struggling with spending $80 on a half-marathon just to do a run I could totally do on my own.  Just to make myself train when theoretically there's nothing stopping me from training WITHOUT spending $80 on a half-marathon. I'm just worried that the only times I've been successful at consistently running long distances is when I have an event to work up to. But $80 for one half-marathon is a steep price to pay to buy some intrinsic self-motivation.

I've never run consistently without an event to lead up to, and I don't think for a moment I ever would.
One way I try to get the most "value" out of the motivating effect is to start training at least 6 months in advance.
So the $40 I spent on B2B (it also helps to pick a cheap race, preferably one you've done in the past so you get access to early registration, and then register the day it opens), divided by 6 months of 3-4 workouts a week works out to about 50 cents per workout.

[Bracken_Joy]

Between you guys and the people on the Nerd Fitness forums I've apparently been driven to insanity. Keeping in mind I've done one 5k in my life and just started riding again last August after not having a bike for 15ish years, here's what I've signed up for so far:

6/10 - 23.5 mile charity bike ride for United Way (high of 98 forecasted) Done. Ended up "only" doing 20 miles due to extreme heat
6/18 - Insane Inflatable 5k Done
6/25 - Local 5k Mud Run Done
6/26 - 16 mile bike ride to support the local trails (which will be 20 miles for us because the start/end point is close to home) Done and we actually ended up doing 26 miles total since we got done with the 16 mile route 30 minutes before they served lunch so we hoped on the 6 miles one for fun (plus 4 miles round trip to get there)
8/20 - Different local 5k Mud Run
8/27 - Yet another local 5k Mud Run

So yeah, he's to hoping I at least survive through June....

So I did in fact survive June! I have four new shirts (well, 3 with one on the way) and two finisher medals and I'm feeling a bit badass if I do say so myself

Wow! Well done and way to go!

[monstermonster]

But for the moment, I'm struggling with spending $80 on a half-marathon just to do a run I could totally do on my own.  Just to make myself train when theoretically there's nothing stopping me from training WITHOUT spending $80 on a half-marathon. I'm just worried that the only times I've been successful at consistently running long distances is when I have an event to work up to. But $80 for one half-marathon is a steep price to pay to buy some intrinsic self-motivation.

I've never run consistently without an event to lead up to, and I don't think for a moment I ever would.
One way I try to get the most "value" out of the motivating effect is to start training at least 6 months in advance.
So the $40 I spent on B2B (it also helps to pick a cheap race, preferably one you've done in the past so you get access to early registration, and then register the day it opens), divided by 6 months of 3-4 workouts a week works out to about 50 cents per workout.

Nice way to view that with the marginal cost! I also always do half-marathons, which are hella expensive ($70-90), mostly because I feel like it's not worth to spend money when it's "just 5K or 10K" because I don't really need to train for that.

Glad to see that someone else needs the event to lead up to be motivated to run.

[Sailor Sam]

But for the moment, I'm struggling with spending $80 on a half-marathon just to do a run I could totally do on my own.  Just to make myself train when theoretically there's nothing stopping me from training WITHOUT spending $80 on a half-marathon. I'm just worried that the only times I've been successful at consistently running long distances is when I have an event to work up to. But $80 for one half-marathon is a steep price to pay to buy some intrinsic self-motivation.

I've never run consistently without an event to lead up to, and I don't think for a moment I ever would.
One way I try to get the most "value" out of the motivating effect is to start training at least 6 months in advance.
So the $40 I spent on B2B (it also helps to pick a cheap race, preferably one you've done in the past so you get access to early registration, and then register the day it opens), divided by 6 months of 3-4 workouts a week works out to about 50 cents per workout.

Nice way to view that with the marginal cost! I also always do half-marathons, which are hella expensive ($70-90), mostly because I feel like it's not worth to spend money when it's "just 5K or 10K" because I don't really need to train for that.

Glad to see that someone else needs the event to lead up to be motivated to run.

I don't have any good ideas. My motivation for running is ridicule and job loss if I don't make time. And the last time I was tested, I beat the time cut off by 2 seconds. Which was absolutely fine with me!

Maybe I could come yell at you?

[monstermonster]

But for the moment, I'm struggling with spending $80 on a half-marathon just to do a run I could totally do on my own.  Just to make myself train when theoretically there's nothing stopping me from training WITHOUT spending $80 on a half-marathon. I'm just worried that the only times I've been successful at consistently running long distances is when I have an event to work up to. But $80 for one half-marathon is a steep price to pay to buy some intrinsic self-motivation.

I've never run consistently without an event to lead up to, and I don't think for a moment I ever would.
One way I try to get the most "value" out of the motivating effect is to start training at least 6 months in advance.
So the $40 I spent on B2B (it also helps to pick a cheap race, preferably one you've done in the past so you get access to early registration, and then register the day it opens), divided by 6 months of 3-4 workouts a week works out to about 50 cents per workout.

Nice way to view that with the marginal cost! I also always do half-marathons, which are hella expensive ($70-90), mostly because I feel like it's not worth to spend money when it's "just 5K or 10K" because I don't really need to train for that.

Glad to see that someone else needs the event to lead up to be motivated to run.

I don't have any good ideas. My motivation for running is ridicule and job loss if I don't make time. And the last time I was tested, I beat the time cut off by 2 seconds. Which was absolutely fine with me!

Maybe I could come yell at you?

If only my job required me to run more than in heels and a suit between hospitality rooms on election night!

Doesn't petrie run fast? Is she just more self motivated or does she have stricter job requirements?

There's a "training program" I could join for running, which amounts to paying someone to tell me when and where to go run every weekend. That seems absurdly silly. So why does shelling out $80 for a half-marathon seem sane?

[Sailor Sam]

If only my job required me to run more than in heels and a suit between hospitality rooms on election night!

Doesn't petrie run fast? Is she just more self motivated or does she have stricter job requirements?

There's a "training program" I could join for running, which amounts to paying someone to tell me when and where to go run every weekend. That seems absurdly silly. So why does shelling out $80 for a half-marathon seem sane?

Petrie is a long-legged gazelle, who enjoys running. Despite these flaws, I love her dearly.

How much does the dictatorial running program cost?

[monstermonster]

If only my job required me to run more than in heels and a suit between hospitality rooms on election night!

Doesn't petrie run fast? Is she just more self motivated or does she have stricter job requirements?

There's a "training program" I could join for running, which amounts to paying someone to tell me when and where to go run every weekend. That seems absurdly silly. So why does shelling out $80 for a half-marathon seem sane?

Petrie is a long-legged gazelle, who enjoys running. Despite these flaws, I love her dearly.

How much does the dictatorial running program cost?

Gazelle wife!

$95 for 6 months of weekend group long runs in different parts of the city + a "program" to do on your own time during the week-  leading up to an optional event half-marathon (that you have to pay for separately)

Even that group still sees the value in an event at the end I guess...

[Bakari]

I don't have any good ideas. My motivation for running is ridicule and job loss if I don't make time. And the last time I was tested, I beat the time cut off by 2 seconds. Which was absolutely fine with me!

Maybe I could come yell at you?

My PT test was 2 days ago.  13:25 (10 seconds from the limit)
Worst I've ever done!  But a pass, that's all that matters.


Since this year's race is behind me, I have done exactly zero running over the past month (or two), just goes to show how little motivated I am without it! :-P
And soon I won't have the bi-annual PT test to force me to keep up at least a minimum level of fitness, because my contract is up in 2 months!

[athiker10]

I don't have any good ideas. My motivation for running is ridicule and job loss if I don't make time. And the last time I was tested, I beat the time cut off by 2 seconds. Which was absolutely fine with me!

Maybe I could come yell at you?

My PT test was 2 days ago.  13:25 (10 seconds from the limit)
Worst I've ever done!  But a pass, that's all that matters.


Since this year's race is behind me, I have done exactly zero running over the past month (or two), just goes to show how little motivated I am without it! :-P
And soon I won't have the bi-annual PT test to force me to keep up at least a minimum level of fitness, because my contract is up in 2 months!

All this talk of running is making me think maybe I should try again.. But I'm also one of those people who has a hard time internally motivating for running.

Monstermonster, I just checked and this group: http://november-project.com/ isn't in portland yet (I think you're thereish-I've been reading your journal.), but here's to hoping! I don't do it anymore because it's too much to do that plus lifting, but if people want external motivation and community support, check it out. They're big on the FREE. I've spent maybe $5-10 and that was because I purchased clothing for a free costume/theme run.

[monstermonster]

I don't have any good ideas. My motivation for running is ridicule and job loss if I don't make time. And the last time I was tested, I beat the time cut off by 2 seconds. Which was absolutely fine with me!

Maybe I could come yell at you?

My PT test was 2 days ago.  13:25 (10 seconds from the limit)
Worst I've ever done!  But a pass, that's all that matters.


Since this year's race is behind me, I have done exactly zero running over the past month (or two), just goes to show how little motivated I am without it! :-P
And soon I won't have the bi-annual PT test to force me to keep up at least a minimum level of fitness, because my contract is up in 2 months!

All this talk of running is making me think maybe I should try again.. But I'm also one of those people who has a hard time internally motivating for running.

Monstermonster, I just checked and this group: http://november-project.com/ isn't in portland yet (I think you're thereish-I've been reading your journal.), but here's to hoping! I don't do it anymore because it's too much to do that plus lifting, but if people want external motivation and community support, check it out. They're big on the FREE. I've spent maybe $5-10 and that was because I purchased clothing for a free costume/theme run.

At least I am finding out I'm not alone in not being motivated to run without an external deadline!

I <3 the November project. I always join it when I'm in DC for work. There's one on capitol hill there that's full of staffers that's really fun. Alas, I looked into what it would take to organize one here and I am not in good enough shape/have enough free time for it.

From their website about starting a chapter:

1. Time Commitment
Understand that being the leader of your November Project branch may begin with the simple 60-minute workout you first host but will be guaranteed to grow into many hours of dedication each week. This is a part time job that some weeks can fill enough hours to be seen as a second, completely unpaid, full time job.

...and

5. Leader Description

Being one of the fittest members of the tribe is a must. Leaders must lead by example. This means being in front of the pack at all times. “The quality of the team is based on the speed of the leader.” Who do we consider fit? A person that can do one or all of the following: Sub 3:25 Marathon or sub 1:30 Half-marathon; 3 minutes plank finishing with 10 pushups; 90+ burpees in 7 minutes. Don’t know what burpees are, this is not for you!

Holy shit I will NEVER be that fit. And I am okay with that. I am perfectly happy with my 1h50m half-marathon time and my ability to do 20 burpees before my wrists hate me. Also, those metrics seems to be a bit biased to Y chromosome havers...

[athiker10]

Yeah, the leaders are definitely super intense. Glad you've heard of it! I was in Boston when their Friday workout fit in a circle on a large sidewalk and the growth has been AMAZING. I went to the DC one earlier this year and it was great!

[hudsoncat]

Made my triumphant (ha!) return to the racquetball court last night... and promptly lost two games by a combined total 23 points. At least I (somehow) won game three?

I find the motivation discussion interesting, because I seldom lack motivation to run. However, I cannot seem to get myself at all motivated for strength work. Whether it's lifting weights, body weight work, whatever... if you all can figure out your motivation for running, please share, maybe it'll work for my strength training. I have been fairly consistent throwing in some push-ups, core work, squats, and lunges after a run once or twice a week. Hopefully I can keep that going and build on it.

DH is a big fan of the signing up for a race thing for motivation. We run a lot of races though, it's our one, big, not a necessity, spendy line item in our budget. We have the long term goal of running a half in each state. We try to do it cost effectively (DH travels a lot for work, so between his rewards, other travels hacks, and not trying to do all the races in one year, we do okay), but I can't deny that it's not our most mustatachian hobby.