OK so I never blogged day 1, because I didn't think about blogging it until this morning.
I decided to start jogging. I've been thinking about jogging for probably over a year now, but thinking about it doesn't get me fit. I need to exercise to get down to an ideal weight, plus I want to be reasonably fit before snowboarding season starts again - I don't want to spend the first week in agony.
So I've got about 20lb to lose, give or take. I don't expect to lose it all, partly because I'm hoping to build some muscle too.
Day 1 was hard. I have no stamina for cardio at this stage. My body just isn't used to it. I walk a third of the course. I can't even finish the last bit uphill back to the house. I feel great though - I bounce into work and don't even need coffee. Next day however was HELL. My poor legs. They're like "WTF?". I can hardly sit down without falling. Going to the bathroom is an exercise in pain. That was Wednesday (2 days ago).
Today I decided even though my legs still hurt, I've got to push through that barrier. So off I went again. It was easier today, though I could feel pain building in my muscles. The cardio nature of it was much easier - my breathing was more rhythmic and I could go further without dropping to a walk.
But when I stopped, when I got home (and I managed to jog the last stretch uphill to the house), I felt the pain. It's not a bad pain - just my muscles asking me why I'm being so cruel. But jeez I think I may need a massage now
Total weight lost so far: -3lb.
(yes that's minus, as in I put on 3lb. Last night was kw.pm with pizza)
Running (Score:2)
Make sure you have good running shoes picked out for your feet. Do you have high, low, or normal arches? Do you pronate? These things need to be considered once you start running decent distances or else serious leg injuries can await you,too. Of course, if you're running and you're a programmer, I suspect you've already looked into this and many of the other caveats about running.
Re:Running (Score:2)
Re:Running (Score:2)
Re:Running (Score:2)
After the first time I did this, I thought it was a bunch of crap. My old shoes felt more comfortable and I wanted them back. But after a couple of weeks when my body got used to the different pronation, everything felt a lot better. It wasn't just the shoes, but strengthening different tendons and little muscles
Meet your new friend Ben (Score:2)
Ben Gay [pfizer.ca], that is.
Actually, I prefer Tiger Balm [tigerbalm.com], but lame jokes are easier with Ben-Gay. I've found the best way is to put on a patch before going to bed. Usually I'm not sore in the morning if I do that.
Prevent lactic acid buildup to avoid the pain (Score:1)
'lactic acid' may be a myth (Score:1)
Stretch (Score:1)
Food (Score:1)
Re:Food (Score:2)
Losing weight is a simple equation. As my friend Matt puts it: "Mouthhole is bigger than the asshole".
I can keep my eating/drinking habits and my current exercise (weights) but maintain my current weight (slightly over weight, but not entirely awful) or I can use up a few more calories and my weight will go down - that is a given.
Re:Food (Score:1)
What’s so puzzling about it? If you keep eating the same way as before, so calorie intake stays the same, but you excercise more so that you burn more calories, it follows that your weight must go down. Pretty basic stuff. In fact, it goes down more than the excercise alone would cause it to, because you build up muscle from the excercise, and the more muscle mass you have the more calories you spend to maintain it even in idle periods.
Besides, I find excercise a much more balanced, worthwhile answe