Grrr. My body just sucks...

[DanTMWTMP]

BACKGROUND:
25 years old
This blows. I used to be 5'8'' 192 lbs around the same time last year. I've been running for awhile now (many yrs), but I picked up the frequency around last year, eat less, and drink no soda/sugar juice. Now I weight btwn 170-175. My ideal weight is 155-160 (my weight when I was 18). Losing the first 20 was super easy. This last 20 is just not coming off, and I attribute this due to me not being able to run over my lame 3mile limit.


I run about..once/week or so. Maybe I should run more, but it's difficult to find the motivation (i run alone) and also have to recover from minor back aches and my left knee being sore.

I found a running partner, but he can do 5-10 miles no problem. I now have to keep up with him.

(My brother can do traithlons in 2 hours 30 min no problem. He coached me on my style, but it seems pretty damn hard to change styles lol.)

Yes, I suck @ running. I can only go 2-3 miles at a time, then I hit a wall (usually a combo of lower back, knees, minor splints, and low cardio endurance).

If it weren't for the goddamn lower back pain, then I know I can run a lot more. Also, my ears feels as if they get plugged.


I "feel" that I can run more, but that my lower back stiffens up, knees give way (my left knee mainly, reoccuring injury i've alwys had all my life) and the ears plugging up is just disturbing.




I'm only 25, and this sucks. I'm still young, and I get lame aches of a 40 yr old. I hit a wall after around 2-3 miles. This most likely means my running posture sucks, but I've had this style for a long long time, and never had problems with it during my high school days where I was actually really healhty and fit. Maybe it's the shoes? My brother just bought me these really nice running shoes (~$100 or so) for my bday, but I haven't worn it yet (running w/ my older NewBalance shoes).

My knee's have always been a problem so I just have to live with it. The shinsplints are off and on, and I've heard that the best way to get rid of them were calf stretches?

Could it be that I'm just not eating enough carbs to keep up? I doubt it, hehe. I do eat quite a bit.


Damn, I used to run much much farther in HS. This 3-mile limit just sucks.

EDIT: fixed some lame errors lol

 

[Zorro]

Cut off one of your legs.

It was a joke lifer.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: Zorro
Cut off one of your legs.

Sometimes, i wish the OP should have the power to just delete useless posts in their own threads... (of course, it should be something that is submitted to the mods for review, and they'll delete the post; something similar to the "warn" or "report" button of some board software).

 

[Horus]

Try the new shoes, see if they do anything for your splints.

As for the ears, that is kinda weird.

 

[oboeguy]

I'm not primarily a runner (cyclist), but... I used to run only 3 miles too when I ran. 5+ miles is good now. Your aches and pains sound like possibly a combination of poor form, inappropriate shoes, hard running surface and lack of practice. Remember, concrete is very hard, much harder than asphalt on your joints. To help you recover after rides, BTW, eat! google "glycemic window" and you'll see what I mean (though it won't help your joints).

Anyhow, regarding weight loss, if you've hit a wall there, either eat less or run more. A guy your size running three miles a week is only burning something (ballpark here) like 500 calories. You need a caloric deficit of 500 or so per day to lose a pound of fat per week.

Edit: I get the ears thing too -- allergies in my case. Good luck finding the source of that.

 

[notfred]

Try something else besides running. I suck at running, but I can ride my bikwe all day long. I'm 5'11" and have dropped from 195 to 170 over the last couple months, due to an improvement in diet and cycling about 20 miles a day. I can still barely run a mile.

 

[Rudee]

Your body has adapted to whatever stress you are placing on it.

 

[thegimp03]

Hitting the wall happens to everyone. In order to get past it you have to drastically change eating habits and workout routines.
If you want to run more, consider bumping from 3 miles to 3.5. Do 3.5 miles for a month, and then bump it up again. Slowly building up is better than deciding one day that you want to run 6 miles. It'll kill you and you'll be back at square one. The other thing that might help would be to run more frequently. You don't even have to run the same amount every time. Run 4 miles on Monday, 3 miles on Wednesday, and 2 miles on Friday. You'll become more sore throughout the week, so decreasing the mileage might help.

 

[MichaelD]

I get lame aches of a 40 yr old

Gee, thanks. I feel much better about myself now.

Anyway...

You need to RUN MORE OFTEN. You need to build up your endurance at your own pace, not by keeping up with someone in much better shape than you.

I used to be 20 pounds over weight; now I'm almost down to where I need to be (currently 73", 209 pounds). I run 24-30Km per week (damn treadmil is metric...I know that 2.4Km = 1.5 miles...that's about it) in 30 minute sessions of 6Km each. That's pretty darn quick. I've worked up to it over the past 4 months. If you don't already, get an MP3 player and load it up w/your fav tunes. I can't run w/o music. Maybe you're the same way?

Want to lose weight? It's all about exercise and DIET. You can't do one w/o the other else it won't work.

I eat whatever I want to; I only eat one portion of it though. Hell yeah; I can eat 1 pound of pasta in a sitting (yes, really, I can along with 3-6 meatballs and salad as well!) but I don't anymore. Well, ocassionally.

 

[JDrake]

How long does it take you for those three miles?

I did 3 miles earlier today - 18:40

 

[Gibsons]

When you hit your 3 mile wall, keep moving. Even if it means walking slowly. As your breath comes back, try to move up the pace a little. Go back to walking again if you need to, but keep moving until you hit a new goal (4-5 miles).

If you really want to lose those lbs, you'll probably want to move up to three runs/week.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

cool thanks for the replies guys, and sorry MichealD .

Ya, I recently got that Mobliblu Cube2 mp3 player, so i'll be running w/ tunes starting next week. I'll definitely try that 4-3-2. I've talked to my running partner, and he said he'll go slow w/ me for awhile until I can biuld up my endurance to his level.

And I have been eating less per meal. It's most likely due to those splurges I do like once a month or so (I have a lot of friends in LA/SD/Taiwan/Korea/East coast, and any one of them can come and visit, and we must eat out ).

But ya, again, thanks for all your replies! I've read every single word from every single poster

EDIT: to JDrake. it takes me about 20-25 minutes to go approx 3 or so miles.
to Gibsons: sometimes when I stop, it feels like a ton of bricks just landed on me, and it gets difficult to start up again. Maybe I'll stop at around the 2mile mark, and walk briskly for about half a mile or less, then continue up towards 4?

 

[crt1530]

Do you really expect to progress by running "about...once/week or so"? If so, you are dreaming. Physical conditioning improves with consistent and regular exercise. Thus far, your weight loss has been from your improved diet. If you would like to continue to lose weight and improve with the running, you have to make it a priority. Anything less than three runs per week and progress will be next to impossible.

 

[Pepsi90919]

reagan smash the wall

 

[HN]

are you running the same route all the time? try mixing it up.

if you're running while listening to music or something, are you listening to the same stuff over and over? again, try mixing it up. when i switched from my regular playlist to something different (in my case, howard stern shows), i stayed out on the track much longer because i wanted to continue listening.

are you only running? again, mix it up. do more walking throughout the day; swim, bike, all that.

variety really keeps the body going.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: crt1530
Do you really expect to progress by running "about...once/week or so"? If so, you are dreaming. Physical conditioning improves with consistent and regular exercise. Thus far, your weight loss has been from your improved diet. If you would like to continue to lose weight and improve with the running, you have to make it a priority. Anything less than three runs per week and progress will be next to impossible.

Ya. Now that I have a running partner, I can go at least 2 times a week. But ya, thanks for the brutal reality. (i'm not being sarcastic here ). Actually gives me motivation to just tough out the pains and try again.

Anyone want to recommend any specific lowerback stretches and calf stretches for my back/shin thing?

The ear thing..bah... except I don't have allergies

 

[0roo0roo]

egads, do lower impact training. maybe use a bike

 

[DanTMWTMP]

hmm, Now I should invest in a bike. hehe, time to hit craigslist to see if there are any roadbikes on sale for decent prices.

 

[Strk]

What do you eat?

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: Strk
What do you eat?

cereal or sandwich for breakfast, another sandwich (usually tuna salad or turkey) during lunch, rice & meats cooked in various ways that I can think of for dinner.

Not the healthiest of meals, but they're not large portions either.

 

[EmperorIQ]

Hey, just as a thought, you should go lower impact. Swimming? Cycling (as others have suggested). Have you considered doing HIIT as well? That might help you reduce more fat if that is what you want.

Someone has said this already, but I'm going to say it to make it a point. Doing it once a week isn't enough and twice a week probably isn't enough. You should try running at least 3 times a week to build up endurance, but remember to go at your own pace.

good luck!

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: DanTMWTMP

Originally posted by: Strk
What do you eat?

cereal or sandwich for breakfast, another sandwich (usually tuna salad or turkey) during lunch, rice & meats cooked in various ways that I can think of for dinner.

Not the healthiest of meals, but they're not large portions either.

What about drinks and snacks?

 

[newmachineoverlord]

Do yoga every day for the back pain, if it doesn't clear up after two months of that then see a doctor. http://www.solveyourproblem.com/back-pa...ief/exercises_for_back_pain_yoga.shtml

Also stretch for at least ten minutes after every run, and be sure to walk for at least ten minutes after every run too. You should be exercising for at least half an hour every day, run at least twice a week and walk/bike on days you don't run. In order to speed recovery you should be taking whey protein immediately after your workout (which costs less than 15$ for five pounds) followed up with a full meal within two hours. Do upper body workouts and abs on walking days. Don't leave out pushups and pullups.

The surface you're running on should be some sort of track, not asphalt. Running on asphalt-->injuries

If you're serious about losing weight, you could also try using the weight watchers equations to monitor your food intake for a couple weeks. I started using them last week and lost seven pounds (also with exercising every day, results not typical.) At your weight you should be eating 24 points per day plus 35 weekly flex points you can use whenever you want. http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/weight_watchers_points/

Within that system of equations you are also allowed exercise points for use on the same day as exercise, the equations are here: http://www.starling-fitness.com/archive...ou-need-to-know-about-weight-watchers/

Edit: At your height and weight, you probably shouldn't worry about your weight. Instead focus on running performance, muscle strength/endurance, and resting HR and BP. Your BP should be 120/80 or less. Use these plus how fast/far you can run and how many pullups you can do as metrics of health rather than weight. If you put on enough muscle and improve your cardiovascular performance your current weight could be fine.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: Strk

Originally posted by: DanTMWTMP

Originally posted by: Strk
What do you eat?

cereal or sandwich for breakfast, another sandwich (usually tuna salad or turkey) during lunch, rice & meats cooked in various ways that I can think of for dinner.

Not the healthiest of meals, but they're not large portions either.

What about drinks and snacks?

water, the ocassional diet soda, and no snacks (except on parties, lol. But no, I generally avoid chips, cookies, etc. only when I go to theme parks or parties or go out will I indulge a little bit). This diet saves a lot of money too! it's not hard to find nice ingredients @ the market to make your own stuff.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

Originally posted by: newmachineoverlord
Do yoga every day for the back pain, if it doesn't clear up after two months of that then see a doctor. http://www.solveyourproblem.com/back-pa...ief/exercises_for_back_pain_yoga.shtml

Also stretch for at least ten minutes after every run, and be sure to walk for at least ten minutes after every run too. You should be exercising for at least half an hour every day, run at least twice a week and walk/bike on days you don't run. In order to speed recovery you should be taking whey protein immediately after your workout (which costs less than 15$ for five pounds) followed up with a full meal within two hours. Do upper body workouts and abs on walking days. Don't leave out pushups and pullups.

The surface you're running on should be some sort of track, not asphalt. Running on asphalt-->injuries

If you're serious about losing weight, you could also try using the weight watchers equations to monitor your food intake for a couple weeks. I started using them last week and lost seven pounds (also with exercising every day, results not typical.) At your weight you should be eating 24 points per day plus 35 weekly flex points you can use whenever you want. http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/weight_watchers_points/

Within that system of equations you are also allowed exercise points for use on the same day as exercise, the equations are here: http://www.starling-fitness.com/archive...ou-need-to-know-about-weight-watchers/

wow, thanks for the links.
Geezes, that all sounds so complicated haha. I can deal with having a workout schedule, but to schedule and measure what I eat... hehe, but I'll give it a shot.