I suggest finding a way to have your treadmill in front of a computer. I watch shows online when I ride.
Fitness Checkin
- Thread starter kimc
- Start date
I've been lucky this winter that (In Boston) every time there has been a snow storm, the temperature went up to 50 and there was a rainstorm the next weekend. So I haven't had trouble running.
No way I'm paying for a treadmill. A thousand bucks for something that can't really fit in my apartment and isn't as good a workout as the free workout you get outside. There are treadmills at a rock climbing gym I'm a member of, but no TVs in front of them.
I finished climbing a V2 for the first time today. It was glorious.
No way I'm paying for a treadmill. A thousand bucks for something that can't really fit in my apartment and isn't as good a workout as the free workout you get outside. There are treadmills at a rock climbing gym I'm a member of, but no TVs in front of them.
I finished climbing a V2 for the first time today. It was glorious.
^You are my new best friend, climber person. I can do about half the V2's up in my gym and have completed one V3 ever, but I much prefer roped climbing to bouldering.
I dunno how accurate my gym's ratings are, though.
I signed up for a Ragnar Trail Relay in June, so I'm starting to get into running.
I dunno how accurate my gym's ratings are, though.
I signed up for a Ragnar Trail Relay in June, so I'm starting to get into running.
I've been hovering around 240 for the last 6 months, and I feel so tiny!
I've survived the holiday season... Beat it down to 153 before I took off from work before Christmas, and got it back there the week after new years. Sitting around there now a week after my work's annual sales conference (which is four days of delicious catering while sitting at conference tables).
This year will be the year I go from straight up weight loss to building some muscle back, since muscle mass has been going down with the weight pretty much everywhere but the legs. I've been a strict calorie counter, using the treadmill as the primary means to keep the intake low enough to lose about two pounds a week. Now I'll be shifting to less treadmill and more cardio routines, plus adding light weights back into the mix (I have a humble set of up to 25 pounds each hand). I intend to do at least 30 minutes of treadmill a day though, so I can still watch SOMETHING in the morning.
And I'm resolving to worry less about the scale, or BMI for that matter; I hope to get into the mindset about how I look and feel, plus what are called NSVs or "Non-Scale Victories" as goals, such as running a distance, doing X flights of stairs at a go, etc.
Here are my top NSVs from 2013:
- Looking loose in a medium size T-shirt (used to rock XL). In August I gave away 17 nerdy XL size t-shirts at an anime convention and it felt GREAT!
- Ditching pretty much my whole pre-marriage wardrobe and buying new stuff in June.
- No longer fitting into a lot of THAT stuff and buying even more clothes at Christmas.
- Doing my first shirtless scene on stage without even thinking about it or chickening out as I usually did (I'm an improv actor)
- MAJOR VICTORY: reducing my high blood pressure medication dosage by 75%, and possibly getting rid of it altogether in 2014!
In 2014 I wanted to compete in a "Climb the Calgary Tower" fundraiser, but turns out it's on the same weekend as my town's major comic expo, so no-go on that one. :P Looking for similar goals instead - for example, my company president climbs the 114 storeys of the CN Tower every year. Also, my pipe dream of filling a proper S1-2 TNG costume, or for that matter a Sentai cosplay may not happen this year, but it's definitely something to aim for!
Mark
This year will be the year I go from straight up weight loss to building some muscle back, since muscle mass has been going down with the weight pretty much everywhere but the legs. I've been a strict calorie counter, using the treadmill as the primary means to keep the intake low enough to lose about two pounds a week. Now I'll be shifting to less treadmill and more cardio routines, plus adding light weights back into the mix (I have a humble set of up to 25 pounds each hand). I intend to do at least 30 minutes of treadmill a day though, so I can still watch SOMETHING in the morning.
And I'm resolving to worry less about the scale, or BMI for that matter; I hope to get into the mindset about how I look and feel, plus what are called NSVs or "Non-Scale Victories" as goals, such as running a distance, doing X flights of stairs at a go, etc.
Here are my top NSVs from 2013:
- Looking loose in a medium size T-shirt (used to rock XL). In August I gave away 17 nerdy XL size t-shirts at an anime convention and it felt GREAT!
- Ditching pretty much my whole pre-marriage wardrobe and buying new stuff in June.
- No longer fitting into a lot of THAT stuff and buying even more clothes at Christmas.
- Doing my first shirtless scene on stage without even thinking about it or chickening out as I usually did (I'm an improv actor)
- MAJOR VICTORY: reducing my high blood pressure medication dosage by 75%, and possibly getting rid of it altogether in 2014!
In 2014 I wanted to compete in a "Climb the Calgary Tower" fundraiser, but turns out it's on the same weekend as my town's major comic expo, so no-go on that one. :P Looking for similar goals instead - for example, my company president climbs the 114 storeys of the CN Tower every year. Also, my pipe dream of filling a proper S1-2 TNG costume, or for that matter a Sentai cosplay may not happen this year, but it's definitely something to aim for!
Mark
Update: Still the same weight-ish. Now mixing 25-minute cardio routines with 45 minutes on the treadmill every morning, and complementing this with 30 chinups or 300 situps or 60 weighted squats on alternating days. My wife has noted that hair is now sprouting from my upper back (whcih is practically unknown for asian men). What the fook?!
More importantly, I've signed up for my first 5K run, called "Zombie Survivor". It'll be the same as most 5K runs, except with obstacles. And zombies trying to grab your ribbons or eat your brains, or something.
Mark
More importantly, I've signed up for my first 5K run, called "Zombie Survivor". It'll be the same as most 5K runs, except with obstacles. And zombies trying to grab your ribbons or eat your brains, or something.
Mark
I've got kind of a gauntlet coming up in May.
May 9-10: Ragnar Run
May 17: Bone Frog (9 mile OCR on ski slopes)
May 31: Tough Mudder
Now I have an actual monthly membership at the rock climbing gym so I've been going like twice a week. At this point I can do all the V0s, all the V1s except one that's hanging way backward, and two out of the five current V2s. The ones I can't do are the ones where you need to put both your hands on slopers at the same time. Can't do V3s yet mostly because of my forementioned trouble gripping slopers. Also I'm like 205 pounds so I often have to power my way through and use energy early.
I like top-roping too but I don't usually have a belay partner and the gym I go to doesn't have autobelays.
I've settled on a workout plan that I'm going to follow up until my May gauntlet.
Monday: Rock climbing
Tuesday: Strength training
Wednesday: Hill run
Thursday: Rock climbing
Friday: Long run
Saturday: Strength training
Sunday: Speed run or trail run
Well, LIFE happened and got in the way of my fitness and my karate. New job, new town, relocating, resettling, and now 18 months later...
So, my wife had the brilliant idea of getting us a Y membership three weeks ago. I haven't been in a karate class in 18 months, and had let my fitness go to hell.
So, I tried their wellness room. I lasted all of 8 minutes on the elliptical runny thing that first day, and at 3 minutes really wanted to say, "f this" and go home.
But I kept with it. I'm settling into a routine of 10-15 minutes of cardio, 30 minutes of weight machines (arms one day, legs the next, and core each day), and then another 15-30 minutes of cardio. I'm down about six pounds.
Today, I went two miles over the course of 35 minutes on the elliptical runny thing.
Now.... how to keep with it.
So, my wife had the brilliant idea of getting us a Y membership three weeks ago. I haven't been in a karate class in 18 months, and had let my fitness go to hell.
So, I tried their wellness room. I lasted all of 8 minutes on the elliptical runny thing that first day, and at 3 minutes really wanted to say, "f this" and go home.
But I kept with it. I'm settling into a routine of 10-15 minutes of cardio, 30 minutes of weight machines (arms one day, legs the next, and core each day), and then another 15-30 minutes of cardio. I'm down about six pounds.
Today, I went two miles over the course of 35 minutes on the elliptical runny thing.
Now.... how to keep with it.
Update for me:
- I've achieved, and have been bouncing around the 145-150 range for a month or so now. Quite comfy here.
- I have discovered that I fit a size small T-shirt, and LOOK GOOD WHILE DOING SO. On stage, no less.
-Likewise, I played Khal Drogo in an improv comedy production of "Game of Thrones", shirtless, and made it work despite being at least sixteen feet too short for the role.
- I've signed up for my first 5K run, which naturally has to be a Zombie Survivor race that'll have me surmounting various obstacles while avoiding zombies who want eat my brain or something.
You know, speaking as someone who has been asking the "lost weight, NOW what?" question of late, I've been focusing on what to do to keep the weight off... And I'm slowly realizing that for me, the number on the scale isn't as important as other things. Things like getting some abs to show off this summer (have four now happily visible, where's the rest?), or fitting into slim-fit pants for the first time in my life. Things like being in good enough shape to finish all the obstacles in the upcoming Zombie Survivor, or safely lifting my four year-old daughter above my head when she wants to fly like a ballerina - whenever she wants. They are more selfish goals perhaps, but they are GOALS, and reasons to NOT regress to a lifestyle that will slowly send me back into a less healthy life.
The number on the scale WAS important to me when I was fighting to defeat my status as obese, then overweight. I'm learning, slowly, that it's time to find diet and fitness goals to work towards that will focus me on becoming more fit, and a better person physically - and probably emotionally or even spiritually while I'm at it. I'll keep weighing-in, literally, as this process continues, but I hope to exchange living by what the scale says to living by what my body is telling and showing me.
Here's hoping!
Mark
- I've achieved, and have been bouncing around the 145-150 range for a month or so now. Quite comfy here.
- I have discovered that I fit a size small T-shirt, and LOOK GOOD WHILE DOING SO. On stage, no less.
-Likewise, I played Khal Drogo in an improv comedy production of "Game of Thrones", shirtless, and made it work despite being at least sixteen feet too short for the role.
- I've signed up for my first 5K run, which naturally has to be a Zombie Survivor race that'll have me surmounting various obstacles while avoiding zombies who want eat my brain or something.
You know, speaking as someone who has been asking the "lost weight, NOW what?" question of late, I've been focusing on what to do to keep the weight off... And I'm slowly realizing that for me, the number on the scale isn't as important as other things. Things like getting some abs to show off this summer (have four now happily visible, where's the rest?), or fitting into slim-fit pants for the first time in my life. Things like being in good enough shape to finish all the obstacles in the upcoming Zombie Survivor, or safely lifting my four year-old daughter above my head when she wants to fly like a ballerina - whenever she wants. They are more selfish goals perhaps, but they are GOALS, and reasons to NOT regress to a lifestyle that will slowly send me back into a less healthy life.
The number on the scale WAS important to me when I was fighting to defeat my status as obese, then overweight. I'm learning, slowly, that it's time to find diet and fitness goals to work towards that will focus me on becoming more fit, and a better person physically - and probably emotionally or even spiritually while I'm at it. I'll keep weighing-in, literally, as this process continues, but I hope to exchange living by what the scale says to living by what my body is telling and showing me.
Here's hoping!
Mark
One year ago last weekend, I ran my first obstacle course race. I had a horrible time and I was exhausted and dead at the end.
Last week, I got my first page 1 result at the exact same event as my first race. I finished #65 out of 1500. And since I was #11 in my age group, I qualified for the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships. They are in Cincinnati which is a 13 hour drive for me but I am still considering going just because of how awesome it would feel to be competing in the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships. (Also it would be the first year the event is held and it would be awesome to be a part of that).
As a nerd, this is the first real athletic success I've had in my life, and that feels really good.
On a side note, Bone Frog is awesome. Spartan Race has you carry stuff and do burpees, Tough Mudder makes you jump in ice water, and they both claim to be the toughest race. But Bone Frog has twice as many obstacles and no god damned ice water. If you live anywhere near a Bone Frog course and you can only do one OCR, do that one. If you can't do a Bone Frog, Spartan Race is fine. Not quite as fun but a little harder. Tough Mudder is easy and thinks soaking your balls in ice water is an obstacle.
Obstacle course racing is awesome, Bone Frog is the best, Spartan Race is fine, and Tough Mudder is overrated and not actually that hard.
Last week, I got my first page 1 result at the exact same event as my first race. I finished #65 out of 1500. And since I was #11 in my age group, I qualified for the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships. They are in Cincinnati which is a 13 hour drive for me but I am still considering going just because of how awesome it would feel to be competing in the Obstacle Course Racing World Championships. (Also it would be the first year the event is held and it would be awesome to be a part of that).
As a nerd, this is the first real athletic success I've had in my life, and that feels really good.
On a side note, Bone Frog is awesome. Spartan Race has you carry stuff and do burpees, Tough Mudder makes you jump in ice water, and they both claim to be the toughest race. But Bone Frog has twice as many obstacles and no god damned ice water. If you live anywhere near a Bone Frog course and you can only do one OCR, do that one. If you can't do a Bone Frog, Spartan Race is fine. Not quite as fun but a little harder. Tough Mudder is easy and thinks soaking your balls in ice water is an obstacle.
Obstacle course racing is awesome, Bone Frog is the best, Spartan Race is fine, and Tough Mudder is overrated and not actually that hard.
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I ran in the Ragnar Trail Appalachians this weekend, and today it hurts to move.
It poured for two hours between my first and second leg, so the yellow trail ended up being 4.7 miles through sloppy 6" deep mud at night. Quite the experience when you're new to trail running!
It poured for two hours between my first and second leg, so the yellow trail ended up being 4.7 miles through sloppy 6" deep mud at night. Quite the experience when you're new to trail running!
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You know how you know you're addicted to obstacle course races? When you're watching the DS9 episode The Ascent and you're thinking 'Looks like fun'.
I was going to do a Ragnar run in the fall but a couple of the people got injuries so we couldn't get 12 people before it filled up. I really want to do one of those.
I was going to do a Ragnar run in the fall but a couple of the people got injuries so we couldn't get 12 people before it filled up. I really want to do one of those.
Well, after seeing the incredible weight loss that a friend from high school pulled off, I've realized I need to get up off my ass and get in shape. I've always been a big guy. I'm at 290 lbs right now. I've started the first leg of couch to 5K. I'm tired, and kinda sore, but not as much as I expected. This seems doable to me. Encouragement is appreciated so that I don't slack off. I want to be better than I am.
Okay, after a valiant effort in the fall, I more or less fell off the bandwagon. And then... I started easing up on the treats. And then... epiploic appendagitis hit two weeks ago, destroying my appetite. I am therefore down 11 pounds and a full BMI percentage point! 
I don't know about all that. It's been reported that even having a "pouch" is enough to cause problems.
...which would be how you look in the mirror.
Weight by itself is too vague a number to be truly meaningful. Saying "I lost 5 pounds!" could mean so many things. Was it 5 bs of fat? Was it 5 lbs of muscle? Was it water? Did you just take a big shit?
Fat percentage is one thing, but weight in and of itself just doesn't give you enough information, especially since muscle is heavier than fat.
Although when you're athletic weight becomes more important. I've heard as a rule of thumb: For every ten pounds you are overweight, you lose 20 seconds per mile. And for stuff like rock climbing and obstacle course races, if you're not trim it's much harder to do obstacles like rope climbs and monkey bars.
Yesterday I weighed in at 182.6 pounds, which is the lightest I've been since I was 13. But I'm trying to get down to 160.
Hopefully sooner rather than later because in August and September I'm doing a full Spartan Trifecta.
Yesterday I weighed in at 182.6 pounds, which is the lightest I've been since I was 13. But I'm trying to get down to 160.
Hopefully sooner rather than later because in August and September I'm doing a full Spartan Trifecta.