So I went to the gym again today, on a sort-of empty stomach. I had to cut my usual lunch of the entire plate of drunken noodle with chicken in half after finding out how many calories there are in a cup of drunken noodles, and I was sort of fine until about 5pm when I had to leave for the gym. But I didn't eat anything else, and I wasn't really famished so all was well.
I usually start my run at 5mph for about a mile before doing something else, and that's what I did today. But as I was doing that, I felt like I wasn't really running. I was more like... speed walking. And I didn't feel tired like I usually would after about 7 minutes. I barely had to deepen my breath after I finished the first mile.
And although this was kind of cool, I wasn't really sure what kind of improvement this would count as. Muscle strength? Stamina? Or just finding a new and better technique to run? As I increased the speed for the next mile I was out of breath for the fastest minute or so, and stopped when I got to about a 5K.
And I felt really good. Sweaty and slightly out of breath, sure, but my foot wasn't hurting and I didn't stress my body too much with it. It was just strange. I mean, it doesn't mean that I'm all of a sudden a very fast walker, and if I walk like the way I did on the treadmill I would look very silly, but I really don't know what I did differently of where I have improved to achieve that. Or did I just learn to take shorter steps and not bounce as much? I don't know.
Today the gym was relatively empty. I went around the same time as I did on Tuesday, but on Tuesday the gym was packed and there was no unoccupied treadmill at all. I think finals week is approaching for the undergrads and that might explain it a little bit. Also it was so warm and sunny out I passed at least half a dozen runners and a equal number of cyclists, so maybe everyone was working out outside. Either way it was very nice not to feel crowded and claustrophobic. And the fitness room is air conditioned, so what's not to like?
I really think all of my strength improvement is due to my HIIT class, but the class will likely not be offered in the summer, and plus I've gotten to the point in the term where I just become very afraid of the class. Afraid of the tiredness and out-of-breath-ness, even though I know it's good for me in the end. I've purchased an arm band for my iPhone and wireless sports headphones so I could maybe do some weight lifting or something in the future on my own without having to worry about where to put my phone if I will have to do with music/podcast-less. I will never achieve the level of fitness as i do in my class, but any muscle building is better than none at all right?
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Monday, May 23, 2016
Lose It!
Despite owning just every other Apple products, last week I finally got my first iPhone! I bought the new SE because of the smaller size and cheaper price. I was gonna get a new phone anyway and I couldn't be happier that I was actually getting the newest model.
After I got my phone I spent hours obsessively playing with it and installing new programs. One of the apps I downloaded was the weight loss app Lose It! It's concept is just like every other weight loss app: you count the calories you take in by logging everything you eat, and you count the calories you use by somehow recording your exercise. I usually really hate calorie counting, I always feel that is it is the opposite of healthy eating and a normal life style. But I saw all the positive ratings users have given to this app, and I thought, hey, I need to lose weight, what do I have to lose?
And now I see why so many people like this app. Yes it is a calorie counting app, and yes if I were to download this even 6 months ago I would probably dislike it and delete it in a day. But several things have changed in my life: I have a Fitbit that records all my steps and exercise and then some; I have a new phone that has a front and back camera; and I just have this overall curiosity to document everything I do. I've been using this app for 3 days and although I can't say I will stick with it forever, I did learn some very interesting things already.
First: weight loss really require discipline and patience, and persistence. When I first started using the app I set an arbitrary goal of losing 20 pounds. The app told me that if I do it in a way that would not strain my lifestyle or my health I could achieve my goal in September. If I want to do it even more leisurely I could do it by November. And it sort of struck me. I know a health way of losing weight is to lose about 1 pound per week, but I never had the capacity, until with the help of this app, to actually determine that if I want to lose 20 pounds, which I genuinely do, this is how long it's going to take. I could do it in a more extreme way but I knew that I wouldn't be able to stick with it, so I contented myself with that fact that hey, September will roll around in an eye blink and I may still carry these 20 lbs, so why now use these months to do something that I really want to do.
Second: I way over eat. This app is extremely great for logging everything you eat because it has a tremendous database of nutritional information, everything from a generic food item (caesar salad, for example), to the specific nutritional value of certain restaurant or supermarket food items. It also has a scan function so if you eat any prepackaged food (like a can of soda or frozen dumplings), you can just scan the barcode of said item and indicate how much of it you ate (half a can, or 7 dumplings, for example). There is still some approximation involved, especially with home cooked meal. It can accurately tell you, say, the caloric count of a 10-oz portion of cooked salmon, but because I didn't tell it how I prepared it, the app cannot accurately determine, say, salt content or the calories of the dash of oyster sauce I splashed on my salmon. But overall it was extremely painless to log my food, which made the experience way nicer.
But as I said, it's apparently that I have been way underestimating how much I think I eat. It's no wonder that with all the exercise I do I'm still not getting any lighter. I always think I didn't eat a lot on any given day, but when you punch in all the items the numbers are pretty shocking. For the 3 days I've been using the app I was able to keep under the caloric budget the app has set for me, mostly with the help of all the running and gym classes and walking I do, but I have been scared of putting anything in my mouth because I simply don't have the budget to eat anything. It turns out that I'm not only poor financially, but also calorically. I really can't afford to get as many take-out as I would like, but at the same time my body just cannot afford to take in the extra calories, without getting heavier that is. It's a fun way to think about food intake, and in some ways makes you less likely to take in that extra sip of cream-and-sugar-filled ice coffee.
It may seem like a cruel way to live, especially given how much I enjoy eating. But financially I've always lived according to my ability. I'm not very good a saving a lot of money for some abstract thing in the long-term future, but I also don't get into debts just because I want something and it doesn't matter whether I could afford it or not. And bringing this mentally into the way I eat may be a good thing. I will be more encouraged if this way of life actually produce me results.
Third, and this is the downside: I can't stop obsessively syncing my Fitbit and checking and rechecking the app. It's back enough that I can't stop fidgeting with my new phone, it's worse to unlock it every 3 minutes to see how much my walking as offset my food intake budget. I have not been driven crazy by this yet, but I feel that I'm getting there.
I'm not trying to pimp this app on anyone, it's just that I've been kind of all over it for the past few days that I just need to write it down somewhere. I really hope this will help me produce some real result in weight loss.
I'm still running semi-regularly, and taking gym classes, and occasionally doing yoga. Summer is finally approaching New England and it's time to think about running outside (I know, I still haven't, I need the time to get over the self-consciousness). I've not been very successful with running in summers, and hopefully this year there will be some improvement.
After I got my phone I spent hours obsessively playing with it and installing new programs. One of the apps I downloaded was the weight loss app Lose It! It's concept is just like every other weight loss app: you count the calories you take in by logging everything you eat, and you count the calories you use by somehow recording your exercise. I usually really hate calorie counting, I always feel that is it is the opposite of healthy eating and a normal life style. But I saw all the positive ratings users have given to this app, and I thought, hey, I need to lose weight, what do I have to lose?
And now I see why so many people like this app. Yes it is a calorie counting app, and yes if I were to download this even 6 months ago I would probably dislike it and delete it in a day. But several things have changed in my life: I have a Fitbit that records all my steps and exercise and then some; I have a new phone that has a front and back camera; and I just have this overall curiosity to document everything I do. I've been using this app for 3 days and although I can't say I will stick with it forever, I did learn some very interesting things already.
First: weight loss really require discipline and patience, and persistence. When I first started using the app I set an arbitrary goal of losing 20 pounds. The app told me that if I do it in a way that would not strain my lifestyle or my health I could achieve my goal in September. If I want to do it even more leisurely I could do it by November. And it sort of struck me. I know a health way of losing weight is to lose about 1 pound per week, but I never had the capacity, until with the help of this app, to actually determine that if I want to lose 20 pounds, which I genuinely do, this is how long it's going to take. I could do it in a more extreme way but I knew that I wouldn't be able to stick with it, so I contented myself with that fact that hey, September will roll around in an eye blink and I may still carry these 20 lbs, so why now use these months to do something that I really want to do.
Second: I way over eat. This app is extremely great for logging everything you eat because it has a tremendous database of nutritional information, everything from a generic food item (caesar salad, for example), to the specific nutritional value of certain restaurant or supermarket food items. It also has a scan function so if you eat any prepackaged food (like a can of soda or frozen dumplings), you can just scan the barcode of said item and indicate how much of it you ate (half a can, or 7 dumplings, for example). There is still some approximation involved, especially with home cooked meal. It can accurately tell you, say, the caloric count of a 10-oz portion of cooked salmon, but because I didn't tell it how I prepared it, the app cannot accurately determine, say, salt content or the calories of the dash of oyster sauce I splashed on my salmon. But overall it was extremely painless to log my food, which made the experience way nicer.
But as I said, it's apparently that I have been way underestimating how much I think I eat. It's no wonder that with all the exercise I do I'm still not getting any lighter. I always think I didn't eat a lot on any given day, but when you punch in all the items the numbers are pretty shocking. For the 3 days I've been using the app I was able to keep under the caloric budget the app has set for me, mostly with the help of all the running and gym classes and walking I do, but I have been scared of putting anything in my mouth because I simply don't have the budget to eat anything. It turns out that I'm not only poor financially, but also calorically. I really can't afford to get as many take-out as I would like, but at the same time my body just cannot afford to take in the extra calories, without getting heavier that is. It's a fun way to think about food intake, and in some ways makes you less likely to take in that extra sip of cream-and-sugar-filled ice coffee.
It may seem like a cruel way to live, especially given how much I enjoy eating. But financially I've always lived according to my ability. I'm not very good a saving a lot of money for some abstract thing in the long-term future, but I also don't get into debts just because I want something and it doesn't matter whether I could afford it or not. And bringing this mentally into the way I eat may be a good thing. I will be more encouraged if this way of life actually produce me results.
Third, and this is the downside: I can't stop obsessively syncing my Fitbit and checking and rechecking the app. It's back enough that I can't stop fidgeting with my new phone, it's worse to unlock it every 3 minutes to see how much my walking as offset my food intake budget. I have not been driven crazy by this yet, but I feel that I'm getting there.
I'm not trying to pimp this app on anyone, it's just that I've been kind of all over it for the past few days that I just need to write it down somewhere. I really hope this will help me produce some real result in weight loss.
I'm still running semi-regularly, and taking gym classes, and occasionally doing yoga. Summer is finally approaching New England and it's time to think about running outside (I know, I still haven't, I need the time to get over the self-consciousness). I've not been very successful with running in summers, and hopefully this year there will be some improvement.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
It wasn't that bad
So I actually managed to make it to my HIIT class today (yay). The weather was so nice, and I felt like an idiot wearing my fleece jacket and my outer jacket as I walked toward the gym.
Today's stations were a bit weird. There were 8 stations that you do 35 seconds each, but to get to each station you must run across the indoor track (which is 1/13 of a mile all the way around anyway) so there's a bit more cardio involved. We didn't do any additional cardio after a whole round, and we didn't have to repeat each station 2x before resting. But we ended up doing all stations 3 times before starting the last part, and by then I was just a bit bored by all the things we had to do.
But the part I felt really good about myself is that as we stopped each time to take water break, my first thought was "that wasn't too bad". Although, after the 2nd round I kind of felt like throwing up a bit. I still felt like the wind was knocked out of me after we were done for the day but once I survive the class I really feel like none of it was that bad. And I always came out stronger and feeling better about myself.
I'm putting running and badminton on hold for the week or so because starting last night I took up a 4-class R.A.D. course that teaches women how to avoid and get away from a potential sexual assailant. Last night's class was mostly lecturing, but starting tomorrow we are going to have our classes in a gym and learn about different moves and punch stuff. I learned last night how to make a proper solid fist, and how to stand defensively and offensively. I look forward to punch stuff tomorrow, and the final simulation class during which I get to punch a padded and suited police officer. Not because I want to take my aggression out by punching someone, but I've realized that of all the activities I've partaken so far none of it has anything to do with defeating another person. I mean, you play badminton against another person but you sort of know where you stand in terms of your skills and levels. I know who I can beat in a game, who is way out of my league, and who could be a good match. But with person-to-person combat, in a potentially life or death situation, when you really have to rely on your physical strength and your skills to get yourself out of a dangerous situation, is when it really shows how much all your self-improvement activities are worth. I still run a 12-minute mile so I'm not gonna be a world class sprinter, and I still can't run a marathon so I'm not gonna win a golden metal for that, but that's not the point here. If I ever get myself into a situation in which I really have to be quick witted and take physical action to get myself out of trouble I sure hope I don't do so by being really flexible or knowing how to swing a badminton racket. So, yea, real life skill is what I'm trying to learn here. And maybe some of my aggression will be taken out of me, but we will see. I said last night during class that the reason why I'm taking it is that it seemed like fun, and honestly I still fully believe that.
Today's stations were a bit weird. There were 8 stations that you do 35 seconds each, but to get to each station you must run across the indoor track (which is 1/13 of a mile all the way around anyway) so there's a bit more cardio involved. We didn't do any additional cardio after a whole round, and we didn't have to repeat each station 2x before resting. But we ended up doing all stations 3 times before starting the last part, and by then I was just a bit bored by all the things we had to do.
But the part I felt really good about myself is that as we stopped each time to take water break, my first thought was "that wasn't too bad". Although, after the 2nd round I kind of felt like throwing up a bit. I still felt like the wind was knocked out of me after we were done for the day but once I survive the class I really feel like none of it was that bad. And I always came out stronger and feeling better about myself.
I'm putting running and badminton on hold for the week or so because starting last night I took up a 4-class R.A.D. course that teaches women how to avoid and get away from a potential sexual assailant. Last night's class was mostly lecturing, but starting tomorrow we are going to have our classes in a gym and learn about different moves and punch stuff. I learned last night how to make a proper solid fist, and how to stand defensively and offensively. I look forward to punch stuff tomorrow, and the final simulation class during which I get to punch a padded and suited police officer. Not because I want to take my aggression out by punching someone, but I've realized that of all the activities I've partaken so far none of it has anything to do with defeating another person. I mean, you play badminton against another person but you sort of know where you stand in terms of your skills and levels. I know who I can beat in a game, who is way out of my league, and who could be a good match. But with person-to-person combat, in a potentially life or death situation, when you really have to rely on your physical strength and your skills to get yourself out of a dangerous situation, is when it really shows how much all your self-improvement activities are worth. I still run a 12-minute mile so I'm not gonna be a world class sprinter, and I still can't run a marathon so I'm not gonna win a golden metal for that, but that's not the point here. If I ever get myself into a situation in which I really have to be quick witted and take physical action to get myself out of trouble I sure hope I don't do so by being really flexible or knowing how to swing a badminton racket. So, yea, real life skill is what I'm trying to learn here. And maybe some of my aggression will be taken out of me, but we will see. I said last night during class that the reason why I'm taking it is that it seemed like fun, and honestly I still fully believe that.
Tuesday, April 19, 2016
It's all mental
Checked the date I wrote my last post. Boy so much had happened since 3/23. Most of it has nothing to do with exercise, but I did start my HIIT gym class again and right from the start I could feel that I was in much better shape than before. Still felt like I was going to die afterwards, which was the reason I've been sort of afraid of going to the last two classes.
Yesterday I did a short run after a week of hiatus. I had my period and I was tired, etc., so I took the week off, but by the end of that week I got comfortable with not moving or having to go to the gym and I got lazy and complacent. My run yesterday was hurried and I didn't really set a goal. Essentially I had about an hour before the gym closed and I wanted to squeeze a run in. I wasn't really tired but I got really bored really quickly. And I felt frustrated. I think as I'm physically getting better I need to prepare mentally for each workout just as much. I need a specific goal, and a fall back goal in case it was a bad day. I need to not be in a rush; if I had to go somewhere afterwards I need to remind myself that the next thing I'm going to do is not more important than my run.
I'm not sure where this post is going... But I just need to regroup. I've not really done a real yoga class since... well, and I haven't played badminton since my tournament. I haven't gone to my gym class on a regular basis, and I'm busy with life and school work. I'm still journaling but that has also become a slog, and I really need to regroup. The weather is getting nicer and with decreasing lab work I have to do it's easier to want to stay home and work and that's not usually the most efficient way of working. If I don't focus this can fall apart very quickly.
Yesterday I did a short run after a week of hiatus. I had my period and I was tired, etc., so I took the week off, but by the end of that week I got comfortable with not moving or having to go to the gym and I got lazy and complacent. My run yesterday was hurried and I didn't really set a goal. Essentially I had about an hour before the gym closed and I wanted to squeeze a run in. I wasn't really tired but I got really bored really quickly. And I felt frustrated. I think as I'm physically getting better I need to prepare mentally for each workout just as much. I need a specific goal, and a fall back goal in case it was a bad day. I need to not be in a rush; if I had to go somewhere afterwards I need to remind myself that the next thing I'm going to do is not more important than my run.
I'm not sure where this post is going... But I just need to regroup. I've not really done a real yoga class since... well, and I haven't played badminton since my tournament. I haven't gone to my gym class on a regular basis, and I'm busy with life and school work. I'm still journaling but that has also become a slog, and I really need to regroup. The weather is getting nicer and with decreasing lab work I have to do it's easier to want to stay home and work and that's not usually the most efficient way of working. If I don't focus this can fall apart very quickly.
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
That extra scoop of coal
Had a really good run today, though it was a struggle getting there. By 6pm or so today I was suddenly famished, and desperately wanted crispy chicken pad thai for dinner. So before I left work today I sat and debated with myself for a long time as to what to do. In the end I decided to go to the gym, run my 5K, and have thai takeout as a reward afterwards to balance out the calorie intake/output.
I was originally going to just run 25 minutes non-stop, and then do a 4-minute run/1-minute walk thing until I get to 40 minutes, which usually equates a 5K more or less. But luckily, I caught half an episode of Castle that just happened to be playing on the treadmill I picked. It was a season finale, during which Beckett was fighting some bad guy on the rooftop of a building that ended with the bad guy getting away and left Beckett hanging by the edge of the building and had to be saved by Ryan. The actual fighting part happened about 20 minutes into my run, and even though I kind of knew what happened, having seen the episode before, I was nonetheless engrossed in the plot and I almost jilted when Beckett was ambushed at one point. The episode cut to commercial right after Beckett rolled to the edge of the building and was hanging by her fingers, and I could feel my heart pumping faster because of the suspense.
And that's when it happened. Just minutes before I started to breathe really heavily and audibly as I usually do around minute 20 and had to really put an effort and focus on my breathing and running, but as I watched the show and I got excited by the plot I found myself breathing normally again, as in, no loud, forceful breaths to artificially pump my heart faster to accommodate the demand of my body. Watching the show seemed to give me an extra shot of adrenaline without me having to do any extra work. The effect was not long lasting though, half way through the commercial break I found myself having to breathe really hard again. I managed to keep running until I did 31 minutes, and ended up running the fastest mile, km, and 5K according to my Nike, earning a pre-recorded congratulatory message from Paula Radcliffe, which was kinda nice. The data is false, by the way. Nike has a tendency of overestimating my distance and I don't always recalibrate afterwards. So now I have a 32-minute 5K record that's not real that I will have to beat later on. Oh well, none of that really matters that much.
But that kind of got me thinking. I used to be really afraid of watching anything suspenseful while running on the treadmill because I didn't want the plot of the show interfere with my breathing. But now it seems that having my heart beat faster is actually a good thing and I might need to do it more often. I also found that during the first 10 minutes or so I really need to concentrate on whatever I'm listening to keep myself from being bored, but this distraction is less necessary beyond the 10-minute mark, as running then requires more conscious effort. Now it seems that around 20-minutes I need something exciting again to give my heart an extra push. I'm not sure this is completely good for me, as people usually talk about increasing their lung capacity instead of heart rate when exercise, but before the capacity of my lungs are properly expanded I'll have to settle with faster heart pumping.
Afterwards as I was walking home I asked myself if I still wanted pad thai, and as usual my appetite gets curbed after exercising and my desire for thai food and fried chicken was not as intense as before. But I still like the idea of very savory food and I couldn't think of any good alternative that I could make at home that would be comparable. I set my mind on the salty ramen noodle in the end, as I was feeling for something soup-y, but I still could not abandon the idea of pad thai. I literally was at a crossroad, having one way leading home and the other leading to the thai restaurant. I ended up sitting on a very cold bench and played 2048 for 3 minutes before my butt got really cold and I just told myself to go home and have ramen and save the $13 I didn't really feel like spending anyway. In the end it was a very successful day with eating, exercising, and money spending.
I've also start to take more walks. On Monday I walked around the nearby pond twice (roughly 2 miles) because I didn't want to go running but I felt the need to exercise. Today I walked around the pond once, since I really need the time to think about the outline of a review I needed to write and I was too full from lunch to sit in front of my desk comfortably. I still haven't come up with a good outline but I did stop feeling bloated. As spring hesitantly approaches there are more runners coming out. On my walk today I saw 2 guys and a girls jogging (separately), and a group of young kids doing some sort of track workout. I started mile 2 and all of a sudden decided that I didn't want to walk anymore but would like to go back and start making a tentative outline and assemble a reading list, so I literally stopped abruptly, turned around, and walked back to my office. As I turned around I saw the group of young kids running their third and they must have thought that I was most weird. Oh well.
I was originally going to just run 25 minutes non-stop, and then do a 4-minute run/1-minute walk thing until I get to 40 minutes, which usually equates a 5K more or less. But luckily, I caught half an episode of Castle that just happened to be playing on the treadmill I picked. It was a season finale, during which Beckett was fighting some bad guy on the rooftop of a building that ended with the bad guy getting away and left Beckett hanging by the edge of the building and had to be saved by Ryan. The actual fighting part happened about 20 minutes into my run, and even though I kind of knew what happened, having seen the episode before, I was nonetheless engrossed in the plot and I almost jilted when Beckett was ambushed at one point. The episode cut to commercial right after Beckett rolled to the edge of the building and was hanging by her fingers, and I could feel my heart pumping faster because of the suspense.
And that's when it happened. Just minutes before I started to breathe really heavily and audibly as I usually do around minute 20 and had to really put an effort and focus on my breathing and running, but as I watched the show and I got excited by the plot I found myself breathing normally again, as in, no loud, forceful breaths to artificially pump my heart faster to accommodate the demand of my body. Watching the show seemed to give me an extra shot of adrenaline without me having to do any extra work. The effect was not long lasting though, half way through the commercial break I found myself having to breathe really hard again. I managed to keep running until I did 31 minutes, and ended up running the fastest mile, km, and 5K according to my Nike, earning a pre-recorded congratulatory message from Paula Radcliffe, which was kinda nice. The data is false, by the way. Nike has a tendency of overestimating my distance and I don't always recalibrate afterwards. So now I have a 32-minute 5K record that's not real that I will have to beat later on. Oh well, none of that really matters that much.
But that kind of got me thinking. I used to be really afraid of watching anything suspenseful while running on the treadmill because I didn't want the plot of the show interfere with my breathing. But now it seems that having my heart beat faster is actually a good thing and I might need to do it more often. I also found that during the first 10 minutes or so I really need to concentrate on whatever I'm listening to keep myself from being bored, but this distraction is less necessary beyond the 10-minute mark, as running then requires more conscious effort. Now it seems that around 20-minutes I need something exciting again to give my heart an extra push. I'm not sure this is completely good for me, as people usually talk about increasing their lung capacity instead of heart rate when exercise, but before the capacity of my lungs are properly expanded I'll have to settle with faster heart pumping.
Afterwards as I was walking home I asked myself if I still wanted pad thai, and as usual my appetite gets curbed after exercising and my desire for thai food and fried chicken was not as intense as before. But I still like the idea of very savory food and I couldn't think of any good alternative that I could make at home that would be comparable. I set my mind on the salty ramen noodle in the end, as I was feeling for something soup-y, but I still could not abandon the idea of pad thai. I literally was at a crossroad, having one way leading home and the other leading to the thai restaurant. I ended up sitting on a very cold bench and played 2048 for 3 minutes before my butt got really cold and I just told myself to go home and have ramen and save the $13 I didn't really feel like spending anyway. In the end it was a very successful day with eating, exercising, and money spending.
I've also start to take more walks. On Monday I walked around the nearby pond twice (roughly 2 miles) because I didn't want to go running but I felt the need to exercise. Today I walked around the pond once, since I really need the time to think about the outline of a review I needed to write and I was too full from lunch to sit in front of my desk comfortably. I still haven't come up with a good outline but I did stop feeling bloated. As spring hesitantly approaches there are more runners coming out. On my walk today I saw 2 guys and a girls jogging (separately), and a group of young kids doing some sort of track workout. I started mile 2 and all of a sudden decided that I didn't want to walk anymore but would like to go back and start making a tentative outline and assemble a reading list, so I literally stopped abruptly, turned around, and walked back to my office. As I turned around I saw the group of young kids running their third and they must have thought that I was most weird. Oh well.
Friday, March 18, 2016
Random Thoughts
Running Documentaries
By sheer accident I started to watch documentaries on marathons or people running marathons. I saw one on the Barkley Marathon, one on Desert Series Grand Slam, one on Eddie Izzard, and one on Dean Karnazes. One of the things I learned is that there are a lot of bad documentaries out there about running and marathons. Some of the ones I started to watch were really boring even though they are on very interesting events like the London Marathon or some other ultra event, so you really need to wade through a whole bunch to get the gems, especially if you are fishing on Youtube.
But of the ones I did finish I was inspired by all of them. Like how humble Dean Karnazes is. I first read about him in Born to Run, and for some reason he came off as charismatic but arrogant so I didn't have a good impression of him. And I think this is completely untrue. I've acquired a few of his books now and at some point I'll get around to reading them all.
I was more amazed by Eddie Izzard I think. At 47, this transvestite comedian who had no previous running experience decided to run a marathon a day, 6 days a week, until he goes around the entire Great Britain, for Sports Relief. His marathons averaged about 10 hours each but he still did it and it looked absolutely miserable but entirely amazing. He essentially did it by sheer will power and stubbornness. I think he will have lifelong injuries from this experience, but I can't deny it was just a great feat no matter how you look at it. I was more amazed, and sometimes angered, by how unprepared he was, and how little he seemed to know or care. The support team he assembled was okay at best. The trainer was annoying and not very helpful, and he spent more time in the documentary talking to a camera in sit-down interviews than he was actually by Eddie's side, and somehow he's the trainer, of someone trying to do an impossible feat with no experience. In the middle they brought in some random nutritionist who gave bland and very crappy advice. Eddie did the whole thing while being accompanied by his own ice cream van that went around giving out free ice cream to people for donations, and he essentially snacked on ice cream and candy bars and sometimes beer through the whole thing. And he did the most irresponsible things like trying to do a sub-4 marathon after taking a day off for some pretty bad toe injury, or taking really long detours and refusing to listen to his therapist until he was in serious danger of having to discontinue the runs. But it's Eddie Izzard, and he ran a marathon a day, 6 days a week, around Great Britain. And I was inspired.
Almost Two Years
It's been almost two years since I started running. I started late in March of 2014 for a number of reasons that just happened to occur all at the same time, and I've been running on a off for two years since. I still consider myself a beginner runner, since I don't think I make much progress at all since I started. I didn't lose a significant amount of weight, I've only done a 5K so far and cannot run faster or longer than when I first started, and I'm not sure how much better as a person I've become since I started. The only consolation I could give myself is that, just imagine how much more weight I would've gained if I hadn't run. It's true that I've not gained much weight since I started so I guess that's something.
Advice? What Advice?
Over the two years I've done a lot of reading about running. I've had a Runner's World subscription for almost as long as I had this blog, and I read books about running, watched documentaries, perused blogs written by fellow runners, and read endless articles. I've downloaded marathon training calendars, saved posts about post-run stretches and core-strengthening exercises, listened to talks about running gears, tech or otherwise, and managed to get a signed photo of Shalane Flanagan and had a picture taken with her. I know a lot of stuff, and I've been reading long enough to have some of the basic stuff repeated over and over again.
And there are a number of things that on paper I theoretically should abide by. Things like you have to do tempo runs to increase your speed. You have to vary your workout. That I need a certain kind of shoes given my build and my feet.
Some of the things I read were very helpful. I'm happy with my running posture. And with all my yoga and pilate exercise I've strengthened it somewhat and nowadays I really try to engage my core as I run and the runs do feel a bit easier and more effortlessly. I think I'm done with getting more running shoes for a while. I've worked out my own system while running outside (I've tried bring money to buy water on the way, holding off until I get home, and by the end of last year I got myself a hand-held running bottle with a zipper pouch). My running time are pretty set; I always go around dinner-time. And I've given up on trying to follow any training calendar and just run as I see fit.
I feel that a lot of the advices and guidelines and how-tos are not quite designed for me. I have no explanation for the shoe thing. I guess we'll find out if running with unsupported shoes will give me problems later on. And I no longer do tempo or speed runs. I know they are supposed to help you build your speed, but every time I push beyond my comfortable speed my plantar fasciitis comes back and it's agony. I've done 3 5K runs this week, which is too big of a milage increase from the week before but I don't care since I'm happy with my runs. And I think I'll leave the anaerobic exercise to the HIIT class I signed up again for next term. Running will remain my cardio workout.
And all of a sudden last week and this week I'm able to push through my 1-mile barrier and today I ran for 30 minute straight at a constant speed of 5 mph before slowing to a walk and I've never ever done that before. I know it doesn't sound like much and I'm not going to go any faster in a while but to me it's a substantial achievement. And nothing had changed in the two weeks except my mindset. I told myself that I would run for 30 minutes before stopping to a walk and 40 minutes total and that's what I did. I almost didn't go run today but I told myself that if I wanted to order Thai food for take out I need to go run to burn off the calories. I persuaded myself to hit the gym and somehow also managed to not get Thai food. And I normally suck at self-motivation.
So I'm gonna try something new and just do my own thing for a while. Nothing as crazy and stubborn as Eddie Izzard, but just things that suit me. The heavy, slow me. The unathletic me. I think I need to tailor plans that I can handle, instead of things designed by professionals and for very experienced people. And one of the things is to make small goals. Small and tangible, and make them often as I (hopefully) reach the goals. I told myself that I shouldn't get the Thai dish I really like until I lose 5 lbs. I'm also going to stick with my 5K runs and increase the frequency with which I run them. I want to work my way to one week, hopefully in April sometime, that I do one 5K a day for 7 days. Not at race speed, but just the distance. And I'm not going to do that right away, but I'm going to build to that point. I want to run again on Sunday, so I will have done 4 5-K workouts this week. Maybe next week I'll try 5, maybe I'll stick with 4 again, depending on how I feel. And once I reach my 7-day goal I'll increase my runs to 45 minutes instead of the now-40. Or I'll do a 4-mile target distance. We'll see. But it'll be slow and steady, until my body gets used to it and wants more variety. I'm also going to work more on my mental readiness. Like how not to over-eat, or what to do when I just don't feel like running, or how to better manage the boredom while on treadmill. I know my body is capable of doing more but mentally I'm scared and nervous. I don't really have a race I want to do in the near future but I'll slowly tread toward that direction. And it's going to be good.
By sheer accident I started to watch documentaries on marathons or people running marathons. I saw one on the Barkley Marathon, one on Desert Series Grand Slam, one on Eddie Izzard, and one on Dean Karnazes. One of the things I learned is that there are a lot of bad documentaries out there about running and marathons. Some of the ones I started to watch were really boring even though they are on very interesting events like the London Marathon or some other ultra event, so you really need to wade through a whole bunch to get the gems, especially if you are fishing on Youtube.
But of the ones I did finish I was inspired by all of them. Like how humble Dean Karnazes is. I first read about him in Born to Run, and for some reason he came off as charismatic but arrogant so I didn't have a good impression of him. And I think this is completely untrue. I've acquired a few of his books now and at some point I'll get around to reading them all.
I was more amazed by Eddie Izzard I think. At 47, this transvestite comedian who had no previous running experience decided to run a marathon a day, 6 days a week, until he goes around the entire Great Britain, for Sports Relief. His marathons averaged about 10 hours each but he still did it and it looked absolutely miserable but entirely amazing. He essentially did it by sheer will power and stubbornness. I think he will have lifelong injuries from this experience, but I can't deny it was just a great feat no matter how you look at it. I was more amazed, and sometimes angered, by how unprepared he was, and how little he seemed to know or care. The support team he assembled was okay at best. The trainer was annoying and not very helpful, and he spent more time in the documentary talking to a camera in sit-down interviews than he was actually by Eddie's side, and somehow he's the trainer, of someone trying to do an impossible feat with no experience. In the middle they brought in some random nutritionist who gave bland and very crappy advice. Eddie did the whole thing while being accompanied by his own ice cream van that went around giving out free ice cream to people for donations, and he essentially snacked on ice cream and candy bars and sometimes beer through the whole thing. And he did the most irresponsible things like trying to do a sub-4 marathon after taking a day off for some pretty bad toe injury, or taking really long detours and refusing to listen to his therapist until he was in serious danger of having to discontinue the runs. But it's Eddie Izzard, and he ran a marathon a day, 6 days a week, around Great Britain. And I was inspired.
Almost Two Years
It's been almost two years since I started running. I started late in March of 2014 for a number of reasons that just happened to occur all at the same time, and I've been running on a off for two years since. I still consider myself a beginner runner, since I don't think I make much progress at all since I started. I didn't lose a significant amount of weight, I've only done a 5K so far and cannot run faster or longer than when I first started, and I'm not sure how much better as a person I've become since I started. The only consolation I could give myself is that, just imagine how much more weight I would've gained if I hadn't run. It's true that I've not gained much weight since I started so I guess that's something.
Advice? What Advice?
Over the two years I've done a lot of reading about running. I've had a Runner's World subscription for almost as long as I had this blog, and I read books about running, watched documentaries, perused blogs written by fellow runners, and read endless articles. I've downloaded marathon training calendars, saved posts about post-run stretches and core-strengthening exercises, listened to talks about running gears, tech or otherwise, and managed to get a signed photo of Shalane Flanagan and had a picture taken with her. I know a lot of stuff, and I've been reading long enough to have some of the basic stuff repeated over and over again.
And there are a number of things that on paper I theoretically should abide by. Things like you have to do tempo runs to increase your speed. You have to vary your workout. That I need a certain kind of shoes given my build and my feet.
Some of the things I read were very helpful. I'm happy with my running posture. And with all my yoga and pilate exercise I've strengthened it somewhat and nowadays I really try to engage my core as I run and the runs do feel a bit easier and more effortlessly. I think I'm done with getting more running shoes for a while. I've worked out my own system while running outside (I've tried bring money to buy water on the way, holding off until I get home, and by the end of last year I got myself a hand-held running bottle with a zipper pouch). My running time are pretty set; I always go around dinner-time. And I've given up on trying to follow any training calendar and just run as I see fit.
I feel that a lot of the advices and guidelines and how-tos are not quite designed for me. I have no explanation for the shoe thing. I guess we'll find out if running with unsupported shoes will give me problems later on. And I no longer do tempo or speed runs. I know they are supposed to help you build your speed, but every time I push beyond my comfortable speed my plantar fasciitis comes back and it's agony. I've done 3 5K runs this week, which is too big of a milage increase from the week before but I don't care since I'm happy with my runs. And I think I'll leave the anaerobic exercise to the HIIT class I signed up again for next term. Running will remain my cardio workout.
And all of a sudden last week and this week I'm able to push through my 1-mile barrier and today I ran for 30 minute straight at a constant speed of 5 mph before slowing to a walk and I've never ever done that before. I know it doesn't sound like much and I'm not going to go any faster in a while but to me it's a substantial achievement. And nothing had changed in the two weeks except my mindset. I told myself that I would run for 30 minutes before stopping to a walk and 40 minutes total and that's what I did. I almost didn't go run today but I told myself that if I wanted to order Thai food for take out I need to go run to burn off the calories. I persuaded myself to hit the gym and somehow also managed to not get Thai food. And I normally suck at self-motivation.
So I'm gonna try something new and just do my own thing for a while. Nothing as crazy and stubborn as Eddie Izzard, but just things that suit me. The heavy, slow me. The unathletic me. I think I need to tailor plans that I can handle, instead of things designed by professionals and for very experienced people. And one of the things is to make small goals. Small and tangible, and make them often as I (hopefully) reach the goals. I told myself that I shouldn't get the Thai dish I really like until I lose 5 lbs. I'm also going to stick with my 5K runs and increase the frequency with which I run them. I want to work my way to one week, hopefully in April sometime, that I do one 5K a day for 7 days. Not at race speed, but just the distance. And I'm not going to do that right away, but I'm going to build to that point. I want to run again on Sunday, so I will have done 4 5-K workouts this week. Maybe next week I'll try 5, maybe I'll stick with 4 again, depending on how I feel. And once I reach my 7-day goal I'll increase my runs to 45 minutes instead of the now-40. Or I'll do a 4-mile target distance. We'll see. But it'll be slow and steady, until my body gets used to it and wants more variety. I'm also going to work more on my mental readiness. Like how not to over-eat, or what to do when I just don't feel like running, or how to better manage the boredom while on treadmill. I know my body is capable of doing more but mentally I'm scared and nervous. I don't really have a race I want to do in the near future but I'll slowly tread toward that direction. And it's going to be good.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
It's official; I have a shoe problem
Unlike many other girls I was never one to be obsessed with shoes. I remember in my freshman year I went to a shopping plaza with my friend and we went into a boutique shoe shop. After we flipped over the price tag that told us that the pair of unappealing flats we were staring at cost $130 we both commented on how ugly the shoes were and how many books we could buy instead if we had that $130 to spare.
So I'm surprised at myself now at how obsessive I get when it comes to running shoes.
No I don't have a shoe fetish, but I do have a compulsive shopping disorder when it comes to running shoes.
We all know that finding the right pair of running shoes can be difficult. And as I've learned recently that even when you find a model that fits you your quest will still never end since the old models go out of styles and the new models may not fit as nicely. I've been running on and off for almost two years and so far I have 1 pair of Saucony Kinvara 5 that I run in regularly, another pair of the same model (different colors) that I stocked in a panic after I learned that when Kinvara 6 came out (now the 7 is too) they stopping selling the 5s. I had a pair of Brooks Dyad 7 I got after a visit to the Marathon Running store in Boston, that I no longer use to run (think they were too small and way too heavy; I switched out the insoles and use them semi-regularly for daily walking). I have a pair of Saucony Cohesion 7 which I bought on a whim on Amazon (first time buying an unfamiliar brand without trying them on first) for very cheap, and ended up running almost 60 miles in them, as I recently realized while updating my Nike+ profile. I had a pair of NB trail running shoes I originally used for casual walking but ended up putting a good double-digit milage on, before they became old and full of holes and I had to throw them out. I replaced those with a new pair of NB (model forgotten) that I planned to use only as walking shoes but they are so comfortable I'm thinking of trying them out for running as well.
And today I received in the mail yet another pair of running shoes. This time it was a pair of Saucony Hurricane Iso (1st gen, can't afford the $100+ newer model). This was recommended me on my second trip to the aforementioned Marathon store, and at the time of all the choices I was given I liked those the best. I was told that I needed more support and the Hurricane Iso would be a good fit, and Saucony as a whole is a good brand for my feet. I did not find an affordable pair until recently, and after a 2.9 mile test run today I have mixed feelings about them.
This is also the first time I bought shoes second hand. Granted they weren't from any individual sellers trying to get rid of some old shoes. They were sold by Amazon Warehouse where they would resell returned or opened item. They don't usually have second hand running shoes available all the time but I saw them earlier this week. New shoes often go for about $90 at least and the ones I got only cost me $50. I was very nervous about buying them because unlike sellers on eBay there were no pictures of the shoes at all, and the description made it sound like someone's walked in them for months. But they had such a good return policy that I thought there was nothing for me to lose if I just get them and see how they look. Around the same time I also saw a deal on the same shoes (different color) on Running Warehouse that was a good backup for me so either way I'm adding a new pair of running shoes to my collection.
The shoes looked a lot newer and in better condition than I expected. They came in a Saucony box but no stuffings or wrappings. The bottom of the shoes looked like they've definitely been worn and walked in, but the rest of the shoes looked absolutely brand new. The insoles did not show much ware and the shoes didn't really smell like anyone's feet. I think someone wore them for a few times and decided she didn't like them. I've returned a number of pairs of shoes myself and they didn't look worse than the conditions I returned my shoes in.
So I decided to keep them and ditch my back-up plan. There was no point spending an extra $25 to get a brand new pair when the ones I got were pretty good. And I wore them to the gym, where I ran almost 3 miles in them. Even at size 9.5 (my standard Saucony shoe size; I normally wear 8.5 for casual and 9 for NB running shoes) they felt a but snug, which was kind of alarming since they look huge in my hands. And they do have much better support than the fairly support-less Kinvara I had, and heavier than Kinvara too. As I was walking to the gym I could feel the shoes pushing at my feet in all directions in ways that were not felt with my other shoes. The shoes were't tied right so all the way there my ankles were slipping out, and I had to adjust the laces in the locker room before I went into the fitness room.
I can't really access what really happened during my 3 mile run, but by the end my plantar fasciitis was acting in full force and I started to feel that the support may not be unnecessary. It was refreshing and roomy when I stepped into my New Balance afterwards.
I don't know why my plantar fasciitis was acting up again but I have been feeling it for days now. It could be that was running longer too soon, it could be the shoes. Maybe I'm not ready for running in them yet and still need time to figure them out. Maybe the snugness is a problem. Maybe the assessment given to me by the running store was wrong again and the shoes are just not right for me. I think I want to test them some more before returning them becomes a real possibility.
While I have more shoes than my running habit can justify, I do have rationales for getting all of them. The reason why I wanted another pair of (better support) shoes is that it's getting warmer out and it's almost time for outdoor running again. And while the Kinvara are absolute a dream on the treadmill I am afraid that they would not be enough for while I pound on concrete. I don't remember whether I ran in them outside last year, but honestly I didn't do a lot of running last summer. I wanted something sturdier and something that could maybe handle the trails (even thought the Hurricane is not designed for trail running). But if the Hurricanes are not helping then there would be no point in having them. I still need to give them more time, and I can't bare having to go another half size up. Me wearing a size 10 is just too ridiculous.
But rationales aside I still like to look at running shoes I know I will never buy. I don't have he same attraction for other kinds of shoes, not even canvas shoes or casual athletic wears. Just running shoes. Sometimes it's the colors and patterns, other times it may be the cool design (like the Honka One One shoes). Sometime I suspect I dream of putting them on and go running in procrastination of actual running. Also I'm still trying to work out how the different shoes can suit different people. I'm told by every one that I need shoes with support because I over-pronate a little. And I need arch support. And because of my weight I'm usually recommend heavier shoes like the Brooks. And I was told by some that the Kinvara it not a good fit for me because it has no support. But I'm so happy in them. They are so light and I don't get more injuries wearing them than I would with other shoes. And I can't figure out why that it. Why does logic and reasoning not work? I got the Kinvara 5 purely based on it's good reviews. Everyone seemed to like them. I tried them out in the store and they fit my feet. It took a few tries for me to realize that I needed a full size up with this model (apparently the 6 is even narrower), and I run so happy in them. Yet I still can't ignore the logic and kept wanting to try out different things, and so far none of them have yielded promising results. My baffles only resulted in more temptation to buy; usually it would have to take a few days for me to find out whether I'm truly comfortable in them or not so a quick trip to the shoe store does not usually do it.
So I'm surprised at myself now at how obsessive I get when it comes to running shoes.
No I don't have a shoe fetish, but I do have a compulsive shopping disorder when it comes to running shoes.
We all know that finding the right pair of running shoes can be difficult. And as I've learned recently that even when you find a model that fits you your quest will still never end since the old models go out of styles and the new models may not fit as nicely. I've been running on and off for almost two years and so far I have 1 pair of Saucony Kinvara 5 that I run in regularly, another pair of the same model (different colors) that I stocked in a panic after I learned that when Kinvara 6 came out (now the 7 is too) they stopping selling the 5s. I had a pair of Brooks Dyad 7 I got after a visit to the Marathon Running store in Boston, that I no longer use to run (think they were too small and way too heavy; I switched out the insoles and use them semi-regularly for daily walking). I have a pair of Saucony Cohesion 7 which I bought on a whim on Amazon (first time buying an unfamiliar brand without trying them on first) for very cheap, and ended up running almost 60 miles in them, as I recently realized while updating my Nike+ profile. I had a pair of NB trail running shoes I originally used for casual walking but ended up putting a good double-digit milage on, before they became old and full of holes and I had to throw them out. I replaced those with a new pair of NB (model forgotten) that I planned to use only as walking shoes but they are so comfortable I'm thinking of trying them out for running as well.
And today I received in the mail yet another pair of running shoes. This time it was a pair of Saucony Hurricane Iso (1st gen, can't afford the $100+ newer model). This was recommended me on my second trip to the aforementioned Marathon store, and at the time of all the choices I was given I liked those the best. I was told that I needed more support and the Hurricane Iso would be a good fit, and Saucony as a whole is a good brand for my feet. I did not find an affordable pair until recently, and after a 2.9 mile test run today I have mixed feelings about them.
This is also the first time I bought shoes second hand. Granted they weren't from any individual sellers trying to get rid of some old shoes. They were sold by Amazon Warehouse where they would resell returned or opened item. They don't usually have second hand running shoes available all the time but I saw them earlier this week. New shoes often go for about $90 at least and the ones I got only cost me $50. I was very nervous about buying them because unlike sellers on eBay there were no pictures of the shoes at all, and the description made it sound like someone's walked in them for months. But they had such a good return policy that I thought there was nothing for me to lose if I just get them and see how they look. Around the same time I also saw a deal on the same shoes (different color) on Running Warehouse that was a good backup for me so either way I'm adding a new pair of running shoes to my collection.
The shoes looked a lot newer and in better condition than I expected. They came in a Saucony box but no stuffings or wrappings. The bottom of the shoes looked like they've definitely been worn and walked in, but the rest of the shoes looked absolutely brand new. The insoles did not show much ware and the shoes didn't really smell like anyone's feet. I think someone wore them for a few times and decided she didn't like them. I've returned a number of pairs of shoes myself and they didn't look worse than the conditions I returned my shoes in.
So I decided to keep them and ditch my back-up plan. There was no point spending an extra $25 to get a brand new pair when the ones I got were pretty good. And I wore them to the gym, where I ran almost 3 miles in them. Even at size 9.5 (my standard Saucony shoe size; I normally wear 8.5 for casual and 9 for NB running shoes) they felt a but snug, which was kind of alarming since they look huge in my hands. And they do have much better support than the fairly support-less Kinvara I had, and heavier than Kinvara too. As I was walking to the gym I could feel the shoes pushing at my feet in all directions in ways that were not felt with my other shoes. The shoes were't tied right so all the way there my ankles were slipping out, and I had to adjust the laces in the locker room before I went into the fitness room.
I can't really access what really happened during my 3 mile run, but by the end my plantar fasciitis was acting in full force and I started to feel that the support may not be unnecessary. It was refreshing and roomy when I stepped into my New Balance afterwards.
I don't know why my plantar fasciitis was acting up again but I have been feeling it for days now. It could be that was running longer too soon, it could be the shoes. Maybe I'm not ready for running in them yet and still need time to figure them out. Maybe the snugness is a problem. Maybe the assessment given to me by the running store was wrong again and the shoes are just not right for me. I think I want to test them some more before returning them becomes a real possibility.
While I have more shoes than my running habit can justify, I do have rationales for getting all of them. The reason why I wanted another pair of (better support) shoes is that it's getting warmer out and it's almost time for outdoor running again. And while the Kinvara are absolute a dream on the treadmill I am afraid that they would not be enough for while I pound on concrete. I don't remember whether I ran in them outside last year, but honestly I didn't do a lot of running last summer. I wanted something sturdier and something that could maybe handle the trails (even thought the Hurricane is not designed for trail running). But if the Hurricanes are not helping then there would be no point in having them. I still need to give them more time, and I can't bare having to go another half size up. Me wearing a size 10 is just too ridiculous.
But rationales aside I still like to look at running shoes I know I will never buy. I don't have he same attraction for other kinds of shoes, not even canvas shoes or casual athletic wears. Just running shoes. Sometimes it's the colors and patterns, other times it may be the cool design (like the Honka One One shoes). Sometime I suspect I dream of putting them on and go running in procrastination of actual running. Also I'm still trying to work out how the different shoes can suit different people. I'm told by every one that I need shoes with support because I over-pronate a little. And I need arch support. And because of my weight I'm usually recommend heavier shoes like the Brooks. And I was told by some that the Kinvara it not a good fit for me because it has no support. But I'm so happy in them. They are so light and I don't get more injuries wearing them than I would with other shoes. And I can't figure out why that it. Why does logic and reasoning not work? I got the Kinvara 5 purely based on it's good reviews. Everyone seemed to like them. I tried them out in the store and they fit my feet. It took a few tries for me to realize that I needed a full size up with this model (apparently the 6 is even narrower), and I run so happy in them. Yet I still can't ignore the logic and kept wanting to try out different things, and so far none of them have yielded promising results. My baffles only resulted in more temptation to buy; usually it would have to take a few days for me to find out whether I'm truly comfortable in them or not so a quick trip to the shoe store does not usually do it.
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