i'm not talking about from your couch to your fridge for another beer either.  i recently took it upon myself to begin exercising again. since i lost my job and had to cancel my gym membership, i've not been exercising. so i decided to go with something cheap, running. unfortunately for me, the last time i was in really good shape was in highschool, 9 years ago. i've allready established motivation, the wife...no run=no nookie....  so far it's worked great. of course, i must admit, tonight was only my second run.    i never realized how much of your body actually works when you're running, or attempting to run.  oh, as part of this program, i'm also gonna try to steer clear of the beer.  i know. but, i don't really have the money anyways. besides, as i get older, it will get harder to get in shape. so, back to my question, anyone else run? and if you've got suggestions for me, let's hear em. 

im getting back into charity cycling im 34 and i smoke. im going to hurt even more htan i already do lol

Im going to start up in the spring.  Damn. I miss it. Remeber to breathe.  control that and you'll be suprised at your endurance.  Drink water all the time all day. the rest is up to you and your individual goals.  Throw a little sprint routine in every once and a while for good measure. Another thing that will help you with the nookie factor.....pushups.  Theyre free also.  go to hundredpushups.com and follow thier routine.  I bet my buddy he couldnt do it.  He went from only beign able to do 7 pushups in a  row to pumping out 120-130.  I lost the bet but gained respect for the website.  Im startgin their program tomorrow. 

i used to for duathlons and mess.  i loathe running. hate it. can't stand it. being >6' tall and clumsy as a bear doeesn't help.

seems like every time i ran my back/knees/etc hurt like hell. this is while i was cycling 3-400 miles a week. definitely good shape. just couldn't get my body to accept running as a normal thing. my thing is cycling, you know, when i used to. recently my exercise consists of chasing kids/dogs/runaway cars and 15 miles around the shop at work every day.

did i make it clear i can't stand running ?

Only running i do is usually to the store or fridge and i take the car or bike.  But i do use an oliptical machine to walk to stay in shape for work in the spring.  I can walk a brisk 4.5- 5.5 mph for a half hour or so just to keep for dieing when i go back to work tho.

Check out coolrunning.com   I've never used it ( I hate running and my knees get enough abuse as is ), but I know a one-armed former chopper pilot who swears by the C25K system on that site.

I recently got into kettlebells and I have to say they are now my favorite form of training. A couple minutes of heavy swings and I'm smoked. They're a little pricey, but definitely worth it. You should check out http://www.dragondoor.com/ if your interested.

I'm a runner and I love it.  Right now I'm doing about 20 miles a week. The most important thing IMO is to get yourself a good pair of shoes.  You really need that good cushioning to protect your joints.  Have fun with it.

A couple of suggestions for getting into better shape:

As someone else mentioned, throw in some sprints..  Jog for 5-10 minutes to get the muscles warmed up.  Then try sprinting for 20-30 seconds.  Jog for 3 minutes.  Sprint for 40-60 seconds.  Jog for 3 minutes.  Sprint for 20-30 seconds.  Jog 5 minutes to cool down.

A 20 minute run using this method will make you much more winded than a 40 minute jog at a constant speed.  As you get in better shape, you can increase the sprinting intervals and durations.

Also, a huge thing is diet.  I got back into exercising using that method and I was definitely healthier, but I didn't start to loose weight till I changed my diet.  No more soda, only 1 glass of juice in the morning, and mostly home-cooked healthy meals instead of using work's cafeteria or eating out at restaurants frequently.

ty for the replies! my freaking calves are on fire this morning. well, it's noon, lol. anyways. i am really amazed at all the muscle groups that are sore.  i've been trying to work on my diet as well. i did read however somewhere that it's "ok" to occassionally just scarf down a large pizza and a 6 pack.  of course that was a quote from a professional athlete. anyways. i think most of my soreness is due to slipping on the ice so much last night. there is a ton of it here. i can't wait for it to heat up a bit more and melt all this crap away. anyways. 

Quote from: ohgood on February 23, 2009, 05:20:32 AMbeing >6' tall

Oh, you tall long-legged bastids!  I need twice the cadence to keep up.

I've been running ever since I was in high school.  As you say, it's the cheapest and easiest fitness one can do, and you can do it anywhere - on roads, on paths, on dirt, out in the middle of nowhere.  I find it a good way to be in harmony with my body, too.

The one thing not to cheap out on - as mentioned above, good shoes.  Real running shoes, not tennis shoes or canvas shoes - something with a shock-absorbing sole.  Your joints have to last the rest of your life... I have a bad right knee, so I wear a knee brace, too.  Running on dirt is gentler on the joints, but can be harder on the ankles - YMMV.  Lift your legs; if your feet are scraping along the ground, focus on knees-high.

Stretch.  Before and after - after is especially important to make sure your warm muscles stay loose.  Calves, hamstrings, and quads are the ones that tend to get tight.

I also do the kettlebells. Academy sports has them for around $2.00 a pound.

believe it or not, a 25 lb bell is plenty to work out with.

Tai chi is also good. I've been doing that for a bit over a year now. My balance and breathing is much better now.

The style I do is a Martial style not the therapeutic style. For exercise, either one will work.

BeSafe
PJ

Quote from: PuddleJumper on February 23, 2009, 01:12:52 PM
I also do the kettlebells. Academy sports has them for around $2.00 a pound.

believe it or not, a 25 lb bell is plenty to work out with.

BeSafe
PJ

That's the truth! It's amazing how heavy it feels after you work for twenty minutes without setting it down.

Im sure some other military guys might chime in, but 30-60's will kick everyones ass.  You start with a warm up.  About 5 minutes.  Then you sprint for 30 second, jog for 60 seconds, then sprint for 30 seconds, jog for 60 seconds.  you keep doing this for about 20-30 minutes. Once your stamina improves, up the total time.
The key is to actually sprint full speed, not 3/4 speed.  You'll be suprised how far you'll go, and how hard it is to sprint 30 seconds.  Of course itll get easier. 

Does Beer runs to the Store count?   

After moving to AZ I fell out of shape. I recently made changes to my diet and dropped from 181 lbs to 146-148. I am ready to make the next step and start lifting and running but I'm nursing a broken metstaral now! Hopefully soon I'll feel comfortable enough to start running again, I'm up to 1 mile a day walk after work without my ortho boot so the foot is feeling a little better.

For some reason I keep getting an error when I try to quote, but Shiznizbiz in reply #2 mentioned www.hundredpushups.com.  I checked out the site and I'm curious if anyone has tried this before?  I'm interested in attempting it just out of boredom more than anything?

I'm also now out of my boot and the bone feels good, I played in my softball league on Sunday with minimal tenderness and I am planning on a short .5 mile jog today!

Thanks,

Nick

today will be my second day of the hundredpushups.com routine. because of my placement on the first initial test, they said i should start on week 3.  anyways. my triceps are still pretty sore and my thumb is swollen from being jammed wrestling. but i'm going to try to force myself to complete this program. 

The day I left the Air Force I vowed that for the rest of my life, the only justifiable reasons to run are after food or away from danger.  All my friends who say they love running...well, they've never done it in boots, in formation, with someone screaming at them.

Besides, it's just too rough on my knees.  I'm 6'5"...we don't run well.  I'll stick with swimming, thanks.

I'm not a strong swimmer so after about 2 laps I start to go under! lol  I did a small .4-.5 mile jog during my lunch break and man did that feel good.  But being as its been SO DAMN LONG since I ran last I was nearly dead!  I hope it'll come back quickly!