The "I sometimes break a sweat" thread

[JJFIVEOH]

When I run, it's always on a grassy hill about a mile from my house. It is FAR easier on the knees than running along the roadside. Been doing it, when conditions allow - pretty much late March - November, the past couple of years and haven't had any joint issues.

 

It's also better for conditioning than just running on more level terrain.

 

I used to run in the beach, no better way to build killer calves and shins. 

[Taro T]

I used to run in the beach, no better way to build killer calves and shins.

 

Unfotunately not much of an option in Ra-cha-cha.

 

But very good choice for high resistance, low impact.

[Drunkard]

I'll second this.  As mentioned, I'm usually in the pool for cardio workouts.  Just started to add running to my workout regime as well and holy ###### my knees are feeling it.

 

Sounds like runner's knee. Happened to me when I joined a gym years back and started running on a treadmill. There's a little knot looking muscle just to the inside of your knee cap that you can see more easily when your leg is straight. You need to build that up before running won't cause these types of pains in your knees. Easiest way I found to strengthen it is the leg extension machine. Once you build up that muscle you won't get those pains in your knee nearly as bad, although you're probably still better off with an elliptical, row machine, or Stairmaster since they are way lower impact on your joints in general.

[JJFIVEOH]

I have a hard time deciding which way to go. On one hand the ellipticals, bikes, rowing, etc are all easier on the joints. On the other hand, running is a better workout all around; it works out more muscle groups and you can change your stride to workout different parts of your legs/hips. If you use gym equipment all the other options are pretty limited in range and movement.

 

Back when I started running I developed terrible shin splints. So I spent some time working out my lower legs now I have zero pains from running.

[Taro T]

I have a hard time deciding which way to go. On one hand the ellipticals, bikes, rowing, etc are all easier on the joints. On the other hand, running is a better workout all around; it works out more muscle groups and you can change your stride to workout different parts of your legs/hips. If you use gym equipment all the other options are pretty limited in range and movement.

 

Back when I started running I developed terrible shin splints. So I spent some time working out my lower legs now I have zero pains from running.

Yep. I actually do some trips up the hill backwards or sidestepping so as to get more of the "hockey" range of motions.

[bcsaberks]

I have a hard time deciding which way to go. On one hand the ellipticals, bikes, rowing, etc are all easier on the joints. On the other hand, running is a better workout all around; it works out more muscle groups and you can change your stride to workout different parts of your legs/hips. If you use gym equipment all the other options are pretty limited in range and movement.

 

Back when I started running I developed terrible shin splints. So I spent some time working out my lower legs now I have zero pains from running.

Yeah bang for buck fitness/calorie burn wise running is tough to beat.  But it takes a while to build the supporting muscles, cardio get there much more quickly, off you go, then knee injury or foot or whatever.  One of my favorite things about the bike is the outdoor exploration.  Riding new roads, seeing sites, covering distances.  I go run for an hour and don't make it out of town.  Last weekend on the bike my friend and I rode about 15 miles of Lake Ontario shore (Greece to Webster) on our loop, beautiful.

[Derrico]

Sounds like runner's knee. Happened to me when I joined a gym years back and started running on a treadmill. There's a little knot looking muscle just to the inside of your knee cap that you can see more easily when your leg is straight. You need to build that up before running won't cause these types of pains in your knees. Easiest way I found to strengthen it is the leg extension machine. Once you build up that muscle you won't get those pains in your knee nearly as bad, although you're probably still better off with an elliptical, row machine, or Stairmaster since they are way lower impact on your joints in general.

Thanks for that info.

[JJFIVEOH]

 

Yeah bang for buck fitness/calorie burn wise running is tough to beat.  But it takes a while to build the supporting muscles, cardio get there much more quickly, off you go, then knee injury or foot or whatever.  One of my favorite things about the bike is the outdoor exploration.  Riding new roads, seeing sites, covering distances.  I go run for an hour and don't make it out of town.  Last weekend on the bike my friend and I rode about 15 miles of Lake Ontario shore (Greece to Webster) on our loop, beautiful.

 

No doubt. Biking around here is pretty limited but a real bike gives a better workout than a stationary. Getting out on a regular bike is great, I envy the people of Minneapolis. 

 

Yep. I actually do some trips up the hill backwards or sidestepping so as to get more of the "hockey" range of motions.

 

There are a couple of treadmills at my gym that incline to 30°if you're not into a run it makes for a good "hike". Set it at 30 and you'll get a damn good workout. 

 

I think one thing that concerns me about running, even though I do it all the time, is the long term effects based on all the people I know that developed knee problems as they got older. Did they have problems because they didn't exercise correctly? Did they have problems because they didn't exercise at all? Did they have problems because our knees just aren't made to be put through that much stress? 

[Drunkard]

Thanks for that info.

 

No sweat, man. Reading your post made me remember my knee pain clear as day and it was years ago. I joined the gym on a Monday and jogged a couple of miles before hitting some weights. Was sore the next day but figured it was normal. Tried to run on Tuesday and it was just too painful so I just did weights. By Wednesday it was still painful to jog but I gutted through it and some woman I was jogging next to told me about runners knee. Did some cursory googling and discovered that building up that muscle with the leg extension machine helped a ton and after a few weeks I was able to run with knee pain.

[Derrico]

No sweat, man. Reading your post made me remember my knee pain clear as day and it was years ago. I joined the gym on a Monday and jogged a couple of miles before hitting some weights. Was sore the next day but figured it was normal. Tried to run on Tuesday and it was just too painful so I just did weights. By Wednesday it was still painful to jog but I gutted through it and some woman I was jogging next to told me about runners knee. Did some cursory googling and discovered that building up that muscle with the leg extension machine helped a ton and after a few weeks I was able to run with knee pain.

Maybe that's it then.  Hit the leg extension machine for a couple weeks and then be ready to go.  Thanks, it's been a long time since I've been running for exercise.

[Stoner]

It'll never happen. Never. But a SabreSpace Olympics would be hilarious.

[Taro T]

It'll never happen. Never. But a SabreSpace Olympics would be hilarious.

It definitely would be "special."

[Derrico]

It'll never happen. Never. But a SabreSpace Olympics would be hilarious.

 

 

It definitely would be "special."

:w00t:

[TrueBlueGED]

No sweat, man. Reading your post made me remember my knee pain clear as day and it was years ago. I joined the gym on a Monday and jogged a couple of miles before hitting some weights. Was sore the next day but figured it was normal. Tried to run on Tuesday and it was just too painful so I just did weights. By Wednesday it was still painful to jog but I gutted through it and some woman I was jogging next to told me about runners knee. Did some cursory googling and discovered that building up that muscle with the leg extension machine helped a ton and after a few weeks I was able to run with knee pain.

Man, my experience with runner's knee couldn't be more different. For me, eliminating leg extensions went a long way to eliminating my knee pain. Getting rid of them and focusing on the stretches from physical therapy, with a slight tweak to my gait, has completely solved all of the knee and leg pain I used to get while running.

 

The ortho I saw specifically said extensions are one of the worst exercises you can do for overall knee health. I'm glad it worked for you, but it just goes to show how there isn't always a one size fits all solution to medical issues.

[Doohicksie]

When I run,

Old school cool rig right there. And thank you for staging it in the big ring.

 

That's my $50 pawn shop bike. 

 

I rarely use the small ring.  Yeah, I cross-chain it when it's big-big, but whatever.  I only use the small ring for the worst climbs (like at the end of my ride last night between 22.5 and 23 miles, the climb up from the creek to get me into my neighborhood).

[Doohicksie]

One of my favorite things about the bike is the outdoor exploration.  Riding new roads, seeing sites, covering distances. 

 

No doubt. Biking around here is pretty limited but a real bike gives a better workout than a stationary. Getting out on a regular bike is great, I envy the people of Minneapolis.

 

I haven't been to Boca in years and I bet it's not that great for cycling, but Fort Worth wasn't particularly bike friendly when I started riding 8 years ago. 

 

We've made big strides, but most people still don't think of the city as bike friendly.  But that's part of the exploration thing bc mentioned.  Fort Worth has several barriers (natural and man-made) that present challenges to cyclists, namely the freeways/tollways, the train tracks and the river, but with a little imaginative exploring and word of mouth I've found a lot of great workarounds.  Riding a bike teaches you the wormholes in the fabric of your city and it's pretty great understanding your local area to that level (and helps when you want to drive around a traffic jam).

 

And if riding on relatively busy roads is your only option, I found that CommuteOrlando has a wealth of resources for learning how to ride in traffic.  They have a lot of tutorials for maneuvering in traffic like this one.

[MattPie]

I rarely use the small ring.  Yeah, I cross-chain it when it's big-big, but whatever.  I only use the small ring for the worst climbs (like at the end of my ride last night between 22.5 and 23 miles, the climb up from the creek to get me into my neighborhood).

I suddenly don't feel quite as bad about being beat when I ride around my neighborhood. I'm in no way in good shape, but if I were to ride up out of  Coatesville to my house it's a 300ft climb over a mile. In my neighborhood there are 50-75ft climbs over a hundred or three yards. I really need to ride some flat ground.

[bcsaberks]

 

 

That's my $50 pawn shop bike. 

 

I rarely use the small ring.  Yeah, I cross-chain it when it's big-big, but whatever.  I only use the small ring for the worst climbs (like at the end of my ride last night between 22.5 and 23 miles, the climb up from the creek to get me into my neighborhood).

Strava! (followed you).  

[Eleven]

Trainer beat the out of me this morning.  All I want to do is go back to bed and maybe cry a little.

[dEnnis the Menace]

I thought I partially tore something in my rotator cuff back on Thanksgiving.  Started back at the gym in late December just doing cardio and core work (I'm talking walking/ stairmaster & situps, stretching, and light ab stuff).  Caught a cold and Bronchitis last week, and missed the last week. Finally started feeling better last week, and my doctor whom I saw for my bronchitis suggested trying a pushup now since I've been on prednisone, and see if I still get tingly in the fingers.  

 

Well, I could do 10 pushups before my arm hurt like hell.  But I did it!  My bronchitis is almost gone, and just in time too, as I'm going on a ski trip for the weekend as my last pre-dad getaway.  After that it'll be gym everyday!   

[JJFIVEOH]

I haven't been to Boca in years and I bet it's not that great for cycling, but Fort Worth wasn't particularly bike friendly when I started riding 8 years ago. 

 

We've made big strides, but most people still don't think of the city as bike friendly.  But that's part of the exploration thing bc mentioned.  Fort Worth has several barriers (natural and man-made) that present challenges to cyclists, namely the freeways/tollways, the train tracks and the river, but with a little imaginative exploring and word of mouth I've found a lot of great workarounds.  Riding a bike teaches you the wormholes in the fabric of your city and it's pretty great understanding your local area to that level (and helps when you want to drive around a traffic jam).

 

And if riding on relatively busy roads is your only option, I found that CommuteOrlando has a wealth of resources for learning how to ride in traffic.  They have a lot of tutorials for maneuvering in traffic like this one.

 

Thanks for the link. 99% of the streets down here are N/S and E/W and mostly 4-8 lanes of 45-55 MPH. I'm not uncomfortable riding in traffic, but around here I'm not comfortable with the people around me to the point where I won't drive anything other than a full size truck much less a bike on the streets. But I do use the sidewalks which are plentiful. There are a couple of parks around me, but to get to any of the better known bike trails, or maybe head over to the beach or cruise around downtown requires throwing the bike in the back of the truck and making a day of it. I've made some trips along A1A and gone cruising through Ft. Lauderdale. I never really got away from biking, but it was never a regular occurrence. Until recently because in the last few years I've turned it up at the gym so now biking becomes another alternative for some cardio. Like BcSaberks said and I'm sure your logic is the same, it's a lot easier to do the cardio by biking when there is somewhere to go and sights to see.......... as opposed to gym equipment where you just find yourself counting down the time. Now I'm making it more routine so I just cruise through all the neighborhoods. I'd like to upgrade to something more modern but it all depends on where I end up in the next year. It could change the type of bike I need to buy.

 

You must be enjoying this time of year, daytime biking in the summer is probably just as brutal as it is around here.

I thought I partially tore something in my rotator cuff back on Thanksgiving.  Started back at the gym in late December just doing cardio and core work (I'm talking walking/ stairmaster & situps, stretching, and light ab stuff).  Caught a cold and Bronchitis last week, and missed the last week. Finally started feeling better last week, and my doctor whom I saw for my bronchitis suggested trying a pushup now since I've been on prednisone, and see if I still get tingly in the fingers.  

 

Well, I could do 10 pushups before my arm hurt like ###### hell.  But I did it!  My bronchitis is almost gone, and just in time too, as I'm going on a ski trip for the weekend as my last pre-dad getaway.  After that it'll be gym everyday!   

 

Be careful with that, pushups might be the worst thing for you to do at this point.

Trainer beat the ###### out of me this morning.  All I want to do is go back to bed and maybe cry a little.

 

Ready for another round?

 

 

That's my $50 pawn shop bike. 

 

I rarely use the small ring.  Yeah, I cross-chain it when it's big-big, but whatever.  I only use the small ring for the worst climbs (like at the end of my ride last night between 22.5 and 23 miles, the climb up from the creek to get me into my neighborhood).

 

Based on your map, either you're driving through people's yards or your GPS only plots you every half mile. :D

[Doohicksie]

Strava! (followed you).  

 

and now I know where your SS name comes from ;)

I suddenly don't feel quite as bad about being beat when I ride around my neighborhood. I'm in no way in good shape, but if I were to ride up out of  Coatesville to my house it's a 300ft climb over a mile. In my neighborhood there are 50-75ft climbs over a hundred or three yards. I really need to ride some flat ground.

 

Yeah, Fort Worth is pretty flat except for a few rises up the Trinity River bluff.  This is probably the steepest climb in town.

Edited January 13, 2016 by The Big Johnson

[Doohicksie]

You must be enjoying this time of year, daytime biking in the summer is probably just as brutal as it is around here.

It is, but I get used to it. I can usually ride in the heat up to about 100 or 105. Then it just gets stupid. A lot of my rides are at night because in the summer it's too hot to ride in daylight, and in the winter it gets dark early.  It's been a little chilly lately, like in the 30s but it's supposed get into the 60s later this week.

 

 

 

Based on your map, either you're driving through people's yards or your GPS only plots you every half mile. :D

 

I think my bike lights might be throwing the GPS off a little bit.  If you didn't know, LED bike lights adjust their brightness by modulating the duty cycle (as in, they blink on and off very quickly, quicker than the eye can detect).  They dim the light by leaving it off a bit longer and leaving it on a little short during the pulses.  Anyway, that can generate EMI (electromagnetic interference) which can mess with other electronics such as, for instance, the GPS receiver on the phone.

Edited January 13, 2016 by The Big Johnson

[Doohicksie]

Another 30 miles on the Old Gentleman.  This was a ramble.  I didn't hurry, I stopped and took a few pictures.  Still, riding 30 miles on a 50 pound bike I'm sure has some exercise value.  It was nice, about 60 degrees, I was able to wear shorts.

 

This is a pretty long/high bridge.  At its peak, it goes over a tollway that goes over the rail yard.  That's Downtown Fort Worth in the background.

 

Underneath another bridge on the trail along the river.  There's artwork like this all over Fort Worth.  I learned it's part of a graffiti abatement program; they get elementary school kids from the local schools to paint these murals in the hopes that their big brothers won't tag over them.  It's actually pretty successful in a lot of areas and there are murals with dates in the '90s with no graffiti.

 

Rest stop:  Cappuccino and a Danish (don't worry, within my calorie limit ;) ) at a coffee shop downtown (the same downtown visible in the first picture)

 

On my way home I passed some Guineafowl.  Random as hell.

[Cereal]

Here I am last night after a 5-mile run in Rochester, Day #2 of marathon training.... This will be my first time training completely through the Rochester winter, since moving back here from Texas last February.  It is horribly frustrating.  Maybe the comedic value of this post can provide at least some form of justification that living in this kind of climate is worth it...