I switched to fivefinger shoes for running, and while it took a few weeks to get used to running near-barefoot, I have a lot fewer knee, hip and lower backaches now.

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word.

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So I've heard it said!

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While this is not a fitness blog, you're inspiring me to go back to the gym. Tonight was hard. My ankle really had nasty things to call me. But I pushed through it.

Thank you for posting your experiences thus far. Your blog about running in particular..it's hard to say 'no one understands being the kid who walked that damn mile in school' now. :) I don't see myself becoming a runner, for many of the reasons you described, but I can get on the elliptical and keep on pushing.

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That running thing was really transformational for me -- to realize that I could actually be one of "those people" -- not only could I get not-fat-anymore, which is what I expected, but that I could actually be ... athletic ... it was a eureka moment, even if it took place over a couple of weeks....

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Very cool! That's a lot of hours, miles, and weight - just a lot of commitment generally.

Another measure of increasing fitness that you might find useful is to see how long it takes to return to your Resting Pulse Rate from your target rate. Increasing fitness = quicker recovery time.
If your knees hurt and you don't want to take oral anti-inflammatories, try Voltaren Gel. You'll need a script, but it works champion on sore knees.

Keep up the good work! I'm impressed.

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My knees aren't really sore, I have a slight case of IT Band Syndrome which comes from running with underdeveloped quads, so I'm doing these quad strengthening exercises to get hulking leg muscles.

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That's probably good to keep in mind for my puny leg muscles.

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Just don't increase the amount of running you do by more than 10% a week & all your muscles will grow at the proper rate.

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Right now, I'm mostly sticking with the program, but that means that I've gone from 0 days running a week to 3 days a week.

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Hulking leg muscles = more "furnace" to burn calories

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Your resting heart rate has just terrified me into jogging again. Or maybe I should say MY resting heart rate...

Edited at 2013-01-18 01:39 am (UTC)

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So far this week, I've logged in 5.96 miles of long walks and workouts. I've completed 2 Couch to 5k workouts and went to the track at the gym today to get one in. (It was my first trip to UNO's rec center since I started attending in 2010.) On Saturday, I'm going to flip over to Week 2.

Also, my Kickstarter's $100 away from being funded, with 8 days to go, so I've been pretty proud of myself today.

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that's all great news! go go go!

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Good for you! You are an inspiration!

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Congratulations, Kyle! Very inspirational.

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Now that the holidays are really over ( we only got back a week ago today), Helen and i are back on our program.

"Our Program"

Cutting back on the booze
Reducing our caloric intake (especially refined carbs)
Eating more fruit and veg, less meat/dairy.
Excercising
tracking caloric intake and consumption (outgo).

EDIT: Oh, and congratulations. 31 lbs is a good reduction, and even better is the reduction of your resting heart rate.

Edited at 2013-01-18 11:24 am (UTC)

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congrats! that's something to be proud of right there!

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