hello platoon! Still lurking- remade my commitment today so feeling good. I have the skinnytastw chili in the crockpot someone reccomended a few threads backs. hoping to be back to pledging in the next couple weeks.
Anyway you runners out there i have a questions. Lately i have been experiencing bad tightness in my calves. They feel like a million pounds and it gets really hard to run. I have increased my before stretching, but wanted to know if anyone has any specific stretches that might work or have felt this before.
1) shoes...are you fitted properly and how old are they?
2) when do you feel the tightness...
a) when you get out of bed in the morning but it eases up when you start moving
b) when you first start running but it eases up as you move in to your run
c) partway through your run and it gets gradually worse until you dont feel you can run any more
3) what does it feel like 1 hour after you are done running and just walking around, climbing stairs etc.
When you say tightness do you mean dull and tired or sharper and burning.
Never ever stretch cold. If you need to stretch before running walk or jog lightly for 5 minutes and THEN stretch.
Cheshire: Your race sounds like it went great this morning! I know nothing about times when it comes to running, but holy cow, the simple fact that you can run 14.2 miles is just awe-inspiring! Congratulations! And I doubt there are many who would object to you running a marathon topless... but if you do, we're really going to have to insist you post your race photos.
peanutt: You're going to do amazing running that race, and being able to do it at all is a huge accomplishment. How are you feeling after having gotten back into the running?
SewWhatVFT: Welcome!
josey: I just track my intake in Excel, only because I had no idea what I was doing at the start and that was the easiest way for me to get going. I tried to switch to something online at some point, but my spreadsheet is habit and comfortable for me to use and so I just decided to stick with that. I don't track sodium or vitamins/minerals, just calories, fat, fiber, protein and carbs. I agree with peanutt - whatever tracker you can stick with is a good one to use!
k2: Abs?? What an awesome NSV! I want some! LOL. Congratulations on seeing that pudge disappear!
ennay: Those hill repeaters sound... scary, lol. It sounds like you're pretty amazing with them though!
munchey: I think it's doubtful that in an hour you only walked two miles, unless you were just strolling. Maybe you could try walking a known distance, and see what the pedometer records?
Resolute: There is NOTHING to laugh at when looking at your photos. I showed them to my husband last night as well, and we both agree - what you've accomplished is nothing short of astounding. My husband's comment was "Woah, you'd never know that was the same person."
And I shouldn't be surprised that you were right as usual... but I went to the gym and did a nice long workout this morning, caught up on my water drinking, took a nap (I'm not over the jet lag yet), and when I woke I got on the scale out of curiousity... and now it's down 3.4 lbs from where I was before my trip. I'm afraid that it's somehow not real, but I'm going to take it and run with it!
Congratulations to the entire platoon on the great losses last week!! That results board just looks amazing!
Also, I still need to go back and catch up on the last several days, but whatever is going on with Black Ops, please count me in Sarge!
chickadee - I'm feeling great! I have noticed that I definitely need to be wearing my compression shorts for running since surgery. The one run I did without them was just....OUCH!
iamerican - Ditto ennay's point about stretching cold. Before running I do things like leg swings, jumping jacks, hip circles, etc. to loosen up and get the blood flowing....but no stretching. Her question about the shoe fit/age is another thing that popped up when I read your question. It may seem like a basic question, but are you well hydrated?
peanutt: So glad to hear it! And I definitely believe it on the compression shorts... my regular workout pants have gotten a little big in the tummy, and I definitely feel more comfortable all around doing my faster walking in a tighter pair of yoga pants I picked up recently.
Btw, this is my favorite "blending in" photo from my trip http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/.../Vienna042.jpg. I am 2nd from the right, in the blue sweater. Still bigger than the others, but I don't feel like I stick out so much anymore.
Hey guys---I think I've updated everything on the board back in post #341.
If something is still missing (SO SORRY JEANETTEY!!!!), just let me know.
Chick--Love to see photos with BIG SMILES! You look awesome!
SewWhat--WELCOME!
Chesh--FANTASTIC race story!
OMG platoon...what a week we all had. SO MUCH WIN, WIN, WIN! So many signed up for Black Ops team...see the board in post #341. The official weigh in date we'll use is 9/18 on the spreadsheet for those playing along...and like I said before, we're just playing against each other in the platoon and vs. the those percentages put up by contestants on the show.
For instance, we'll calculate total % lost each week for those playing along. The member who lost the least (lowest %, NOT lbs.) could be eliminated from the challenge unless they beat the lowest % by a contestant on the show. I hope that makes sense to you all...it's clear in my mind, scary place that it is.
Again, hope you all enjoyed the extra day off! Tomorrow it's back to business as usual.
iamerican - see my questions further up... but also, in general I am not a huge fan of stretching stretching stretching areas that are already tight/irritated.
Overall getting into a good routine of stretching healthy muscles is good. But once you have something pissed off, until you know exactly what you are dealing with, you are just as likely to cause more damage with the wrong kind of stretching. microtears can become megatears, irritated tendons can become seriously pissed off tendons etc.
What I am a fan of:
1) warming up touchy areas really well first thing in the morning preferably before they bear any weight at all. I have hyper tight calves. Before I get out of bed in the morning I write the alphabet with my feet, do 10 circles in each direction, and then point and flex 10 times holding the last couple flexes deep for a second or two.
Beyond that if I am feeling like my calves are overly tight I use a foam roller, a roller stick, a rolling pin or a (factory sealed) 2L bottle of club soda. rolling the muscles will loosen and lengthen without tearing tight sections and without straining the connective tendons.
When my calves are NOT feeling super tight, then I stretch them at the end of my runs.
hey Sarge - I did have one Q about blackops....on the show they seriously carb/salt/waterload before the first weigh in so they lose crazy insane weight the first week. I'd hate to see anyone get kicked out the first week for not losing 10% of their bodyweight.
Ennay--I agree with your worries...I think if we compete against each other first and foremost then the show becomes a final safety net...like the platoon member with the lowest weight loss % has one last chance to stay in the game if their % was better than the lowest % of a contestant on the show. I'm open to more suggestions and I really only view this as yet another thing to give those participating just an extra dose of motivation to make it into the holiday season. Of course we can also tally our totals and compare them against the BL thread on 3FC and drive BigMid insane.
Anon: Thanks again for all of your hard work on the spreadsheet. It is such a help to have a place to log everything and see results!
Jeanettey: Congrats on hitting 50 lbs! That's awesome!
Ksquared: Thanks for the link to pinterest - love it!
chickadee: You look great in that pic - so happy! We take a huge family pic once a year or so, with all the aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. Every year I try to find a strategic place where I'll be well hidden and always hate the result. This year, I actually like the pic, mostly because I look so happy.
Cheshire: Congrats on a successful race! It sounds like you really enjoyed the run.
peanutt: Good luck with your training! I have my 1st 5K coming up in a couple of weeks. I am ridiculously excited for it - you'd think I was running a marathon and expecting to win it!
josey: I track my calories and workouts on livestrong.com, but I don't really participate in the community. I did for a while, but found between here, fitocracy and livestrong, I was spending more time talking and less time doing. I don't obsess about the nutritional breakdown, but I do like having the breakdown available, so I can fine-tune my eating plan.
Reso: You look fabulous in your pics! Your hard work and perseverance are an inspiration.
I'm looking forward to getting back to a regular routine this week. With a bit of extra time on my hands, I plan double workouts on Tues, Thurs and Sat. Traditionally, the time between Halloween and New Years is when the wheels fall off the wagon for me with healthy eating. I am DETERMINED to not let that happen this year. I've invested too much hard work!
Hey Sarge, add me to the Black Ops please. I've never really followed BL, but I love and need a challenge!
Do you think maybe instead of kicking people out of the Black Ops challenge for not losing enough, maybe we just kick them out for not losing? Like as long as you continue to have consecutive weeks with a loss, you can stay in? I just think that might keep more people motivated throughout the duration? I'm in, regardless.
And no problem at all, anyone, with the spreadsheet. Being part of the platoon is more than worth it!
How are you feeling after having gotten back into the running? 
I'm afraid that it's somehow not real, but I'm going to take it and run with it!
That results board just looks amazing!
