Great thread, thanks for starting, claire! It's a useful reminder to me to mix it up more than I am right now. My exercise routine is VERY static, alternating between running 5K and doing upper/lower/abs strength training. I really, really need to mix it up a bit.

Claire, when I was in my early 30s, and weighed about 250 pounds, I started noticing sometimes after a day of walking around the city for several hours, my feet would hurt at the base of both big toes. It felt like there was a metal rod jammed in there. But this didn't always happen; for example, certain weather seemed to aggravate it.

When I set out on my effort to lose weight, in my early 40s, I really began to notice it. And suspected then that something was wrong. For one thing, after my feet shrank, because I was losing weight all over, I noticed that I had really big knuckles at my big toes. This disgusted me, because it reminded me of the feet of some of my female relations. I am pretty sure my issue is at least partly hereditary. (What are peoples' feet like in your family?) My mother's mother had huge scary bunions, which I used to stare at rudely when I was a kid, because it looked like her feet were trying to grow a sixth toe. One of my mother's sisters had similarly bumpy feet, till she had them operated on. And then one of my cousins -- a girl just in her 20s, working as a hairdresser, and so on her feet for much of the day -- also developed bunions & at 25, had her feet operated on. That's three generations straight through in the female line. So it's just gotta partly be genetics.

When I started doing running intervals during my walk, my dogs really started barking at me. I ended up going to a podiatrist. The x-rays he took showed the enlargement at the joint. He told me he could scrape away some of the growth, but in the meantime, we addressed the problem conservatively with cortisone shots & by my getting custom-made orthotics. I changed up my exercise regimen to spinning classes & use of the elliptical & arc trainer. I just can't run; the pounding does me in. (Now & then I try it anyway, just to see how far & fast I can go. Maybe once a month or less.) I have also conceded that I need wide width shoes, and that there are some shapes of shoes that I just can't wear. Namely, anything too pointy. Yeah, often I see a cute shoe on the rack & have to acknowledge: "Sorry, that one's just not for me."

Saef - thanks a lot! I have bunions (one bad, one mild) on both feet and I am really self conscious of them. Sometimes the left one hurts a bit but normally it is OK but your story has prompted me to book an appointment at the docs, maybe for surgery. I've been thinking about it for years but never wanted to because I wouldn't be able to run/walk etc for 6 weeks. I'll go to the doc and see what he recommends anyway. Thanks for your reply!

Compared to everyone in this thread, my exercise schedule (if it can even be called that!) is seriously lazy!

I just run a couple of mornings a week (I run for half an hour, which is about 2 1/2 miles, with a five minute brisk walk either side). On many days, my boyfriend and I take a brisk 30 minute walk in the evening too, which is nice. I'd like to do some strength training, but I don't really like exercising in a gym and don't have the cash to spend on weights for home! I have a copy of the New Rules of Lifting for Women and would like to do something like that.

I want to add kettle bells this week, any links to work outs would be helpful. I am fairly strong and was considering an 18 pound bell to start with.

My current schedule is walking 60 min 2 times a day with 2-4 sets of stairs during each walk. Looking for more ideas, need to keep it easy and low cost.

Can you buy a resistance band? It should come with a list of exercises. Even if you can't, there are many ways to work the whole body just using gravity and your own body weight, and many of these exercises work entire groups of muscle so you get more bang for your buck!

Try Push ups: regular hand placement, narrow, wide elbows in for triceps as well as push up combo moves: spiderman push up, push up burpies, you name it!

Sit ups, crunches, planks, back extensions, dead lifts (try standing on one foot, too)

Wall sits in squat position, 1 footed wall sits, lunges in 3 directions and with back shoe laces on a chair, squats (wide stance and narrow).

Dips on chair, jog in place with arms shoulder pressing for 3 - 4 minutes, bicep curl a full gallon of milk.

T planks, Russian kicks on a mat, Inverted V push ups, walk on hands with feet up against a railing, wall or fence or feet on your bed.

I could go on and on. Make a list, do each for 30 sec. Try to do 3 sets. Then next week increase time of set, or you can do each rep 15-20 times. However it fits your liking.

I wonder if we shouldn't start another tri thread. I am also in training. Did a full "practice" tri last weekend and my first event for this year is on Saturday.

I run 5 days a week and put in anywhere from 35-55 miles during those 5 days depending on what I am training for at the moment. (I will be running an ultra marathon in two weeks.) I'm one of those crazy people! :dizzy:

I also play soccer one a day a week, walk with my dogs, and rollerblade on occasion.

Mon: am: arms & abs
Pm: spin class
Tues: 40min cardio 1hr Body Flow (yoga, tai chi, & pilaties)
Wed: am: shoulders\back & abs
Pm: spin class
Thurs: 40 min cardio 1hr Body Flow
Fri: Legs
Sat: 1hr Body Flow 1hr Body Attack (plyo)

Good luck on Saturday!!
I agree we should start a Tri thread!

I have been trying to do:

Monday: Run - Speed intervals
Tuesday: Swim, bike or run depending on time/weather/how I feel
Wednsday: Ab class at lunch; swim in evening
Thursday: Spin Class
Friday: Run - Hill intervals
Saturday: Run outside or Swim
Sunday: off

I want to do more core work. I have been slacking on the swimming - but I am not worried about it. I started with swim lessons when I was 10 months old. Spin class has been awesome. Running is improving. I am such a slow runner. As far as biking - My legs get tired long b/f my lungs do. (Luckily?) I live where it is hilly, so that will strengthen my legs.

I have heard mixed things about strength training. Mkroyer said in another post to do lots of leg stuff (weighted squats, etc.). A guy I talked with who has done iron mans says he didn't strength train for his first couple of tri's.

I am just doing what I can! And remembering to have fun and enjoy it!! I LOVE that I can slap on my sneakers and get outside in the sun and go for a run!

Here's my schedule! I'm currently training for the Russian Kettlebell Challenge in August :) I am following the Enter the Kettlebell program, which has been amazing so far to help me increase in my strength and endurance.

Monday- Variety day (kettlebell bootcamp)
Tuesday- Heavy pull/press day
Wednesday - Rest or Variety day (kettlebell bootcamp)
Thursday - Light pull/press day
Friday - Variety day (kettlebell bootcamp)
Saturday - Medium pull/press day
Sunday - Rest or Outdoor workout (stadium stairs, track, kettlebells, body weight, etc.)

This thread was such a great idea! It's nice seeing what everyone is up to! :)

Me too saef! But, I envy their bobbing ponytails! :D

Hello! *waves* My week looks like this...

Monday- run 3-6 miles- core work usually utilizing planks and a yoga ball.
Tuesday AM- Trainer (full body- learning to lift weights!!)
PM- Run 3-6 miles
Wednesday- run 3-6 miles- maybe core work- depends on how i feel
Thursday AM-AM- Trainer (full body- learning to lift weights!!)
PM- Run 3-6 miles
Friday- run 3-6 miles and then swim with my four year old! :)
Saturday- Mimic whatever workout my trainer did with me on Tuesday
or Thursday- he tells me which one. Run 3-6 miles.
Sunday- NADDA baby!! Lazy day!

I just recently started running, and I totally LOVE it! It is awesome!! Before all this, I was doing a bootcamp 2x's a day, but I think my body just got so used to it, I wasnt losing or changing at all.. in fact, sometimes I didnt even break a sweat! I am really excited about working with my trainer and running!!

I don't exercise as well as I should. I'm trying to get back in the hang of things. I've been trying to walk every morning or evening (sometimes both), for around 20-30 minutes. I will sometimes do a couple sprints, but I can't sprint very long. I also do some stretching. I was stretching every day for around 20-60 minutes. I need to get back into that. I'm just lazy, and lack motivation. :(

I'm an exercise addict. I love the stuff. Almost as much as food...

Sunday: 90 minutes co-ed adult soccer
Monday: 15 mile bike ride
Tuesday: At noon: Stiletto Stamina class, after work I teach a 60 minute Zumba class, lift weights, then go to a flamenco/Jazz dance class for 60 minutes
Wednesday: 90 minutes soccer & teach 60 minute Zumba
Thursday: At noon: Flamenco/Belly Dance class then after work 15 mile bike ride, then ab work.
Friday: day off
Saturday: 25 mile bike ride or choreograph Zumba, depending on weather