Started running after 23 years of not running.

[silencertalk]

Up to 60 pushups, and that was after my weight routine, so I have hope for reaching the 66 I need for a 100% pdf score.

[silencertalk]

Get this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Strength ... g+strength

Also note there is a $10 Kindle version (which also works on a laptop).

Also the video is useful.

Also this is inexpensive and worth it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147514 ... 02_s00_i00

And you can just follow this plan and it is nearly all good advice:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147514 ... 02_s00_i01

I would add to it a FitBit and the iPhone apps MyNetDiary, JEFIT, and Runner's World Smart Coach.

The myth book is important because the media is full of nonsensical articles like this:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/06/2 ... lly-belly/

You cannot target fat removal from your belly by doing ab exercises. Spot removal of fat is not possible. The way to remove it is to remove fat from everywhere by eating less, doing cardio, and doing resistance training to make your muscles grow to raise your basal metabolic rate.

[silencertalk]

I can do 100 situps, but 1000 would seem really difficult. How about 100,000? Would you stop there, or go on to 111,000?

http://fitness.testing.8m.com/sit-ups.htm

[silencertalk]

85 degrees today, and facing an 18 mile run. I ended up doing 6.5 outside, 6 on a treadmill, then 5.7 more outside. It was pretty tough, but I don't feel sore for it.

[silencertalk]

I am changing my routine to the Starting Strength Wichita Falls Novice Program:

http://whatwouldthestigdo.com/files/SS_ ... k_Calc.zip

You can run it out of the Excel sheet. First you do a few tests and it comes up with the recommended weights.

[silencertalk]

Today I forced myself to run my high speed day outdoors rather than a treadmill. I was dreading this, as there is nothing to pace me, and I feared slacking. I was afraid of the reality of what I would end up doing for pace.

It was 81 degrees and humid, so that did not help.

I ended up doing 3 miles in 21.6 minutes, which which is an average pace of 7:06 - faster than I thought possible. That is a VDOT of 43.6, which is a record for me outdoors. The Falmouth Road Race is coming up. Last year I was 1:08. My goal is under an hour, but 53 minutes seems possible. Realistically, I think I will do 56-58 due to the hills and crowded course.

[bakerjw]

I rode 17 miles last night and it just about killed me. It was around 93 or so. Luckily the heart behaved itself much better than usual. More on that later.

[silencertalk]

Bench Press up to 200 - which for my weight of 143 is halfway between intermediate and advanced:

http://www.exrx.net/Testing/WeightLifti ... dards.html

About 140% of my body weight.

V-DOT now 43.9 - big gain from 6 months ago.

[silencertalk]

Did the Run to the Rock Half Marathon today and came in 115th out of 448 finishers - top 26%. My time was 1:54:16, which, while 16 minutes faster than last year when I did 2:10:20, still has me frustrated because more than five months ago - on April 1st, I ran 20 miles (alone) at a faster pace. By all other evidence, I am in significantly better shape now. The explanation is that April 1st had a mean temperature of 39 F and a dew point of 30 F. Today was 82 degrees and a dew point of 73 F. I think the temp can make a 10 minute difference.

[ERMaag]

I really enjoyed reading about your progess! hopefully I can work up to that level!

[silencertalk]

I was just telling a training partner that I just lost 5 lbs in two weeks (which does seem like a lot). She said that I am lucky that I can lose weight so easily. She has not been able to lose weight, but won't do what I say and log her food so we can see what she is eating (maybe too much peanut butter?)

I think she meant it as a compliment, but I could not help being annoyed. Lucky? In my experience, the harder you work, the luckier you get.

I log each meal to the gram and not only limit and track calories, but also the fat/carb/protein ratio. I run on a regular schedule. I lift weights four hours per week. I just decided to eat 120 calories light soup rather than a 520 calorie cheeseburger. There are choices in life - and there should be consequences.

I can't help but relate this to the election. Obama wants people who make bad choices to be protected from having to deal with the results. Spend your money on alcohol and lottery tickets rather than save it? Get free food stamps.

[silencertalk]

The General was able to run 10 miles and average 6:20 per mile. That is a 54.3 VDOT. He should have been able to run a 5K in just under 6 minutes per mile, or a 10K at 6:12 per mile.

http://athlinks.com/claimworksheet.aspx ... 20petraeus

She did a 1/2 marathon in 1:36:26, so that is a 47 VDOT - which means she can average 6:45 for a 5K or 7 minutes for a 10K.

http://athlinks.com/claimworksheet.aspx ... 0broadwell

So what I learned is - he was faster when he was 10 years older than her. But both can sustain under 7 minutes per mile for several miles.

[silencertalk]

Today was a good day for ending my 2012 running season because I did a 5K on a certified course in 21:22.9. While this is not good for a competitive racer, it demonstrates significant progress for me.

The time worked out to a 46.1 VDOT (oxygen capacity), which is my new record. Last year, my best 5K time 26:03 - a 36.4 VDOT (3 months after I started running), so I am 27% better now after another 14 months and 1161 more miles. This means that I got 1% better for every 43 miles run.

Today's VDOT forecasts that I should be able to do a marathon in 3:24:13, and that I can run the Army 2-mile fitness test in 13:23 (43 seconds faster than needed for a 100% score).

Some other people's VDOTs:

Me: 46.1
Paula Broadwell: 47.1
General Petraeus: 53.4
Lance Armstrong: 59.2
My 15 year old nephew: 64.7

[silencertalk]

Forecast if I keep on improving:

[silencertalk]

[silencertalk]

This is what Arnold says in his Encyclopedia for how to gain muscle without gaining fat.

[silencertalk]

[Schulze]

That's quite the one-year transformation, Silvers. Amazing what photoshop can do.

I kid! Great job.

[GoJohnnyGo]

Holy s--t man! Not too bad for a nerd...

Seriously though, your discipline is inspirational.

[silencertalk]

Thank you.

[D9M9TR9S]

Looking good Robert, I'm glad that you saw a need for change in your diet and working out. I take it you aren't frequenting the line @ McDonald's for those tasty Big Macs anymore eh?

[silencertalk]

I still log every meal every day and am averaging 2700 calories per day to maintain 150 lbs. I do sometimes have McDonalds since I am no longer trying to lose weight. I would never have fries or soda - that is just calories with no nutritional value. I tend to eat multiple filet-of-fish patties (2-5) with 0-1 sets of bread. You can get up to 70 grams of protein this way. I am still under 7% bodyfat. I have been doing more weightlifting than running lately.

Watch this - then just do it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=468901129860391

[D9M9TR9S]

I find myself lifting a bit more than I run lately as well. I still enjoy a good jog or a regular 5-6 miles twice a week or so, but working out has helped with building strength.

I've seen this guy before, had no idea he had lost so much weight, he's definitely got me on the 1 arm push ups, those things are hard to do no matter how much you weigh

[KIRMIL]

I still log every meal every day and am averaging 2700 calories per day to maintain 150 lbs. I do sometimes have McDonalds since I am no longer trying to lose weight. I would never have fries or soda - that is just calories with no nutritional value. I tend to eat multiple filet-of-fish patties (2-5) with 0-1 sets of bread. You can get up to 70 grams of protein this way. I am still under 7% bodyfat. I have been doing more weightlifting than running lately.

Robert, are you still making good progress in the gym?

[silencertalk]

I go to the gym four times a week, but there were times in the past where I would spend 1-3 hours there. I am down to about 30 minutes. One thing that happened was I torn something in my shoulder from trying to bench-press too much. I would say try not to set records as an injury is bad. It has been well over a year and I have never been the same. I am at 147 lbs now but have less muscle and more fat than at my peak.