Started running after 23 years of not running.

[silencertalk]

I wish I just made myself do this all along as a basic lifestyle decision. I lost over 12 lbs and 4 inches off my waist in the last 8 weeks.

Now I am running in the 2011 Falmouth Road Race to raise money for the Joslin Diabetes Center High Hopes Fund.

http://www.falmouthroadrace.com/

The race is one of the more famous non-marathons in the world with over 10,000 people running and there are more people want to run than can win a number in the number lottery to be able to run.

It sure would be nice if we forum members to raise thousands of dollars.

If you want to help, you can go to my personal fund raising page and make a donation with a credit card. Thank you very much.

https://events.joslin.org/Falmouth/pfp/ ... eid=SR0008

[Hitman]

Congrats, I just started back as well.

[mcinfantry]

I need to start back exercising as well. I got to get on an elliptical because my knees are shot.

[jlwilliams]

This must be the summer of running. I'm back at it too.

[mcinfantry]

Anyone barefoot? Or read 'born to run'? I've been in vibram five fingers since sept....

[D9M9TR9S]

Anyone barefoot? Or read 'born to run'? I've been in vibram five fingers since sept....

This is great Robert, I usually do about 5 marathons a year if I can, mostly for charity too.
How do you like your VFF's? My co-worker runs in his, says that his calves are sore afterwards, but he loves them. Thinking about getting a pair myself.

[silencertalk]

I tried those Vibram Five Fingers and decided they were not a close enough match to my toe lengths.

I identified three running shoes to consider, found an actual running store that had all three, and ended up with Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. I have been very happy - no blisters - and I got them in black so I can wear them with long pants and not look too casual.

Nike Zoom Structure Triax 14+ were also a possibility for me, as well as the Asics GT 2150.

As for a marathon - I don't see why I can't finish a 1/2 marathon, but 26 miles seems daunting.

[bakerjw]

Good deal Robert. I love the title options on the donation website. I was tempted to go with Admiral or Duke but found a more fitting one.

I wish I could run by my joints can't take it. So I ride my road bicycle whenever I can. It isn't quite as steady of a cardio workout but it does help. Before I started riding steady I used to walk like a penguin after sitting for a while. Now things are a bit looser and it is less painful to get up and get started.

Robert runs a good site here and doesn't charge any of us for access. I say let's get behind him and help him reach his goal for supporting a good cause.

[silencertalk]

Thank you John.

It would be really great if 100 people could each give $15. I committed to raising at least $1500.

[Bone16]

All right you slackers, cough it up!!!

If you've found anything of interest, useful, educational, humorous, or down right made you shoot your beverage of choice out of your nose or want to bleach your eyeballs on Silencer Talk, make a donation. It is for a good cause and will take you about 1 minute to do on the website link.

For my fellow brothers in arms, y'all ain't got a hair on your collective asses if you don't donate. And yes, I am calling you out!

-Bone

[jupiterdraft]

I'm in

[silencertalk]

Thank you Kevin, David, and Jason.

[Ben B.]

Robert, you should easily be able to do a 1/2 marathon. I've done a few with no problems and my body type is "former small college offensive lineman".

I've not been exercising much the past year. I'm inspired by 4" off the waist in 2 months.

[ick]

I chucked in some coin. Glad to see you involved in fighting diabetes.

[bigbigpig]

I donated, good cause.

[silencertalk]

Thanks for the awesome contributions Ick and bigbigpig.

[silencertalk]

Thanks for the great donation Lee.

[mcinfantry]

You are motivating me to get started.
I dropped 8" off my waist and 80lbs in 4.5 months (100% cardio with pushups, situps and pullups only) last time I tried in 2006... Unfortunately I stopped all exercise and went back to eating crap.

I switched to my VFF in sept, and have not worn reg shoes since. I have gone from as much as 800mg Advil 7 days a week for 17 years to ZERO. Placebo? I suppose. Anyway. Thanks for the goal and the incentive.

[bakerjw]

t has been mentioned in the survival and preparedness forum that being in shape will be helpful in any shtf scenario.

[silencertalk]

For two weeks I logged what I ate in an app called LoseIt. It really helped me see how much I was eating.

I still love fast food burgers, and I used to eat three sandwiches. I went to two for a while, and my stomach must have shrunk as I seem to be changing over to just one - though when I do that I have to eat again sooner - but that is actually best to have more frequent and smaller meals. Fries are a big waste and now when I go to a place where the burgers come with fries I just ask for some vegetables instead. That is all still new to me as I never would have done that before. It seemed like until I turned about 35 I could eat anything I wanted, as much as I wanted.

We have a box of blueberry muffins and if you read the label, a serving is actually 1/3 of a muffin!

Restaurant portions are ridiculous and it is easy to feel obligated to finish them.

Pre-washed carrot sticks make a good snack. For some reason my dog loves them also, even though I can't imagine him eating any other vegetable.

[bigbigpig]

I switched to my VFF in sept, and have not worn reg shoes since.

I have VFF's and like them but not for running. They were more comfortable running in grass or on the beach as opposed to pavement but sand gets in there when I run on the beach. I switched to K-Swiss Tubes for running and they are much more comfortable. The VFF's only get used for kayaking, paddleboarding, and boating now.

[silencertalk]

K-Swiss Tubes look interesting.

[bigbigpig]

I use the Speedster Tubes for running which work great, but I wouldn't want to wear them all day. The heel seems to be higher which leans me forward when standing straight up. It's like the shoe is making me run. I've been wearing K-Swiss Tennis shoes for years but I admit it's Kenny Powers made me switch running shoes. See here:

Possibly nsfw (language): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjc5LFThDTQ

[TOOL1075]

if you are in to "minimalist" shoes, give the New Balance Minimus line a look.

I have these, and I love them. I do a lot of weight lifting, power lifting, and running in them.

They have a toe-box that is not restrictive. They have a vibram sole. I tried the five-fingers (my wife has many pairs of them) and they didn't feel right on my toes (guess my toes are non-mil-spec lengths)

oh, but by the way - if you strike on your heal instead of your mid-foot/fore-foot like you are supposed to, take it easy at first. you will be using the natural shock-absorption of your calves/achilles tendon assemblies, and you won't have a choice, because these will FORCE you to run correctly (as running barefoot does). takes time to adjust to it, but once you do, you'll be happy you did. if you run on your heals (heal-strike first) barefoot or with shoes that mimic "barefoot" you will hurt yourself, obviously.

http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu

(assuming you know about near-barefoot running, or you wouldn't have tried the vibrams, but just wanted to make sure).

[mcinfantry]

Lol, I have Morton's toe on one foot only...