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Jogging Day 2: "You mean it can hurt MORE???"

Matts on 2006-07-21T13:24:18

OK so I never blogged day 1, because I didn't think about blogging it until this morning.

I decided to start jogging. I've been thinking about jogging for probably over a year now, but thinking about it doesn't get me fit. I need to exercise to get down to an ideal weight, plus I want to be reasonably fit before snowboarding season starts again - I don't want to spend the first week in agony.

So I've got about 20lb to lose, give or take. I don't expect to lose it all, partly because I'm hoping to build some muscle too.

Day 1 was hard. I have no stamina for cardio at this stage. My body just isn't used to it. I walk a third of the course. I can't even finish the last bit uphill back to the house. I feel great though - I bounce into work and don't even need coffee. Next day however was HELL. My poor legs. They're like "WTF?". I can hardly sit down without falling. Going to the bathroom is an exercise in pain. That was Wednesday (2 days ago).

Today I decided even though my legs still hurt, I've got to push through that barrier. So off I went again. It was easier today, though I could feel pain building in my muscles. The cardio nature of it was much easier - my breathing was more rhythmic and I could go further without dropping to a walk.

But when I stopped, when I got home (and I managed to jog the last stretch uphill to the house), I felt the pain. It's not a bad pain - just my muscles asking me why I'm being so cruel. But jeez I think I may need a massage now :-)

Total weight lost so far: -3lb.

(yes that's minus, as in I put on 3lb. Last night was kw.pm with pizza)

Running

Ovid on 2006-07-21T13:49:43

Make sure you have good running shoes picked out for your feet. Do you have high, low, or normal arches? Do you pronate? These things need to be considered once you start running decent distances or else serious leg injuries can await you,too. Of course, if you're running and you're a programmer, I suspect you've already looked into this and many of the other caveats about running.

Re:Running

Matts on 2006-07-21T13:54:16

I haven't looked into it too seriously. I've had the same pair of gym shoes for ages, and they don't hurt my feet at all. I have no intention of running "serious distances" - that's why god invented cars.

Re:Running

jhi on 2006-07-21T14:22:34

Gym shoes or running shoes? They are different...

Re:Running

brian_d_foy on 2006-07-21T16:14:02

I go to the local running fanatic store and get them to tell me which shoes to buy. The people in the know will look at your feet and ankles as you jog in various shoes and see what's right for you.

After the first time I did this, I thought it was a bunch of crap. My old shoes felt more comfortable and I wanted them back. But after a couple of weeks when my body got used to the different pronation, everything felt a lot better. It wasn't just the shoes, but strengthening different tendons and little muscles and whatnot for the new position.

Good luck: just remember that you are in this for the long term, so don't kill yourself the first too weeks. Build up gradually and don't run everyday. :)

Meet your new friend Ben

VSarkiss on 2006-07-21T13:53:00

Ben Gay, that is.

Actually, I prefer Tiger Balm, but lame jokes are easier with Ben-Gay. I've found the best way is to put on a patch before going to bed. Usually I'm not sore in the morning if I do that.

Prevent lactic acid buildup to avoid the pain

codehead on 2006-07-21T15:21:39

I'm in that same process. I take an aspirin right after workout and found that it helps, but keep in mind that I use it as a blood thinner rather than as a pain reliever, so Tylenol won't work. Working out a little bit every day also helps to prevent lactic acid buildup. Try some DDR or another light cardio activity on weekends. Even walking a little bit helps. My total so far after one week: 3lb. I think now I deserve some pizza. ;-)

'lactic acid' may be a myth

pflanze on 2006-09-23T16:36:28

Some people say that the pain is really (as you would think) from muscle fibres being torn apart, and not from the acid.

Stretch

modred on 2006-07-21T16:20:01

Stretching before and especially after will help reduce the pain in the legs.

Food

sigzero on 2006-07-21T17:10:48

If you aren't going to change how and what you eat then what is the point? You want to lose weight and you eat pizza?!

Re:Food

Matts on 2006-07-21T19:51:48

Yes.

Losing weight is a simple equation. As my friend Matt puts it: "Mouthhole is bigger than the asshole".

I can keep my eating/drinking habits and my current exercise (weights) but maintain my current weight (slightly over weight, but not entirely awful) or I can use up a few more calories and my weight will go down - that is a given.

Re:Food

Aristotle on 2006-07-22T15:07:05

What’s so puzzling about it? If you keep eating the same way as before, so calorie intake stays the same, but you excercise more so that you burn more calories, it follows that your weight must go down. Pretty basic stuff. In fact, it goes down more than the excercise alone would cause it to, because you build up muscle from the excercise, and the more muscle mass you have the more calories you spend to maintain it even in idle periods.

Besides, I find excercise a much more balanced, worthwhile answer to excess than dieting. (Of course you should make sure your diet is not grotesquely unbalanced, but that’s a separate issue from how much you eat.) It benefits you in a myriad ways beyond keeping your weight down: greater stamina, more strength and better neurochemical balance, to name just the big points.

Dieting is a workaround; excercising is a bugfix.