Active Community: Message List

Re: Cyclists at risk for bone loss

guest — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:45:57 GMT

sigh Just when you think you're doing something GOOD for your body, you find out you don't have the whole story! I chose to get into cycling because running (and even walking or standing for long periods of time) was causing a lot of pain in my left heel. For about 6 months I consciously chose to stay away from high-impact activities. However, I do some weight training and it sounds like that was a good (albeit accidental) choice. Perhaps the lesson for the day would be...cross train, no matter what activity you are most focused on!

Re: Not Osgood Slaughter....but what?

guest — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:41:23 GMT

Hi run4fun! Just curious, what do you do when you can't run for a while? Are there other cardio-type exercises you do to keep you in shape for the time you'll have to take off?

Re: Heart Rate

guest — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:35:02 GMT

Brett, I have a similar problem, except that my HR is almost ALWAYS too high whether I'm resting or exercising (I take medication to slow it down). The various HR calculator are therefore of limited value to me since I'm usually over the "limits." I agree with run4fun and I just go by how I feel. I do wear a HRM but that's more for keeping an eye on my HR to make sure it doesn't get TOO high. I once participated in a pretty vigorous workout and my HR got up to 203. That was a little too scary for me, so now I keep a better eye on it.

run4fun, I also thank you for the Benson chart. It will come in very handy.

Re: YAY...I just completed the first day of the rest of my life...

guest — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 21:05:01 GMT

Hurrah for you! I'm also pretty new to running...I did my first 5K one month shy of my 40th birthday, and that was last year. This year I'm going to do the same race, but I got my hubby to sign up too which means we'll be WALKING instead of running. At least we'll be moving! I've been sidelined for several months due to heel pain but this past Sun I did a run/walk that totaled about 5K, so I'm getting back in the game. I've noticed that there is a LOT of encouragement on Active.com and newbies like us are always made to feel welcome. Congratulations!

Re: Starting out... with a few questions.

guest — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 23:34:21 GMT

Hi GynoT,

I had shin splints when I first started running, too. I was running on a very old pair of shoes (and by old, I mean REALLY old...about 4 -5 yrs old). When I signed up for the exercise class which included the running, I was told that I definitely would need new shoes, if I didn't buy anything else. I couldn't afford any new ones for about a month and a half and sure enough, by then my shins were hurting me.

Once the shin pain began, I was told to also do lots of stretching before and especially after a workout, and to ice down several times a day whenever I could. I also gave myself leg massages and that seemed to help.

I think I was able to take care of the shin splints before they became debilitating. I haven't noticed any shin pain in months, although ironically as my shin pain diminished, my plantar fasciitis pain became worse. But that's another story...

Good luck and don't get discouraged. I've seen so many threads on active.com about leg/knee/shin/ankle/heel pain I'm beginning to think that just about everyone who runs goes through this stage at least once.

Re: Electrolyte drinks

guest — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:26:18 GMT

Hi Debbie,

Maybe you should try drinking the electrolytes after the run or even sometime during, rather than the beginning of the run. I've found that as long as I am well hydrated with water (but have avoided guzzling water just before vigorous exercise), I don't have any cramping. Interestingly, you said that you do well with the gels but not so well with the liquid electrolyte replacers. I'm just the opposite. The one time I tried a gel (although admittedly I tried it when I was not doing any physical activity at all) I got a slight upset stomach. I really like the ShotBloks by Cliff. They're gummy squares that I'll eat during a run or right after, and they really make me feel good.

Re: Twenty Healthy Foods that Cost $1 or Less

guest — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 20:02:53 GMT

Thanks Toby! It's nice to know that almost everything on that list is a food that I like - but I still refuse to drink that horrible liquid known as coffee.

Re: Did officer shove Critical Mass bike rider to the ground?

guest — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:55:34 GMT

Interesting that, of all the bike riders that were passing by, the officer only chose that one rider to take down. It makes me wonder if he was someone that the police were specifically looking for, or perhaps the rider was yelling something threatening as he was approaching (though I couldn't hear anything in the video).

Critical Mass is in the news a lot here in the San Jose/San Francisco area. They provoke a lot of strong feelings both for and against their events and there have been a lot of confrontations between them and motorists. There have been some instances where traffic flow has been affected by Critical Mass rides, though I think now the rides are publicized well enough in advance so motorists have the opportunity to choose alternate routes or to stay off the roads during the rides. The CM riders seem to want to make the San Francisco Bay Area more "bike friendly" in terms of safe roads and more acceptance for biker's rights, which is great. But there is a very small but radical element that seem to have some sense of entitlement and take every opportunity to become hostile with motorists. Interestingly, the Critical Mass website claims that CM is not an organization, but rather a series of events, and so has no "leaders." Therefore there is no one except the police to hold the riders accountable for obeying traffic laws.

Re: Any fair skinned folk that overheat easy?

guest — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 04:06:11 GMT

LuLu,

You are awsome and an inspiration. Good luck to you and keep up the great work!

Cynthia

Re: Heel Pain

guest — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 16:40:13 GMT

That is pretty interesting about the wedge heel helping the pain, but I've heard that a slight rise in the heel of the shoe will take some strain off the plantar fascia tendon and so would relieve pain. However, Sir Diesel does bring up a good point about PF not usually coming on so suddenly. Have you ever had heel or arch pain before? Do you notice any swelling or discoloration in your foot? If the pain doesn't go away in the next few days, you may want to see an MD or podiatrist so they can say for sure what the problem is.