True. I’d dispute that Atkins is ever a good idea, but it’s a really bad idea when you’re getting into running. Or any kind of sustained cardio exercise, for that matter.
This has been a bad running week. I thought my arm twisting last night was nothing… But now through the day, as I’ve had to use that arm, it keeps hurting… not a lot, but as if I were getting pricked by a needle. I’ll try and see if I can run with it, but I may not be able to finish. 
I did think about that. When I did Atkins a year ago, I felt better than I’d ever felt and didn’t overeat or crave carbs at all. I tried a modified Atkins that allowed some “good carbs” and I noticed I craved bread again.
So I wondered how a protein and fat diet would affect my exercise plan and how I felt. I think I’ll look for a sensible diet that includes some carbs and track my food.
Anyway, Day 3 of Week 3 was more difficult than the first day of this week. I didn’t quit though and only ran at a slightly slower pace to make up for my lack of stamina today. Week 4 starts Sunday. It’s a busy day because we’ll be at an apple festival, but I’ll have to manage to get to the gym.
I mean, you can avoid refined sugars and still eat good carbs - whole grains, fruits, etc. Maybe something like steel cut oats in the morning before a run. You can make your own granola that only has exactly what you want in it - put in some whole grains, some honey, some dried fruit, nuts for protein and fat, etc.
KarlGrenze, take care of yourself.
I did Week 2, Day 2 today. Not dead even a little bit.
By the way, Nutty Bunny, have you tried South Beach? It always seemed a lot saner to me than Atkins.
That’s what I’m thinking of trying. We have the book from my husband’s attempt at the diet.
I run after work in the early evening before dinner. In your opinion (or anyone else’s for that matter), when is the best time of day to eat carbs in my case? I ate a lot of carbs yesterday and my run was really hard because I felt bloated and lethargic.
Week 3 day 3 is in the can. It was hard but doable. Ever since that first time I have NOT been able to get that cute little iPhone app to work, though, which is very frustrating - I want to see my improvement in a concrete way!
I have to say, though - I’ve done gyms with personal trainers, all this stuff, and this is the only thing I’ve ever done where I feel like I’m actually improving - my body is learning how to do something. I actually look forward to doing it (er, before I actually get out there and get into the running, and then it’s hard.) I think I feel kind of emotionally about running because this is something my body wants to be able to do. It’s something it used to do just for the hell of it when I was a kid, and it’s something it’s (figuratively) designed to do. Its ancestors did it to live - hunted game on foot for miles and miles and miles, ran to live.
I think that’s why I want to stick with this so badly - I think my body likes it. It likes getting better at it. I don’t know how it’s going to feel about 26.2 miles of it, but I really want to get better at doing this.
Five minutes on Monday or Tuesday. I say I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that - but didn’t I say that about this week?
I sort of wonder if I’ll be able to progress to week 3 without any problems. Maybe I will do week two over again. Anyone have any thoughts on it? It does not seem possible that going from 90 seconds to three minutes isn’t going to cause issue.
I finished Week 3 today but I’ve decided to repeat it instead of moving on to Week 4. Day 3 wasn’t any easier than Day 1 and it seems like it should have been.
I’m also not losing any weight. I’ve lost inches since March when I bought my bicycle but I’ve gained weight since August when school started and I couldn’t get out as often.
Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m sitting here reading and posting while eating ice cream.
Ginger, several of us thought the same thing. Try it, and if it’s too much then ease back and repeat week 2. It wasn’t easy, but it is doable. You are running the same amount of minutes as week 2 as in week 3.
I think you’ll be surprised how easy (relatively) it comes. When I start a new week, I lose a little speed but work back up to where I was the week before. I cannot wait to run my first 5k.
Another improvement I’ve noticed (TMI)
My sexual response is improving markedly. 
Finished week 3 day 3 today. Don’t know why, but I was feeling pretty crappy today. May have been still feeling the effects from my MS injection Friday night.
I also screwed up by forgetting to do my inhaler beforehand. The thing is, I never have problems with asthma except when I’m running. So I never think about it. During my 1st 90 sec run I was thinking, ut oh.
2 min into the 3 min run, I had to quit & head home for my inhaler. I did repeat those 2 minutes though, so I feel like I came out ahead.
5 min runs next week should be fun!! (In a prisoner being systematically tortured for information over a period of weeks kinda way)
Heh, I don’t know about mine, but his is since I’ve started losing some of those fat bits. It’s kind of one of those reverse compliment things, I guess.
Hey - whatever works I’m still having a hard time losing weight, but hopefully that will kick in soon. I even cut beer out of my diet! :eek: Well, as of last week anyways. I still have a party keg of marzen to work through though.
So I didn’t go last night, because if there is one thing that makes me a big wimp it is 20mph prevailing and 30mph wind gusts. I HATE running in the damn wind. Or I thought I did. Last week I was running my cooler; this week I washed the flannel sheets and I’m eyeing the space heater. Yeah, it’s only 57F, but I’m from SoCal, OK? 
So I made myself go tonight, wind be damned. I bundled up in my track suit (finally get to wear it, I got it in May from a school event) and a fleece hood. I was ready to tear all that crap off about halfway through, and the wind became refreshing. I run on dirt roads that have a fine drift of sand on top (around .5-2" deep) and it was nice to see the wind shape all the drifts into dune-like ripples. The view of the windmills in the Tehachapi mountains wasn’t too shabby, either.
It’s like in the past few years I forgot how much I like being outside.
<burp> Screw that crap. You can have my beer if you can outrun me. 
That sounds incredibly beautiful! It’s amazing how I’ve lived in this house for three years and never really looked at the neighborhood. I’ve seen signs for streets I’ve never heard of in my life! Outside is actually pretty cool, a fact I haven’t considered since I was seven or so.
Didn’t catch up with the thread (sorry), but ran 1.9 again today. I did a 7:1!
7, 3, 5, 4 and then a little 1:1 so that it would be 20 minutes of running. It’s hot today–awful. High is supposed to be 80, now it’s 67 and sunny. The Chicago marathon is today–I pity those runners.
It felt good, but I was tired throughout it. I am working more and so my schedule is off and I think I am feeling it. Still, I’m glad I did it and am looking forward to Tuesday (my next run).
Hope everyone here is healthy and still striving.
Week 4 day 1 done.
Ow.
I just checked current conditions. 70F 59% humidity part. cloudy 8mph winds. Not ideal but far from horrid. The partly cloudy helps really makes a difference.
ETA:This is in reply to elenorigby’s post about the Chicago Marathon. Used the wrong button.
I’ve completed week two, but I really don’t know if I’m ready for week three. 3 minutes running? I doubt it. I had to walk a little more time (about an extra minute) before my final run today. I’ll do week two again next week and see how I feel after that. I do have extenuating circumstances today though (girl related) but I got off of the goddamned couch. I think it should count for extra.
And now, it’s off to Thanksgiving dinner.